Accountability. This word has so much meaning. In this fast-paced and cynical world, many people have lost trust in nonprofits. It’s actually very sad, but I understand why.
How many times have you heard about the misuse of funds hindering an organization’s effectiveness, or greed compromising decision-making and values? Regrettably, I think we all have heard it too many times.
Working in the contact center, sponsors and donors call me and want to know if we — if Compassion — is trustworthy or if it’s a scam. These conversations are difficult because I cannot convince that person — through one phone call — to trust us, to trust Compassion.
If someone has been “burned” before, they look for faults in everything — the letters from their sponsored child, the pictures we send them, the way we use the funds we receive.
I have heard questions like “Is my child even real,” and “How do I know that the funds are actually getting to the child?”
I really don’t blame anyone for asking these questions. Were I on the other end of the phone, I’d be asking the same things.
For those of you wondering, here are my thoughts:
We, as Christians, are called to be good stewards of the resources God has given us. Here at Compassion, we are very passionate about ensuring we are.
Internal and independent audits are regularly conducted for our offices in the field and here in Colorado Springs. Every financial process undergoes intensive and continual scrutiny to ensure that funds are properly received, tracked, and managed. We want our program to be effective, so we monitor the child development centers to make sure they are making a difference in the lives of the children we serve.
Our goal is that the children in our program follow Jesus Christ in faith and deed, support themselves and share with others in need, are responsible members of their families, churches, communities and nations; and maintain their own physical well-being by the time they complete our Child Sponsorship Program. We have put measures in place to make sure that these goals are being accomplished.
Is Compassion a trustworthy organization?
Yes, I think so — but don’t just take my word for it. If you are a sponsor with Compassion and have thought about this before, I encourage you to check out Charity Navigator’s review of Compassion.
Not only did we receive the highest rating of four stars last year, but we received it for the previous seven years as well. Chris mentioned that in a blog post last week, “How is My Money Used Each Month?”
The question of trustworthiness goes beyond financial accountability. Regrettably, there aren’t any independent rating agencies that I’m aware of that grade organizations on how trustworthy they are. But here are some other resources for you to review if you want more information:
- What does it mean for an organization to “live with integrity”?
- Compassion International’s profile at the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
- Compassion International meets the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountability
I have gone on a Compassion sponsorship trip and seen my child and the work Compassion does. The teachers, the kids, the families – they are real. The Compassion kids we visited would always bring out their sponsor letters. They are so excited to get letters from their sponsors – the letters are precious to them. I, for one, am always excited to get mail from my child, too, and try to write back. The kids are so precious and so thankful.
One of the websites I use to check out a charity is http://www.ministrywatch.com. I am pleased and thankful to see Compassion International on their “30 Shining Light Ministries” list each year.
Actually Compassion only has a 3 out of 5 star rating from ministry watch. I just checked the site.
You’re both right. Compassion International is one of Ministry Watch’s “30 Shining Light Ministries” judged on the following criteria.
a.Transparency
b.Truth Claims
c.Values/Worldview
d.Sectors/Functions
e.Resourcefulness
f.Red Flag Issues
g.Consultation
Compassion gets 3 stars overall on financials:
4-stars on Asset Utilization Efficiency
3-stars on Resource Allocation Efficiency
3-stars on Fund Acquisition Efficiency
Here’s the financials chart used by Ministry Watch so you can see how Compassion’s numbers line up with other organizations:
Industry average vs. Compassion:
Fundraising Costs Ratio: 0.062 vs. 0.086
Contribution Reliance Ratio: 0.831 vs. 0.991
Spending Ratio: 1.009 vs. 0.957
Program Output Ratio: 0.82 vs. 0.799
Degree of Long-term Investment: 2.997 vs. 2.287
Current Assets Turnover Ratio: 4.916 vs. 5.376
I am disappointed to know that you can’t do paperless statements. While the rest of the world seems able to you have to be wasting valuable dollars that could be going to the children. I have been asked twice to up my giving. I feel that until I see Compassion International take this step, I will hold my giving as it is.
I agree they could be more resourceful by doing paperless statements, but that’s almost like saying you won’t tithe at church because the church spends money on the bulletins that they hand out, or on the coffee they offer….?
My name is Danielle and I am 20 years old. and I felt God pulling my heart to give my testimony.
