FAQ-Everything You Wanted to Know about Child Sponsorship

Juana was first sponsored when she was 5 years old. The photos above show her at 5, 16, and 21.

Define the World's Children method of child sponsorship.
How much does sponsorship cost and how do I pay?
What does sponsoring a child involve?
How do I start my sponsorship?
How will my sponsorship help my child?
Are my contributions tax-deductible?
How much of my sponsorship donation goes toward the child?
Can I select the child I wish to sponsor?
Will I really be sponsoring a child in need?
May I write or send presents to my child?
Do the children celebrate Christmas and birthdays? Can I send a monetary gift?
Can I terminate my sponsorship at any time?
What happens if the child I sponsor leaves the orphanage?
Can I visit the orphanage where my child lives?
What if I want to help but don’t wish to sponsor a child?
Is World’s Children affiliated with a religious denomination?
Can I designate a donation for a specific purpose?
What is your policy about confidentiality?

Define the World's Children method of child sponsorship.

The term sponsorship needs a clear definition.Sponsors want to know exactly where their money is going. There is a recent trend among child-sponsoring organizations to shift from sponsoring orphans to sponsoring children living with their families. This allows the charity to use its funds to help poor families or perform village development. This ultimately can help all the children in that community. While we applaud the good work done with the community approach, we are concerned that many orphanages are left without support.

Some children just don't have families. You can be their family. World's Children Supports Orphans and Unwanted Children. We take a traditional approach to child sponsorship. We help individual children who are cared for in orphanages and hostels. Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, authors of the best seller, "Half the Sky", researched the best ways to fight global poverty. They say: "Sponsor a girl abroad through one of the many child sponsorship organizations." Their findings support our traditional child sponsorship approach.

How much does sponsorship cost and how do I pay?

You can change a child’s life for as little as $25 a month. That’s just 83 cents a day. Many of us empty that much change from our pockets every night. But in developing countries where World's Children orphanages are located that amount can provide for the daily needs of an impoverished child. A scholarship for a college student is approximately $50 a month.

There are many ways to pay. You can pay monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. You can pay by check or by credit card on our website. World’s Children uses PayPal for electronic payments as we believe it is a secure option for receiving your donation. If you wish to set up an on-line recurring donation, you can use the Network for Good website. Go to: Network for Good. Look up our charity, World's Children (formerly known as World's Children International, Corvallis, OR. This is a reliable site for making donations.

Many sponsors prefer to pay by check. If you decide to pay by check, you can mail it to: World's Children, PO Box 2708, Corvallis, OR 97339. Or better yet, use your bank’s free “Bill Pay” and set up regular payments where your bank makes the payments for you.

To begin sponsoring, you can click the donate button on this page.

What does sponsoring a child involve?

First, we will assign you a child and send you a welcome packet of information about sponsoring and about “your” child. The packet includes the child's history, a photograph, birth date, and a letter from the orphanage administrator telling you about the child.

You will receive two letters from your child each year. Most children also love to send Christmas cards that they make by hand for their sponsor.

Each summer after the school year has ended you will receive a progress report about your child prepared by the administrator of the orphanage. This report will list your child’s grades for the past year, an assessment of their social and academic skills, and any other information the administrator feels is relevant. Once a year you will receive a new color photo of your child so you can see how she or he has grown.

Finally, you can expect a very real but intangible reward when you become a sponsor. You will experience a sense of satisfaction when you begin sponsorship. We believe this happens because in today’s media-saturated world we are so overwhelmed with tragic stories and helpless situations that it is easy to feel powerless. But when you become a sponsor you literally rewrite a sad story and give it a happy ending.

How will my sponsorship help my child?

Your monthly sponsorship fee is sent to the orphanage in which your child lives and is used to purchase food, clothing, medicine, school uniforms, books and supplies, and other necessities. But equally important to the physical help you will give is the psychological and emotional support that every sponsored child feels, knowing that someone cares about them and wants them to succeed. The orphanage administrators tell us that sponsored children generally do better in school and are more socially adjusted than children who do not have a sponsor. Don’t underestimate the emotional impact your sponsorship will have on your child.

Are my contributions tax-deductible?

Yes. World’s Children is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, EIN # 20-5270353. If you live in the USA, you may take a tax deduction to the fullest extent allowed by law for your contribution. Save your receipts for your tax records.

How is the sponsorship donation used? How much of my sponsorship donation goes toward the child?

We send a monthly check to your child’s orphanage with a combined payment for all the children sponsored there. Our orphanages are like large families. As with any family it is important that all the children feel equally loved and nurtured. So when you sponsor a child your donation is pooled with that of other sponsors and used to benefit ALL the children, sponsored as well as unsponsored. Your donation will provide nutritious food, clothing, school uniforms and books, medical care, personal items and other necessities for the children in the orphanage.

We are committed to send 80% of donor and sponsor contributions to the orphanages where we work and the projects we support. This does not include other program services. We spend approximately 90% on all our program services.

Can I select the child I wish to sponsor?

