Compassion International History

More than 70 years ago, Rev. Everett Swanson flew to South Korea to minister to American troops fighting in the Korean War. While there, he was disturbed by the sight of hundreds of war orphans living on the streets, abandoned by society and living in devastating poverty.

One morning, he saw city workers scoop up what looked like piles of rags and toss them into the back of a truck. But when he looked closer, he was horrified to see that the “piles” were not rags but the frozen bodies of orphans who had died overnight in the streets.

Everett Swanson couldn’t turn his back on these children and vowed to find a way to help them. That vow inspired Compassion International, a child development organization currently serving 2.3 million children (and counting). Let’s explore Compassion International history together.

Key Takeaways:

What’s Here:

• The 1950s: Everett Swanson & the Act of Compassion
• The 1960s: Going Global
• The 1970s: An Explosion of Growth
• The 1980s: A New Direction for Compassion
• The 1990s: A Quarter of a Million Children Served
• The 2000s: 50 Years of Releasing Children From Poverty
• The 2010s: Two Million Children Served
• The 2020s & Beyond

The 1950s: Rev. Everett Swanson & the Act of Compassion

Appalled by the great number of small, shivering and starving war orphans on the streets of Korea, Rev. Swanson began talking about his experience there during his revival meetings in the U.S. Christians responded by donating funds to purchase rice and other resources for the children.

Soon after, he developed special sponsorship programs for individuals, families or churches to help support orphans for a few dollars a month. The sponsorship money provided Bible lessons, food, clothing, shelter and medical aid on a regular basis.

Rev. Swanson formed the Everett Swanson Evangelistic Association in the basement of his Chicago home. Here, he would handle the funds and attend to the day-to-day business of ministering to the orphans.

The 1960s: Going Global

1961

By September 1961, the Everett Swanson Evangelistic Association had grown to support 108 orphanages and homes in South Korea.

1963

Two years later, Rev. Everett Swanson was inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:32 (NIV), “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

He changed the name of his nonprofit to Compassion, Inc. Compassion of Canada, Ltd. was also formed in 1963.

1965

In November 1965, 113 friends of Compassion traveled to South Korea to visit Compassion-assisted orphanages. The sponsor trip was so successful that six more trips were planned over the next several years.

In November 1965, Rev. Swanson passed away after 13 years of pioneering the ministry. After several months of prayer, the board of Compassion, Inc. selected Rev. Henry L. Harvey as president.

1968

During Rev. Harvey’s eight-year tenure, we started projects in 17 new countries. In 1968, we established the Family Helper Plan in Indonesia. By providing children with school tuition, nutritious meals, medical care, Bible lessons and other benefits, our staff workers helped keep impoverished families together.

The Family Helper Plan’s success in Indonesia allowed us to expand into three other countries.

The 1970s: An Explosion of Growth

1970-1974

In 1970, we organized Special Care Centers to treat children with disabilities, offering relief through surgery, training, physical therapy and special equipment. We also:

• Launched our ministry in the Dominican Republic as a relief program donating food, medicine and resources for children selected by the local churches.
• Designed a school-related sponsorship program to serve children in Haiti, Colombia and Thailand. This program helped children attend school regularly who were previously unable to.
• Started work in the Philippines and in the United States Native American field in 1972.
• Started work in Honduras and Ecuador in 1974. In this same year, Rev. Harvey retired as president.

1975-1977

In June 1975, Wally Erickson became Compassion’s third president. During Wally’s term as president, the number of sponsored children climbed from 25,000 to more than 180,000.

TEAR Fund, a Christian relief agency in Great Britain, became an affiliate in 1975. We then began working in Brazil and Bolivia, as well as Guatemala in 1976 and El Salvador in 1977.

1978-1979

In 1978, Australian sponsors helped create Compassion Limited of Australia, and we established a fund to meet critical needs caused by natural disasters and medical crises. In 1979, at the end of this incredible decade of growth, we began work in Mexico.

The 1980s: A New Direction for Compassion

1980

From our new home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, we introduced the Non-Formal Education (NFE) program in 1980.

Our Compassion-assisted, church-run child development centers that participated in the NFE program started to address more than physical needs. Children began to learn vocational skills, principles of hygiene and nutrition, and leadership skills to improve their lives and perhaps even their communities.

We also launched our child sponsorship program in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, and changed our name from Compassion, Inc. to Compassion International, Inc.

1983-1984

In 1983, we established the MEALS and MEALSPlus programs to provide food and daycare to young children and to assist our other programs in providing nutrition and health-related activities.

In 1984, we introduced the Compassion Fund to provide extraordinary medical and education assistance to sponsored children and set up the Unsponsored Children’s Fund to help support newly registered children waiting for sponsors.

