It costs $43 a month to sponsor a child through Compassion International. And we commonly receive questions like this from our sponsors:
“I am getting a bit concerned with the cost to sponsor a child. Where is the money going that isn’t going to the children? I would hate to think it is for a glossier overedited over advertising or staff bloat to make sponsors feel better.” — Nancy White
At the core of many of these questions are three key matters:
- What makes Compassion’s child sponsorship program unique?
- Where is the money going that isn’t going to children?
- How is my money used to help the child I sponsor?
These are all important questions! And here at Compassion, we take our financial accountability seriously. Below, you’ll find answers to these questions and more.
What Makes Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program Unique?
At Compassion, our program is Christ-centered, child-focused and church-driven.
Christ-Centered
Jesus is at the core of our ministry. Everything we do in our sponsorship program aligns with his teachings and his heart for children. Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31), and that’s exactly what we’re doing for children in poverty.
Child-Focused
Many organizations allow children to have multiple sponsors. But at Compassion, we enable you to have a one-to-one relationship with your child.
And we don’t just focus on one or two areas of a child’s development. Instead, we focus on the holistic needs of the child, ensuring they’re healthy and whole emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.
Church-Driven
Compassion partners with local churches to administer our child development program. These churches get to know each child and their specific needs. As a result, the church knows how to best use funds to help each child and their family.
Additionally, some organizations receive government funding. We do not. We’re 100% sponsor- and donor-supported.
Where Is the Money Going That Isn’t Going to the Children?
No more than 20% of sponsorship costs go to administration and fundraising. That’s our commitment to you. And for the past several years, we’ve been significantly below that 20%!
It’s important to know that administration and fundraising enables us to help even more children in the future. When you donate, you’re investing in your sponsored child as well as the millions of other children we’re working to reach.
Read our most recent Financial Accountability report for more information.
How Is My Money Used to Help the Child I Sponsor?
Sponsorship funds are delivered directly to our church-run child development centers to cover the costs of providing the services and opportunities that make up our program.
Examples of these services and opportunities include:
- Regular Christian training.
- Supplemental nutrition support.
- Educational opportunities (e.g., funding school attendance and/or regular participation in alternative educational activities, as well as opportunities to learn life and job skills).
- Health care and training (e.g., regular physical exams; dental care; vaccinations; referral for advanced medical care; instruction in physical and dental hygiene; exercise; nutrition and preventive health care).
- Social and emotional development (e.g., learning basic social skills, teamwork, art, drama, dance, etc.)
- Materials and supplies, including hygiene supplies (like soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste), center supplies (like paper, writing utensils, games, toys, snacks), and educational supplies (such as backpacks or even fees to cover field trips and recreational activities).
- Individualized care and attention (e.g., school progress reports, center attendance records, health records, home visits by social workers, and adult supervision and mentorship while at the development center).
In addition to the above, sponsorship funds also go to program services, which include the activities undertaken by our staff to select, train, equip and oversee the church partners implementing our program, as well as program research and evaluation.
These services also cover the costs of staff who direct and maintain the daily activities at child development centers.
More personally, sponsorship money also covers letter translation, postage, taking photos of your child and updating you on your child’s well-being.
Have Questions? We’re Here to Help!
Still have questions about sponsorship costs? We’re happy to help! If you want to speak with someone about our financial accountability or the independent research that shows our child sponsorship program really works, call us at (800) 336-7676.
This was originally published on June 27, 2010 and has been updated with the most accurate information as of February 2024.