Who we are

Founded in 1952, Compassion is a leading Christian children’s charity.

Our approach to fighting poverty is highly focused and personal. You’ll be connected to and known by an individual child or children as their only sponsors. Through prayers and messages of encouragement, sponsors play a vital role in building the confidence of their sponsored child and affirming their worth in Christ.

Today, Compassion partners with more than 8,000 churches in 25 countries to deliver our proven child development programme to more than 2 million infants, children and youth. Around the world, children, families and entire communities are being empowered to overcome poverty and thrive both now and into the future.

What sets us apart

Christ Centred

Jesus is at the heart of what we do. Our programmes show God’s love to children born into poverty. Whilst Christ’s love motivates us, we help children and families from all backgrounds, regardless of belief.

Church Based

We believe that the Church is the hope of the world. We run our programmes in exclusive partnership with more than 8,000 local churches, across 25 countries, because they know their communities inside out.

Child Focused

We intentionally focus on caring for children who are most vulnerable to the devastating effects of poverty. We support children in every area of their lives, tackling the root causes of poverty that hold them back.

What we do

Worldwide, 356 million children live in poverty*. Poverty robs children of their basic rights to learn, play and grow. It’s unacceptable.

Every child born into poverty faces a unique combination of challenges. That’s why our programme doesn’t just care for one area of a child’s life, giving them food or education in isolation, for example. Instead, our holistic child development programme empowers a child to overcome poverty in every area of their lives. We believe caring for a child’s mind, body, heart and spirit is the most effective way to release them from poverty, for good!

Holistic child development means we begin supporting a child in poverty, in some cases, when the child is still in the womb, and it means we go all the way through young adulthood with the child.

Sponsor A Child

Sponsor a child today and give them life-changing support.
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Interventions

Support an intervention and make a difference today
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Child Survival Interventions

We’re with you in believing it’s an injustice that poverty leaves newborns vulnerable to deadly disease and health complications. That’s why our Child Survival interventions are bringing change.
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Our holistic child development model is tailored to a child’s age, gender, health, culture and family situation. Because we work through the local church, it’s also contextualized to fit the needs of the children in each community.

Hover over each section to discover more.

Spirit

  • Through the local church:
  • Hearing the gospel
  • Learning that God loves them
  • Bible study, singing, prayer and Christian education
  • Participation in community voluntary work

Body

  • Nutritional support
  • Health, sanitation and hygiene education
  • Family health education
  • Health and dental check-ups
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Mind

  • Career planning and goal setting
  • After school tutoring
  • Assistance with school fees, supplies and uniforms
  • Literacy classes, crafts and music workshops
  • Vocational training
  • Life skills

Heart

  • Career planning & goal setting
  • Face-to-face contact with loving project staff
  • Development of basic social skills, such as respect for others
  • Love and encouragement from their sponsor
  • Contact with their sponsor through letters, gifts and photos

Spirit

  • Through the local church:
  • Hearing the gospel
  • Learning that God loves them
  • Bible study, singing, prayer and Christian education
  • Participation in community voluntary work

Body

  • Career planning & goal setting
  • Nutritional support
  • Health, sanitation and hygiene education
  • Family health education
  • Health and dental check-ups

Where we work

Compassion works in partnership churches in 25 developing countries. These frontline church partners tailor our holistic child development model to the contextualised needs of the children in their communities, to best deliver the holistic care that the children they serve most need.

See where we work

Sponsor with confidence

Compassion has been a leader in Christian child development since 1952. Everything we do is focused on helping children achieve their God-given potential.

Independent research studies have shown that Compassion children have higher levels of happiness and self-efficacy. Sponsored children are also more likely than their unsponsored peers to:

Stay in school for longer

Have salaried employment in their adult years

Be leaders in their communities and churches

How we steward your donations

80%

A minimum of 80% is used to directly benefit children in poverty

We’re committed to handling the finances entrusted to us with the utmost integrity. Your donations are used wisely and strategically, and always for the greatest benefit of children in poverty.

See exactly where your money goes ›

Our history and values

Read more about the history of Compassion and what drives our work in our blog.

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