Soon you will be able to select a child on our website. Until then, we choose a child for you. You can make a note on your first sponsorship donation if you have a preference for age, country, gender, or other preference. Next, we will either email or mail you the information you need to decide whether or not to sponsor the child we select for you.

Will I really be sponsoring a child in need?

Yes, our mission is to help the most desperate children in the world. We select orphanages that take children from the streets or children who are brought to the orphanage by a parent or grandparent who is unable to adequately care for their child.

Many of the children are true orphans with no living parents. Others are semi-orphans, meaning that one parent is deceased and the surviving parent cannot care for their son or daughter alone. Some children have two parents but the family is so poor they cannot support their children. We also support orphans who are victims of HIV/AIDS.

We also support many girls. In India, where most of our hostels are located, girls are often discarded by their families; sometimes left at the gates of an orphanage, sold to a brothel or intentionally abandoned in a crowded marketplace.

Boys are favored because they are expected to provide for their parents in their old age, while girls will require an expensive marriage dowry that is traditionally paid to the groom’s family. For this reason girls far outnumber boys in our Indian orphanages. The pain of rejection they feel from abandonment is offset by having a kind sponsor and a nurturing environment in which to grow up.

May I write or send presents to my child?

You are under no obligation to write your child, but many sponsors find an unexpected happiness when they build a relationship with their child through an exchange of letters and photos.

Children in our homes are very curious about their sponsors and what their lives are like. Most of the children are timid about asking their sponsors personal questions, but you can be sure they are extremely curious about you. They love to receive letters in which you tell them about your family and your life. They enjoy learning what you like to do, what your job is, what your favorite games and recreational activities are, the names of your family members, even a description of the pets you have. If a sponsor sends a personal or family photo that photo is treasured by the child and carefully kept with their belongings.

World’s Children sends a mail packet to our orphanages at the end of the month and we are happy to include your letters, cards, photos and any small, flat and inexpensive items you wish to send your young person. We don’t recommend mailing gift items, cash, or checks directly to the homes because of rampant postal theft in many of the countries. But photos, a few stickers or other thin items are appreciated by the children and won’t require the orphanage to pay customs duties.

Do the children celebrate Christmas and birthdays? Can I send a monetary gift?

Some sponsors send a little extra money for birthdays or Christmas and these gifts are used to provide a monthly birthday party and a Merry Christmas for your child and the other children in the orphanage.

Each child celebrates his or her birthday. Sometimes the birthdate of the child is not even known. In that case, the administrators of the home make their best educated guess. All the birthday children are honored and get to feel special whether their sponsors could make a donation or not. We pool all the birthday donations and a gift is purchased for all the children to share. The birthday parties occur once a month. The gifts are presented at the birthday celebration, in honor of the children having a birthday that month. The children have a celebration and birthday cake is enjoyed by all. The children's lives have been enriched by our sponsors' birthday donations. At Christmastime all donated Christmas money is collected and then, once again, items are bought for all the children.

Can I terminate my sponsorship at any time?

Yes. You do not sign a contract with us and you are under no obligation to continue your support. Most sponsors like to see their child complete their education and then decide whether to accept another child or not, but the choice is always yours. You can cancel sponsorship at any time. To cancel, please write or email so we know that you want to end the relationship you have with your child and we will find them a new sponsor.

What happens if the child I sponsor leaves the orphanage?

When this happens, we contact you, explain why your child has left, and ask if you would like to sponsor another child.

Can I visit the orphanage where my child lives?

We wish more sponsors would do exactly that. The feeling you will experience when you see and embrace your sponsored child for the first time is indescribable. And a visit will inform you about your child’s life in a way that letters can never do. If you decide you would like to visit your child, we will assist with information and advice and help with suggestions about travel agents and accommodations. Click this button to learn about the experience of one of our sponsors who visited several orphanages in India.

What if I want to help but don’t wish to sponsor a particular child?

Some donors don’t care to have a one-on-one relationship with a particular child. We are grateful for those individuals who make a regular monthly or one-time donation to help one of our homes or projects. Visit our current projects webpage.

Is World’s Children affiliated with a religious denomination?

World’s Children is a humanitarian organization that is not affiliated with a religious organization. We serve children of all backgrounds, and welcome people from all walks of life. World's Children is committed to nurturing the children's well-being and physical needs in an environment of kindness and love. We support all children without regard to gender, race, religion or ethnicity. Some of the orphanages we support are administered by people of faith and many of our supporters are people of faith as well.

Can I designate a donation for a specific purpose?

Yes. Some sponsors sent extra for birthday or Christmas parties for the children, special needs for the homes, for a specific project or for the greatest need. World's Children is committed to honor stated preferences for donations to the fullest extent allowed by the law. In some circumstances, such as overfunding of a project, your contribution will be used to benefit children with the greatest need.

What is your policy about confidentiality?

World’s Children respects your privacy. Personal data is not distributed, shared, rented or sold to companies, organizations or to any third party. We will not send you any information that is not related to our charitable work.

We only send mail, whether by post or electronically, to people who have indicated that they are happy to hear from us. Please contact us by email at: info@worldschildren.org with “unsubscribe” in the subject line if you no longer wish to receive updates from World’s Children.