I have been the sponsor of a Iddi Seleman since 2006. In my junior year of high school, I went to 722 in Atlanta and Lewi Giggleo gave his testimony and recommendation of Compassion and outside the conference hall I became a sponsor. I have cherished all my letters, drawings, prayers and every connection I have had with Iddi these past few years. However, giving money to a organization can bring worries and doubts like “Is all my money really going to my sponsor child?” and “Is this organization honest about what they are telling me?” “Is this making a difference?” To do something like this takes a step of faith and giving your money into God’s hands and letting Him take care of our worries.
I have not had a chance to visit Iddi in Tanzania but my heart so desires it. However, I have had the awesome blessing to visit Kenya twice in the past two years on a mission trip in Nakuru. I returned June 19th with a gift of reassurance from God. In Kenya, I visited a host family from P.C.E A Nakuru West church family. I was welcomed into the home of Samuel Kimani and his wife Tenesia and their 2 year old son, Philip. After dinner and an hour of talking, I discovered Samuel was a nurse for a Compassion center right there in Nakuru. He went on and on excitingly about all the miracles God delivers through that center and does for the children. He told me that the head office of Compassion in Kenya was ran by the very men and women that were once sponsor children themselves.
In my heart after hearing a native worker right from within the center talk about the organization with such passion, I wanted to give my recommendation and my witness story that Compassion International is an awesome program to join in on and be a part of.
Thank you Compassion for following the walk of God.
Gioto- (means really hot place “Hell”) a dump city in Nakuru where the people sometimes won’t speak it’s name because it is a dangerous place of no hope and it is where you go when you have no where else to go. Samuel told me that Compassion has been able to reach and get children from here just recently and the number keep pouring in since then.
“God will make a way”
Samuel and his family.
Upendo Church (means love)
All of the proof I could ever need is in the letters and photographs of my little girl, Ludis. She went from a scrawny, sad faced little one……… to a healthy, grinny little young lady.
Also, when I started sponsoring her, she was 9 and 1/2 years old. She wasn’t in school…… One and 1/2 years later? She wrote me her first letter without any help in January!!!! I cried.
I have a scrapbook I keep with all of her letters and photos in it. Whenever I doubt that I can make an impact upon the world, I pick it up…….
I wish the people calling in to the Compassion office doubting the ministry’s integrity would just spend a few days reading this blog. Their questions would be more than answered!!!!
Hi everyone, I am a person who accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior on Easter Sunday 2009 In Aug. of 2009 I was trying to find a Bible verse online when I saw an ad for Compassion International so I click on the ad began reading about Compassion International and how they help children in other countries with the problems of living in poverty. I said to myself this can’t be true so I decided to call them and find out where the money is really going and how are they helping these children. I called Compassion International for three days straight asking question after question, spending hours on the internet trying to find some wrong doing with Compassion International and counldn’t find anything only being a person who had only been saved for 5 months. I talked with my men’s small group who asked me have I prayed to God for answers regarding this matter. I had not done so that night I prayed to God for help. I woke up the next day with so much love and concern for the children living in poverty I immediately went online and I sign up to sponsor Juana from Honduras in Aug. 2009. In March 2010 we also sponsor Daniela from Ecuador. I have received the most precious gift children can share with others and that gift is LOVE!! I have received pictures, letters, and drawings from the girls telling me that they pray for me and the family also they’re both praying that one day I will be able to visit them.
I encourage those who don’t believe or want to find out about Compassion International please keep calling them asking all the entire questions you need to have your hearts filled with the love for others who live in poverty just remember to pray and ask God for help with your decision to help others who live in poverty. Today God has blessed me with the courage and a heart to become a child advocate for Compassion International. God’s love is Extravagant Compassion International is know doubt !! releasing children from poverty in the name of Jesus Christ.
Michael, you do sound like a child advocate! Good move!
I’ve been to Colombia, and have seen the work that Compassion is doing with my very own eyes. I have no doubts that Compassion is trust worthy.
All the proof of Compassion’s sincerity was within the first few months of becoming a sponsor. That was before I went to Peru and discovered first hand that Compassion is as honest as they say they are–although by that time, concerns for that was out the window with me. Granted, before joining Compassion, I had my doubts, hearing about other so-called sponsorship organizations using vast amounts of money for illegal activities. Yes, I was concerned, but I felt that God was leading me to Compassion and told me that this organization can be trusted. Now I’ve been a sponsor for 6 1/2 years and don’t regret a day of it!
