Not only did we receive the highest rating of four starslast year, but we received it for the previous seven years as well. In other words, your sponsorship helps provide your child with: -educational opportunities to defeat illiteracy We would have been (and if youre still sponsoring, were happy to) check into the situation and verify that we have correct information on your child. * My child was in prison without his mother. Hi Mindy, Ive been a sponsor for three years and it is the best decision I have made. This year has been so hard on everyone! I have recently started writing online to eliminate the paper. Last I heard is that it was about 1/2. Your letters of love and support boost Ediths spirit in ways that sponsorship alone cannot. But could I ever visit Edith? e.Resourcefulness This is one of the highest percentages for an organization like ours. Therefore, it is common to see older children in younger grade levels. I just dont know. I see you already called and canceled, but if you need any further help, please let us know! It seems this post is still being read by a lot of people who also post concerns about their sponsor ships and getting answers and help here, so I shall try and post my question and maybe Ill get some help and answers here. I called the 800 number, but got no answers at all; then the person hung up on me. 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! I think I was able to get one last letter in before the system changed and now every online letter Ive written since then is still in translation. Please rest assured that your child will feel loved and cared for regardless of whether you are their financial sponsor or their correspondent sponsor :). Please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns. My experience with them has been less than candid. So as soon as our staff found this information, they updated it in our system so that it was correct, even though it conflicted with the previous information youd received. I do know that some sponsors receive a lot of information in their childs letters and they have a wonderful correspondent relationship with their child. When children are registered into our program, the parents often times dont know the exact birth date of their child as birthdays are not as important in other cultures as they are here in the US. Junk King Colorado Springs. I am a long-time sponsor through Compassion, and I know they are not running a scam. I cannot afford the $3,000.00+ price to visit for a meal, then fly all the way back home. At first the representative said there were computer issues but then seemed to indicate the child was already receiving aid or had previously. That's especially true for an organization that champions the . They told me they pray several times a week and thank God for our support. Ive sent 11 letters this past year and received 2 from Gadiel. I did notice that this was brought up by an external reviewer and Ill be interested to see how Givewell incorporates that feedback into their selection process. I encourage you to watch some of the videos with our alumni who have grown up in our program and are now flourishing in what Gods called them to do. I was sponsored by a couple from the UK. Where is that bit of information in the literature? In regards to one child having multiple sponsors, Compassion is a one to one sponsorship program. My child is in Peru and the first letters I received were original letters with drawings. Please send us an email at [emailprotected] with your sponsor number and we would be happy to see whats going on. Please be encouraged that in the next couple of years, when we roll out our new software and processes, we are looking to give sponsors more opportunities to connect with their children that are quicker and improved! In a letter to its sponsors for children in India last month, CI, which insists it has not broken any Indian laws, said, "Due to a lack of funding resulting from government restrictions, we will . I am very sorry for the concerns that we have caused regarding the salary of our CEO. I am very sorry for any concerns that the salary of our CEOs has caused you. Im just very passionate about this program!). 50% doesnt make it there. Here is a link to all of our alumni blogs, and the interview titled What if I dont write to my sponsored child? My sponsored little girl loves Jesus, and her family, and me! We will be in contact with you as soon as we receive a response within 6-8 weeks. So I did my homework, found the center location, and bought the plane ticket and boarded the flight to Tanzania. Hi Lee! Clean water is in the category of what we would call a Complimentary Intervention. I completely understand how that would seem strange, and I apologize for this mistake. We want to ensure our sponsors are staying up to date with our program and with your children and we know not everyone uses email. This time it was from my sponsor child, Teya SUBSCRIBEEE IF YOURE NEW! Compassion calls this "child development through child sponsorship." However, on June 1, 2016 Charity Navigator rolled out a revised method of calculations for all of the charities they review. Before you cauncel your sponsorship which is already at graduation level (you have completed your sponsorship with the child and she is supposed to leave the program at 22 years), get to know the whole truth about your child. Enter your e-mail address