15 Questions Most Sponsors Ask, Answered

1. When will the child I sponsor be told about me?

It’s an exciting moment that we all wish we were there for!

The child you sponsor will be told you’ve sponsored them when their local church is notified. That could be within a few hours if internet access is available, but it could take a few weeks; it really just depends on the access to resources that the church has. Generally, your sponsored child will be told that they’ve been sponsored within the first month of you making the commitment.

When your sponsored child receives the news there will be a great celebration with lots of singing and dancing.

2. What should I write in my first letter?

Boys in Ethiopia writing letters

Writing your first letter can be a little daunting. But fear not!

Like all relationship building, we suggest starting with the basics; perhaps start by sharing a few key things about yourself. The younger the child, the simpler it can be.

We encourage you to include a photo of yourself, your family and maybe even a pet. The quickest and easiest way to write it by using the Compassion UK App.

Don’t forget to ask them about themselves. You could try the following:

• Please tell me about your family.

• What is your favourite subject at school?

• What do you like to do outside of school?

• What do you like about the Compassion programme?

• What is your neighbourhood like?

• How’s the weather?

To draw attention to particularly questions you'd love to have answered, we recommend highlighting or underlining them.

Still unsure what to write? Read our 10 top tips for overcoming writer’s block.

3. How long until I receive a letter after first sponsoring?

You should get a letter from the child you sponsor within the first two months of receiving your welcome pack. This is often a basic introductory letter sharing some information about them, their family and where they live.

Some Compassion church-driven projects have letters already written and saved on file, ready for when a child is sponsored, so you don’t have to wait as long for an initial letter when they get the good news, but it varies with each project.

We encourage you to write back as soon as you can; there’s no better time to start building your relationship than right away!

4. Can I write straight away?

Absolutely! You can do this through myCompassion or the Compassion UK App. If you prefer to write on paper by hand, you’ll find paper in your Welcome pack.

The paper we send includes a unique barcode linked to you and the child you sponsor, which helps us process letters quickly. If you choose to use your own stationery, please attach a sheet of the barcoded paper to your letter. If you don’t have barcoded paper, please make sure you clearly include:

• The name of the child you sponsor

• Your reference number

• The child’s reference number

If you need more writing paper, please let us know by emailing info@compassionuk.org or calling our team on 01932 836490.

5. What is a Compassion project and is it different to school?

The child you sponsor attends a church-driven Compassion project at least 44 days each year. Project activities are usually held on Saturdays or on a week day before or after school.

Alongside the Compassion project, the child you sponsor usually attends a local school. Your support helps provide the uniforms and equipment they need.

7. Can I visit the child I sponsor?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, global travel restrictions and safety concerns for the communities we serve hindered our ability to invite supporters like you, to see first-hand what God is doing to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. This situation was unexpected and led to a significant repurposing and reduction of our original workforce, who were dedicated to planning and facilitating trips and visits to the field. As a result, we’re now re-growing our teams and capacity. Initially, we’re offering a small number of trips for specific purposes.

We ask for your grace and patience as we rebuild. We’re looking forward to being able to offer these unique experiences to supporters more widely in the future.

You can check here for updates.

7. What does the child I sponsor actually receive with my contribution?

Health check in Bolivia

The child you sponsor receives your financial support through attending a Compassion child development centre, run in partnership with a local church.

It should be noted that support is varied from country to country. For example, nutrition and supplementary food support may be more important in Africa, whereas access to a safe place to play may be more important in South/Central America.

Local church partners determine the needs of their local community, and therefore your support ensures that children are given appropriate contextual assistance.

Children in the Compassion programme will receive:

• access to medical-checks

• nutritious food

• hygiene and sanitation training for children (and often parents and caregivers as well)

• personal care, support and discipleship from local workers

• access to education

• vocational or tertiary education to ensure they're well prepared for employment and economic self-sufficiency

Please note that the child you sponsor won't receive cash as part of your regular monthly contribution.

8. What’s the difference between the Compassion project the child I sponsor attends and their school?

Each week the child you sponsor is invited to attend activities at their Compassion project, located at the local church. During their time at the project, children typically receive a snack, a meal or food parcel, and take part in lessons and activities as part of a specially designed curriculum.

There are also break-times for free play, as well as vocational workshops and devotional times together.

If the child you sponsor is school-aged they also usually attend a local school. Normally, project activities are held after school or on Saturdays.

9. How much does the child I sponsor receive from my donation?

For every pound you donate, a minimum of  80% is used to benefit Compassion-supported children through their participation in the Compassion programme. The remaining 20% goes to fundraising and administration costs.

We’re strongly committed to financial transparency and accountability; that’s why our financial reports are online and we encourage you to check them out.

10. Can I sponsor their sibling too?

Generally, only one child per family is registered with Compassion to ensure as many families within the community are reached as possible.

However, in cases where families are significantly in need or vulnerable, more than one child may be registered at the discretion of the local church and project staff.

We can't request specific children to be registered, but we encourage you to send a family gift to help meet the wider family’s needs. You could also include the siblings of the child you sponsor in the greetings of the messages you send, too, and tell them you're praying for the whole family.

11. What’s a family gift?

There are a variety of extra financial gifts you can give to the child you sponsor - an individual or birthday gift, or one that's for the whole family. The family receive this money through the local church and are free to use it as they see best, whether that’s buying household products, education resources, or even supplies to assist in setting up or running a local business. You can give a family gift between £15 and £750 annually.

After your gift is received, you should receive a thank-you letter within six-eight months of sending the gift, usually sharing how the money's been used.

12. If I missed a payment, does that mean the child I sponsor didn’t receive help?

If you miss a contribution, your sponsorship will be covered that month from Compassion’s Unsponsored Children Fund to ensure that the child you sponsor, and their local church, have consistent financial support.

Rest assured, the child you sponsor won't lose their place in the sponsorship programme or go without.

Once you're able to catch up your contribution amount, this will backfill the covered contribution.

If you are in financial difficulty, we have many options to cover or assist with donations. Please call us and we'll be happy to talk through what's possible.

13. Why does a child leave the programme?

There are many reasons why a child may leave the sponsorship programme.

This could be because the child graduates, the family’s economic situation improves and so they don’t need assistance, or because the family move away to find better employment opportunities or to be closer to other family members.

The usual graduation age is around 22 years, although it can be around 18-19 years in some countries. You'll be told when the child you sponsor is moving towards graduation and there's a process for sending them a final letter, and inviting them to stay in touch if they'd like to do so.

If the child you sponsor does leave the programme unexpectedly, you'll receive a letter or phone call to let you know.

14. The child I sponsor isn’t smiling in their picture, are they unhappy?

Photo day at the project

The first photo of the child you sponsor is a precious treasure. But if their expression feels serious, stiff or even a little worried, it’s natural to wonder, what’s going on here?

Keep in mind this may be the first picture that’s ever been taken of them. It might even be the first time they’ve seen a camera. While we’re used to being told to smile for photos, the child you sponsor might look serious as a sign of respect.

On photo day, all the children line up and take it in turns to have their picture taken. Many aren’t used to so much individual attention being given to them and can look shy.

You’ll receive a new photo of the child you sponsor every 12 to 18 months. Like all of us, some children will become naturals in front of the camera while others will remain shy.

15. What if I need to change my details?

You can update personal details such as your address or Direct Debit date by logging into your myCompassion account.

A version of this article originally appeared on Compassion Australia’s blog.