I had to sit down and share something with all of you … two years ago I decided to sponsor a beautiful little girl in Honduras, who was then 8 years old. After exchanging a couple of letters I noticed something … she never failed to thank me for sponsoring her, and she always asked me to pray for her, and her family, and her country. I told her in one of my responses that for her to get the best education would open up a very difficult world for her to be and do anything that God led her to do. She never forgot that, and last month in her letter to me she reminded me of my advice to her … sheto me then “I feel such a priviledged girl to have someone who loves me and took me into your life and helps me … you told me you would be proud of me if I got a good education. I am doing that, and I will never let you down” … let me ask you how many times do yoou need a child to say that to you before you actually get the message! I know they do some coaching with the little ones to thank you, etc … but, that is okay. If you’re gonna coach someone on anything let it be gratitude! My sponsored little girl loves Jesus, and her family, and me! Oh my gosh, what else is there in life?
I am a beneficiary of Compassion International and I categorically believe its not a sham as my sponsor paid for my education right from secondary school through college.I am now working and am preparing to sponsor a child myself to give back to the society.
I have been a sponsor for almost 7 years now. I had some of the same doubts as everyone that has posted. My attitude was oh well, a tax write-off if anything else.
All that has changed and I can say this with a little mist in my eyes.
I just got back from visiting my sponsored child in Sumatra, Indonesia. I visited her home, I saw here church (compassion partner), I met over 30 Compassion children, my daughters played with my sponsored child’s sisters (all girls what a drama!). I even went back for a second visit the next day.
When i visited their home my family picture, the only picture we ever sent almost 4 years ago was hanging on their wall. They told me they pray several times a week and thank God for our support. After seeing all this I believe them.
The Birthday gift I usually send around my sponsored child’s birthday always arrives very late! But you would not believe the difference it makes when the Child has so little.
There is little work in that area so the father must live apart from the family for a year and back home for only a couple of weeks at a time!
The most shocking thing was the amount of sponsors that have visited that site. Zero! 21 years that Compassion has partnered with that Church I was the first sponsor to visit that site. I was so shocked I didn’t believe. I played dumb, asked the same question to other Compassion staff, I quizzed the teen children and none had ever seen their sponsor or the sponsor of any other Compassion child. It was true. All true.
A little insight for the disbelievers of Compassion. They are real and at least they are working hard todo as much as possible for that $38/month. The children are real. While we in the US might go several months without thinking of the Child outside that monthly credit card charge and thank Uncle Sam for the tax write-off but those children and their families are playing to God, speaking your name, thanking God for you, calling you mommy and/or daddy.
Compassion only has about 7-10% more children than there are sponsors. Simple math, more sponsors = more children let into the program.
I feel ashamed to have thought of my sponsored child as a tax write-off, to have ignored 2 out of 3 of her letters, and have rarely thought of her, and to have been ignorant enough to have thought $38 was all the Child needs!
Let me explain something about the monthly. It only covers some of the child’s expenses. I am sure each location is a little different but my $38 goes pretty much for school expenses and Compassion sponsored activities. Nope, those public school fees are paid by the parents (not like the property taxes we have in the us) and compassion only reimburses the family once the fees are paid. Compassion makes sure the money is properly spent by the parents by not just giving the parents pure cash.
It broke my heart to have thought $38 covered my sponsored child’s school, food, clothing, and medical? Compassion does a lot but they aren’t miracle workers. They expect the parents to make efforts too, not just sit at home and dream of a better life.
Compassion, yes they are a company with human flaws like any other company, but they are doing a great job with my measly $38/month. Compassion International is a very large company. They have strict guidelines on what they can and cannot do. They are closely monitored by governments, religious organizations, and by us pessimistic sponsors. Their ratio of donated $ to direct child support has as little overhead as possible. The local Christian Churches are partnered with Compassion and most of the monitoring and supervision is done through the Priest and a couple of local Compassion employees.
After this trip I understand so much more than the ignorant, untrusting sponsor I once was. I will be looking to sponsor an additional 2 children from that local Compassion field office/site. Of course, one of those children will be the youngest sister of my currently sponsored child.
Sponsor a child. You will be doing more good than you know. If you are pessimistic like me, visit that child when he/she turns a teen and see you your own 2 eyes like we did what that money has accomplished.
My heart goes out to the work Compassion does.
Yours truly, Erik
Erik, that is an incredible testimony. Thank you SO much for taking the time to share it. Even for a long-term sponsor like me, who is 110% committed to Compassion, what you said really made an impact.