to have our posts sent directly to your inbox. Your child will be told the gift is from you and will receive it at a special Christmas celebration. The monthly donations of $38 is a lot and it does a lot for your child. I am down to 6 for now due to personal financial issues relating to medical expenses. a.Transparency I have been a sponsor since 2020. As Christians, we understand that every $38 we receive is really the Lords and He has called us to steward it wisely. However, at this time, with so many children in the program and the limited staff and funding we have for this, it just is not possible. I have received the most precious gift children can share with others and that gift is LOVE!! Compassion International is a very large company. I am able to send inquiries when it has been longer than six months since you last heard from your children. Hardly. Diane, at the time we had written this blog, 100% of your gift was going to your child. thats why Red Cross is lacking in funds lately, because only 25% of what you give actually helps people, admin gets the other 75%. Yall really didnt think of that? You will also receive an updated photo of your child every two years as we know how much sponsors enjoy watching their children mature and grow. Is there some addition to the system that could be added to let sponsors know that a letter is in translation (on the way) to us as well? -protection from crime, violence and danger The Compassion development centers often help enhance what the child is learning in school and they focuses on the most important areas of growth while promoting life skills. I want to encourage you that your child is very real and that you truly are making an incredible difference in his life. For security and privacy reasons, obtaining your childs personal address and communicating with them outside of Compassion is not allowed. Were excited to be able to start sending more communications to sponsors via email with our new system upgrade and you can go to your My Account on https://www.compassion.com and customize your preferences for receiving things via email such as our magazine! This is his most accurate birth date. Please rest assured that Lilibeth is currently on hold specifically for you, and she will be placed on your account soon. As for repeated details, Im sure I repeat things too. However if you want to send money around christmas to your child and her family, just send it as a family or child gift and it will go to them. I, for one, am always excited to get mail from my child, too, and try to write back. In our church, we also have a disabled child named Emilda Soriano, and she reached her dreams and changed her familys life through Compassion. Hmmmm, I think I am beginning to get the picture now. I prayed to God about my decision when I was seventeen and I have sponsored children now for 27 years. I do agree that the CEO salary is very high considering it is paid by donations; however, charitable organizations are typically rated on the percentage of donations that go directly to the cause of sponsorship vs. those that go to administration (which includes salaries). Todd, Im sorry to hear that you feel our organization should be investigated. Thank you again for taking the time to comment and for leaving your honest feedback! This will draw the project staffs attention to the questions. What did you write about? c.Values/Worldview Please know if you ever have any other questions you are always welcome to reach out to us at [emailprotected]. Every financial process undergoes intensive and continual scrutiny to ensure that funds are properly received, tracked, and managed. Hi Lana! Private Donations $1.1B. Im sure having to add something specific about each child would be a burden, in a project serving 350-400 children, or even 200. Some children will copy the questions or suggestions from the board, which is why the letters can seem generic. Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: A Hopeful Reminder, A Call to Prayer for Ukraine My Country, My Home. Also, please note that our leaders are faithful sponsors and donors as well, and personally and financially support the ministry. Many children are behind in their schooling because their parents could not afford to send them to school. But in the future, youll see responses from him to the letters youve been writing. Im not mad, upset, or even mildly annoyed; Im only explaining the presence of a comment that seems out of sync with anything else. Other people have commented about the same thing, and even so, the salaries continue to increase well beyond what is needed to make a good living. It was clearly written. Her reply, it may have gotten lost in the mail. I am happy to answer your questions about Compassion. Naturally, we are going to question who is writing the letters & hoping its not just done for show so we continue sponsorship. I began sponsoring a child in Indonesia after reading of the late President George H.W Bushs sponsorship of a young Mexican boy when he had passed away. -supplements to protect against malnutrition I understand that he has a sibling. Also, some more testimonials from teens and adults, who have been long in the programme or finished the programme, would be very impactful. Mindy, I appreciate your care and support for Alanael during this difficult time in his life. I have received two, maybe three pastor letters, over the