How to Write a Letter to Your Sponsored Child

How Do You Start?

Sometimes getting the first word down is the hardest part of writing to a child. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind when you’re sitting down to start a letter. Hopefully, these ideas will help you beat procrastination and overcome the hurdles that keep you from sending that note!

Read the video transcript.

Trust us, whether you send a handwritten letter through the mail, use one of our templates, or write to your sponsored child directly from Compassion’s app, you’re sure to put a smile on your sponsored child’s face!

Relax and Write

What you say doesn’t matter as much as just saying something. Don’t worry about length or content. Even a quick, “Hello, I am thinking about you today!” or “God loves you” can mean the world to your child. Informal letters can sometimes be the most impactful! Remember, kids just want to feel known and thought of. Anything you say will accomplish that!

Tell Them About Your Life

Tell the child you sponsor about your family — your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews. Tell them about your pets or the kinds of animals that live in your area. Tell them what you do for a living or what your favorite subjects were in school. Trust us, your child is fascinated with you!

Speak Words of Hope

Your words matter. Tell your child that you believe in them. Have you noticed that they are good at drawing? Tell them! Are they good at letter writing? Let them know how impressed you are with their letter writing skills! Let them know that you are praying for them and give them words of hope for their future.

Explore more tips on letter writing.

Write a Letter Now

“How to Write a Letter to My Sponsored Child” Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Havilah, and today we’re talking about letter writing. As a Compassion sponsor, you have a unique opportunity to connect with your child through letter writing. Your letters allow you to be a voice of hope, love and positivity, even while being thousands of miles away. Whether this is your first time letter writing, or you’ve been writing letters for years, here are three tips to help you write easy, impactful letters.

Tip number one: Write about topics your sponsored child would be familiar with. Even though you and your sponsored child may be from completely different cultures, there are still a bunch of fun things you have in common to talk about. Tip number two: Ask questions. Questions show that you are interested in their life and, more importantly, interested in them.

Tip number three: Use the G.R.E.A.T. acronym when you write. The G.R.E.A.T acronym is a helpful way to remember how to structure your letter. This stands for greetings, remember, explain, ask and toodeloo.

Greet your child in every letter. Remember something that they told you so you can build off of that. Explain something about yourself. Ask them a question, and then say goodbye.

So, happy writing and thank you for writing letters that will share hope and encouragement with the child you are sponsoring. We are grateful that you are part of this mission to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

SPONSOR A CHILD TODAY!