I have personally traveled to Sonsonate, El Salvador and met my sponsor child! Compassion International is a legitimate, wonderful organization. I was given a tour of the “project” where my child lives, met many children, heard their stories (they LOVE getting letters from their sponsors). Compassion was transparent – i was able to view kids files where they carefully document correspondence back & forth as well as gifts purchased when sponsors send extra money (ie: birthdays, Christmas, etc.) Compassion is a top-notch organization and I wish I could sponsor more kids! They are positively impacting lives!
You are not upto standard at all and failed the accurate testing as in:http://www.givewell.org/International/charities/Compassion-International
This is why after 20y of sponsoring with you, you were not able to follow-up nor contact me on my concerns regarding the child I sponsored (the letter translations became very brief, one of his letters informed me “you do know I am disabled don’t you?” after 10years of sponsoring him…)?
Instead your response was “Sorry to lose you, we will find another sponsor for the child”
I have read this email post quite a number of times, and it concerns me a lot. Not that I don’t trust Compassion, but rather that I do trust Compassion. I think this letter is a sham to one degree or another. Since the person obviously chose to hide by not putting a name it causes me to wonder about legitimacy. First, I wonder what the person who sponsored this poor child did through 10 years of sponsoring? I find it unconscionable that you could communicate for ten years and not know of a disability if that is an important issue to you. Did you ever write to this child? What did you write about? Did you read the responses at all? Did you ever discuss with the child what frequency rate was a comfortable one for him or her? You couldn’t possibly know all the circumstances the child lives in day to day, even after ten years, but you should at least know if the child was willing, or capable to communicate more
or less frequently. If you weren’t getting responses, did you ask the child why? All children are different … but, if you want to know something from them you have to ask them. Or did you try to pass off your responsibility as a sponsor to someone else, which is the impression I got. You do have responsibilities in that relationship … it isn’t just you pay some money, and sit back and get letters to entertain yourself once a month, or whatever. What did you do, or not do here? Or is this a bogus email like I think it is?
What did you expect Compassion to say or do when you threatened to quit them? They said “Sorry to lose you, and we will find another sponsor for the child.” What else is there for them to say? Are they going to tell you you can’t quit? Hardly. They can’t force you to stay as a sponsor, besides with the apparent anger in your email they are probably better off without you. If you are in business, either “for profit” or “non-profit” problems are bound to crop up … that is inevitable. They are non-profit … what can they do to fix the problem of you leaving? Beg you to stay? or give you a full refund?
Hmmmm, I think I am beginning to get the picture now.
I’m so sorry to hear your story. I am Joseph Alba, pastor of Salem Christian Life Center, and we are Compassion’s church partners in the Child Development through Sponsorship Program (CDSP) and Child Survival Program (CSP). The CSP program is for babies and their mothers from 0-3 years old, and CDSP program is for children from 3 to 18 or 21 years old. Indeed, there are church partners who fail to come up to Compassion’s stewardship standards, and the projects are closed after due process and extensive dialogue and the children are transferred to another project. In our cluster here in Iloilo City, Philippines, there had been two project closures. All Compassion partner projects are audited annually. In our church, we also have a disabled child named Emilda Soriano, and she reached her dreams and changed her family’s life through Compassion. You can watch her story at http://www.missionsinaction.tv/episode3.php and also
http://blog.compassion.com/tag/emilda-soriano/
As pastor, I tell my CDSP project director that I hope our project can develop the capability of ministering to at least 30 deaf children through our Compassion program. We are working towards that.
Compassion International received a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator, 10 years in a row. It receives an “A” rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy and is listed as one of their top-rated charities. Compassion is accredited with the Better Business Bureau and meets the 20 standards for charity accountability.
As for Givewell, this is a relatively new organization started in 2007 by two 25-year old hedge fund managers. They currently have a full-time staff of four — two hedge-fund managers and two research analysts. The charities they have listed as their “top charities” are both medical in nature — one dealing with malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, another other dealing with parasite infections in sub-Saharan Africa.
It seems to me that their evaluation process favors health-related charities because those organizations 1) are able to offer easily-quantifiable results, and 2) their mission fits more firmly under the heading of what Givewell considers “priority” programs. (Their “priority programs” include — condom promotion and distribution, anti-retroviral therapy for people with HIV/AIDS, surgeries for surgery-correctable conditions, mass drug administration to control river blindness, etc.) Those aren’t really things that Compassion specializes in.