years, from different pastors and, I think, different countries. I was told that with my money the child will receive food, clothing, education, and medical. and I felt God pulling my heart to give my testimony. Other references: The other day we received updated pictures (Thank you for that!!!) They are excessive. Did you receive these Christmas letters from Kayivi and Inoussa in February? Internal and independent audits are regularly conducted for our offices in the field and here in Colorado Springs. Hang in there. I just read your post from 2010.what I wouldnt give to go back to that time when everything was working smoothly and I was still receiving letters from Gadiel and I felt like I KNEW him. Top Ranked Companies During that time, I have sponsored as many as 8 children at once. Hi this is Trace. The most shocking thing was the amount of sponsors that have visited that site. 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. We are so appreciative of all that you are sowing into your precious childs life. Please know your monthly support and letters of love and encouragement truly do make such a difference! Facilitating Global Growth As Compassion grew over six-plus decades, it quickly realized it was outpacing its processes and global technology. On Off . For example, Compassion. On a last note, youre finances are actually a bit misleading. Cheryl, Im so sorry for the confusion about your sponsorship of sweet Lilibeth in Colombia. Im questioning the validity of all of this now because not even the most renowned artists can draw the exact same thing, with the exact same dimensions, without deviation at all. This child might be in high school whereby in east Africa we say Senior five (S.5) yet in the USA and other Countries it would be High School. How much you wanna bet she spends more money on sponsored children than you do and you supposedly work for the company. I have not had any letters from either of my two sponsored children since their Christmas letters (and its now August) and they were writing me pretty frequently. Without them we could not help the children. Questions I asked went unanswered. I have cherished all my letters, drawings, prayers and every connection I have had with Iddi these past few years. Although children may have had multiple sponsors throughout their time in the program as circumstances arise and some sponsors need to cancel their support before their child completes the program; Compassion only has one sponsor per child. Hey sponsors. We always want to grow and improve in the way we serve you as a sponsor and so we are grateful for this type of feedback. What does it mean for an organization to live with integrity? An investigation is forthcoming. Hi Chrystie! On your site all it says is maybe supplemental food and learning about God. I get entirely too much mail and the money used to produce and send it could be better spent on the children. Her sponsor has not written to her for unknown reasons, I dont know him or her at all, so I cant say, and so I have been asked to write. The goal is to ensure Compassions ability to attract and maintain the expertise required of a President & CEO equal to the scope and complexity of the global ministry. Ask questions. I have received letters from Mexico, but often many many months later than letters sent to them. They are positively impacting lives! I feel that until I see Compassion International take this step, I will hold my giving as it is. On account of Compassion UKs handling Ive found myself making extremely tough choices at their expense. We update each childs information and photo every two years, which means you can expect to receive that around November of this year. Our Business Model Is Out of Date. Some do not start school until a later age or may even have to skip attending school altogether due to family circumstances. Your love, encouragement and prayers truly do have the power to make such a difference! I know the Colorado Springs area well. They are so excited to get letters from their sponsors the letters are precious to them. It definitely sounds like you had a very legitimate concern in your childs letters since they were inconsistent. Compassion International is a Christian child development organization working to release children from poverty in Jesus' name. 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. I show that Leos most recent photo was taken in November of 2015. I got more Compassion mail today! We want to be good stewards of the resources we have and although this is an awesome suggestion and may be possible in the future, we felt it was important for us to focus on upgrading our systems and enhancing the letter relationship with your children while continuing to pour into them holistically when they attend our projects. 