The 1990s: A Quarter of a Million Children Served

1990-1992

In 1990, Bibles for All Kids organized to provide Bibles for all Compassion-assisted children. This also supported our goal of giving each child the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel.

In 1991, the Overseas Scholarship Grant Program was organized to financially support older children who completed their formal education and wanted to continue in secondary school, vocational training or university.

In 1992, we began working in the United States with American inner-city and rural youth, as well as Native American children. In 1993, we stopped working in Korea after 40 successful years of ministry, as our work was no longer needed in the country. We then began work in Ethiopia.

1993-1996

Rev. Wally Erickson retired in 1993 after serving as president for 18 years. Dr. Wess Stafford assumed the presidency. The following year, Miriam Swanson Westerberg, director emeritus and Everett Swanson’s widow, passed away on February 4.

The Netherlands became a Compassion partner country in 1996, and we also launched the inaugural version of compassion.com that year.

1998-1999

By 1998, our ministry was serving over a quarter million children worldwide. In 1999, we began child development work in Tanzania. Compassion UK also opened in the United Kingdom in 1999.

The 2000s: 50 Years of Releasing Children From Poverty

2001

In 2001, we relocated our Global Ministry Center to the north side of Colorado Springs. Italy became a partner country, and more than 400,000 children in 21 countries around the globe were receiving assistance through our child sponsorship program.

2002

The year 2002 marked 50 years of child development ministry. We celebrated by expanding our child sponsorship program into Nicaragua, bringing the total number of assisted countries to 22.

2003-2004

We launched the first Compassion Survival programs in Haiti, Peru, India and Ecuador in 2003 to care for moms and their babies. Compassion Suisse opened in Switzerland in 2003, and we started work in Bangladesh in December of that year.

We also welcomed South Korea as a partner country in 2004 and began assisting children in Burkina Faso.

2005-2007

In 2005, we began work in Ghana, and by 2006, we were serving more than 800,000 children in 24 countries. Compassion Deutschland (Germany) became a partner country in 2007.

2009

In 2009, Compassion Togo became the newest country served, and Fellow Kpodo, a quiet 8-year-old boy in Togo, became the 1 millionth sponsored child registered in our program.

The 2010s: Two Million Children Served

2010

We started ministry in Sri Lanka in 2010 with Compassion Survival. Our entry into Sri Lanka marked the first time we began working in a country with a program other than child sponsorship. We began child sponsorship in Sri Lanka two years later.

2013

In 2013, independent research regarding sponsorship was conducted by Dr. Bruce Wydick, a professor of economics and international studies at the University of San Francisco, along with two other colleagues.

His study concluded that our child sponsorship program has large and significant impacts on the educational, employment and leadership outcomes of children. We celebrated this confirmation that our programs were effective and changing lives.

The peer-reviewed research was published in the April 2013 issue of the “Journal of Political Economy,” one of the most prestigious economics journals in the world.

After 36 years of service to children in poverty, including two decades as president and CEO, Dr. Wess Stafford welcomed Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado as his successor in 2013. Jimmy is only the fifth president in our history.

2018

In December 2018, less than 10 years after reaching the milestone of 1 million sponsored children, we registered our 2 millionth child.

"We are deeply thankful for and humbled by this milestone, but with a billion children still living in poverty around the world, we are committed to building capacity to serve far more. With God’s help, we are setting our sights on reaching as many children as possible, and we pray that exponentially more supporters around the globe will join us in this life-transforming work."

— Compassion President and CEO, Santiago "Jimmy" Mellado

The 2020s & Beyond

2023

Eric Wilson and Matt Bronleewe published the book “What Are You Going to Do?” to share the inspiring true story of Rev. Everett Swanson and the humble beginnings of Compassion International.

2024

A new study, focused on a small group of Compassion program participants, showed the long-term impact of sponsorship. This pilot research project surveyed 99 Compassion alumni in the Dominican Republic who participated in our program.

The results signaled true life transformation through our ministry and the support of local churches around the world:

• 97% said they were released from poverty in Jesus’ name.
• 95% said participation helped them have hope in their adult life.
• 95% said participation helped them achieve their educational goals.
• 95% said the Compassion center helped them have self-confidence in their adult lives.
• 93% said the Compassion center changed their lives.

In 2024, we were proud to be serving 2.3 million children in 29 countries around the world (and counting).

Beyond

After more than 70 years of ministry, we continue to devote ourselves to sharing the gospel in word and action with children around the world, empowering them to leave poverty behind.

We know there are millions more children who need the hope of the gospel, nutrition, medical care, clean water and so many other essentials. And it’s that truth that pushes us forward year after year.

Compassion International History Continues Through You

We wouldn’t be able to reach one single child without the faithful support of local churches around the world and incredible people like you.

Through your yes to child sponsorship, we can continue to share the good news of Jesus around the globe, releasing more children from poverty in his name.

Learn About Child Sponsorship >