Overall, I don’t think a Christian-based holistic child development organization would fare well in Givewell’s evaluation process, simply because Compassion deals in outcomes that aren’t easily quantifiable — increasing children’s self-esteem, quality of life, education, stability within the family, overall child safety, protection from abuse/child trafficking/gangs, spiritual development, etc.
I did notice that this was brought up by an external reviewer and I’ll be interested to see how Givewell incorporates that feedback into their selection process.
So, while Givewell has some interesting ideas and I’m excited to see what they do in the future, I’m not sure they’re the one source I’d currently use for choosing a charity. They openly acknowledge on their page that, “…we are a startup organization working in areas we have little experience with…”
To their credit, it appears they are interested in improving their knowledge base and methods. (They have instituted an internal and external review process.) But as one external reviewer pointed out, they have on occasion “misapplied and applied inconsistently” the heuritics they use to judge organizations. In plain English — they have some kinks to work out in their process. And that’s okay. Hats off to them for wanting to apply their unique talents to the giving process.
I’ve been a child sponsor for 30 years. I started sponsoring a child with CCF/Childfund first but after a few years I ‘discovered’ child sponsorship through Compassion. I currently sponsor a lot of kids through Compassion. I love the child focus and Jesus focus of Compassion. I would rate them one of the best Christian sponsorship organizations that I have dealt with. I have had wonderful and not wonderful experiences with other sponsorship organizations but Compassion has been consistently first-rate. I have never doubted my hard-earned money given for child sponsorship was well-spent!
Hi this is Trace. I sponsor Josue Pina Garcia of Peru North of Lima.
Just wanted to send a hello and God bless message to him and his Garcia family and spirtual family over there. And that we be at peace with unbelievers too.
i speak in tongues with perfect prayers for you all in the name of Jesus Christ AMEN
May you all be heathy and prosperous.
sign TAA
I enjoy Compassion magazine and it’s importance
oh yes, I saw the article on web about the man who travels to help other people. Wer are both from Grand Rapids Michigan
I have had the privilege and blessing of visiting 3 different Compassion projects in Ethiopia. On one of those visits, I was able to meet my sponsored child, tour the school he attends, and visit in his home with his family, sharing gifts. He showed me all the things I had mailed to him over the years, keeping it all in a small picture album. In the beginning of my sponsorship, I too had some doubts, but my eyes have seen what Compassion does for these kids, and I am 100% convinced that they are real and striving to honor God is all they do. My heart was convicted and changed, and I will support the work of Compassion for as long as I am able, as I know it pleases our Heavenly Father.
Really, Compassion Internatinal is doing a very good and big job. There are some challenges like ones we experience at our local Church ie Little commitment of the local workers, inadequate education, greedy staffs and untruthworthness to some of them that hinders the achievement targeted by Compassion Office in our Home Country Tanzania! Only after dealing with these few scams, then we will be there, joining hands to congratulate them!
COMPASSION IS REAL. AM BEING SPONSORED BY COMPASSION KENYA.THEY HAVE BEEN SPONSORING ME SINCE 1998,RIGHT NOW,AM IN UNIVERSITY AND COMPASSION STILL SPONSORS ME.AM A PROUD LDP COMPASSION STIDENT.
I’m glad I came across this discussion as I decided to sponsor a beautiful girl from India after church on Sunday. She caught my eye because I had recently read a book Behind the Beautiful Forevers about people who live around a sewage lake in Mumbai. I had always wondered about organizations like Compassion and when my horoscope said to do my research regarding financial decisions I found this site. Thank you all I loved reading all your stories, God bless all of you and especially the children……Jesus loves them all.
I’m so glad I took the link to the latest comment, because (a) it tells of another child’s having been sponsored (thank you, Joyce!); and (b) coming on today allowed me to read the two comments above Joyce’s. How absolutely precious it is to hear from Dawkins Ochieng and Mworia! We sponsor a young girl and a young man in Kenya, and two girls in Tanzania, so both countries are very close to my heart!
Mworia, I will pray that “these few scams,” along with any others that crop up, will be dealt with soon, that the guilty parties will be fired–unless the Lord convicts them in their hearts, bringing true repentence. I will also pray for great wisdom among your Compassion leaders in TZ in handling such matters. God bless you for your work, there!