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! For those searchingI wouldnt tell anyone to cancel. It can be frightening for children to get their picture taken as it isfor children in all cultures. Publisher's summary: Confraternities were the most common form of organized religious life in medieval and early modern Europe. Thank you so much for your patience and grace with us through this transition process. I found a director at Compassion who complained because they have status and could not get the upgraded seat they wanted. f.Red Flag Issues Wed love to help you find a child to sponsor and coordinate a visit as well. I am not so naive to think that everyone in these organisations is motivated out of selfless motives and I get angry at myself for not holding the leaders of these organisations to a higher standard. In many countries, the day is listed first and the month second. Thank you so much for helping us direct more funds towards the children! I personally have been working in one of the field Offices in Uganda and do attest that Compassion International is highly credible, transparent and 99% genuine. Regrettably, there arent any independent rating agencies that Im aware of that grade organizations on how trustworthy they are. I am so sorry that you havent heard from Farel in a long time. MJ, thank you so much for the kind and encouraging words! Therefore, its difficult for the tutors to help him answer questions without your letter there for reference, even though they do encourage the kiddos to bring their letters or remember what their sponsor wrote. We appreciate your patience and understanding regarding the letter writing process. That said, we are working hard to work through the backlog of letters and make sure they are delivered very soon. I am so sorry to hear that you are feeling disappointed in the letters you have been receiving from your kiddo, and that they are making you question if he is receiving your letters. I had one child who never said much of anything. I also do not know why the children are never smiling in the photos I have received of them. If you change your preferences to only receive the email notification and view them online, you will no longer receive the paper copy in the mail. I even went back for a second visit the next day. Our records do indicate that your boy is living with his mother but its possible that she went away for work and so he is staying with his grandmother or that his situation has changed and he is there permanently. I sponsored a child from El Salvador for 7 years, beginning when she was 11 and ending when she became 18. It's part of our ongoing efforts to protect child privacy in a digital world. I am doing this with my grandson and he is writing to a boy there who writes a generic letter back to me only no questions answered. Over the past year of being 4 years old and not in school yet I do not feel the majority of these were even done by her. With months in between being able to view letters, it is sometimes difficult to remember what you have and havent shared with your children. I visited her home, I saw here church (compassion partner), I met over 30 Compassion children, my daughters played with my sponsored childs sisters (all girls what a drama!). Furthermore, it is unfortunate that Sarahs suggestions were not fully addressed (video chat which is free, continuous bulk mail, lack of proof of the children actually receiving our presents and letters pictures can be downloaded for free, the suggestion to aid in translating letters for other children ) I have been sponsoring numerous children since 2013 and also receive generic letters which do not address specific questions that I have asked. You can also view them on our main website by selecting Where We Work and then selecting your childs country and region. It was true. Kristin, I am deeply sorry to hear of your doubts and disappointment regarding your childs letters :(. I have sent numerous letters with pictures telling him about our family along with my children, husband and dogs names. Secondly, the letters I have recently received from my sponsored child are no longer being written by him. We sincerely look forward to earning your trust and proving our hearts for serving our sponsors and children with excellence. Thank you SO much for taking the time to share it. It has been such a rewarding experience. You should definitely be receiving letters from your childs pastor though. I have received pictures, letters, and drawings from the girls telling me that they pray for me and the family also theyre both praying that one day I will be able to visit them. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs. As an ESOL teacher (in the US), Ive also found that to be true. Zero! After seeing all this I believe them. He does have a sibling, but we do not have specific details about his sibling. Compassion provides holistic child development spiritual, physical, social and economic supports. Heres my question: Weve been sponsoring a child in India for over a year now. I pray that I can rectify this situation and help gain your trust back with some clarification on what happened. Proof shouldnt even need to be a debate on these forums. Also, the pastor letters are, necessarily, general about the project and the children, adding nothing specific about my child. Far removed from children I see stood against a tree, or up against a wall looking like theyre about to be shot. She would say things like, Please pray for my parents to have more money to provide for me and my two brothers. In every letter, it made me feel like my contributions werent enough. I can assure you however that Pransanth is known and loved individually by the staff at his student center. Thank you very much. Now Im off to prepare a new birthday letter with his correct age to celebrate his new double digit number. I know that can be frustrating and difficult to build a relationship when it feels one sided. 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