Sponsorship is one of the most effective ways to help children break the chains of child poverty. But with so many options for sponsorship, how do you choose the best charity to sponsor a child with?
Here, we’ll dive into what you should look for and the benefits the best programs have in common. We’ll also share a comparison chart and dive deep into how Compassion’s child sponsorship program impacts thousands of children around the world.
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Best Charity to Sponsor a Child With: What to Look For
When comparing child sponsorship programs, it’s important to choose a program that matches what matters to you.
After all, you’ll be generously sacrificing your resources to support the work of the organization you choose. You should make sure their program aligns with your values, priorities and convictions.
For example, is sharing the gospel with children in need important to you? If so, you’ll want to choose a Christian charity dedicated to sharing Jesus with those they serve.
To help you make the best decision for you and your family, consider these questions before choosing a charity to sponsor a child with:
- Who runs the program on the ground? For example, is it foreign agents sent to the communities in need, or does an already established local church provide the care for the child you sponsor? Or someone else?
- What does the program offer the child? For example, do they receive medical care, nutrition support or an education?Do they hear the gospel and receive spiritual support? Or all of the above?
- What if the sponsored child has unique needs? For example, do they provide care for children with disabilities or those who need immediate intervention for abuse?
- What is the role of the sponsor? For example, do you get to communicate with the child you sponsor? Are there other ways you can get involved with the program?
Benefits of the Best Child Sponsorship Programs
Every child sponsorship organization is unique in its offerings and benefits. However, the most effective child sponsorship programs will offer these benefits to the children they serve and their sponsors.
Benefits for the Child
The best charity to sponsor a child with should serve the children in their program by:
- Fulfilling each child’s immediate and long-term needs. Leaving poverty behind doesn’t happen overnight. Children living in poverty need care for their right-now needs such as nutrition support as well as their long-term needs like education. Caring for the whole child as they grow ensures they become self-sufficient adults empowered to break the chains of poverty.
- Prioritizing the safety of the children they serve. Children living in impoverished communities are highly vulnerable to violence, trafficking and abuse. To truly release children from poverty, they must be surrounded by caring adults who understand how to intervene and protect them from harm.
- Working with local entities to understand the unique needs of children. It’s hard for us to truly grasp the unique needs of children in other countries. To best serve them, organizations must go to the source: local churches and other entities in impoverished communities. After all, they know best the needs of the children in their communities.
- Linking only one child to one sponsor at a time. This one-to-one relationship gives a child the opportunity to build a lasting relationship with their sponsor. Through messages, children receive love and encouragement that inspire them to keep going, even in their darkest moments. Plus, this one-to-one relationship ensures a sponsor’s gifts go directly to that individual child, supporting them as they journey out of poverty.
Want to learn more about what children receive through sponsorship? Check out: What Does Child Sponsorship Provide?
Benefits for You as a Sponsor
The best child sponsorship programs will also deliver specific benefits to you as a sponsor, including:
- Financial transparency. You have the right to know where your donations are going. The organization you choose should provide financial transparency. And they should be dedicated to stewarding their dollars wisely for the benefit of the children they serve.
- Important updates. What’s going on in the community or country the child you sponsor calls home? How is the child you sponsor progressing? The right organization will provide regular updates.
- Opportunities to communicate with the child. One of the incredible benefits of sponsoring a child is getting to build a connection with them. Many organizations will give you the opportunity to communicate with the child through messages. And some will even allow you to visit the child you sponsor.
- Ongoing impact evaluations. The needs of children change frequently depending on many factors, such as crises in their home countries. The best child sponsorship programs conduct ongoing impact evaluations to understand where and how they can improve the support they’re delivering.
To help you compare the similarities and differences between child sponsorship programs, use this comparison chart.
Compassion: One of the Best Charities to Sponsor a Child With
Since 1952, Compassion International has worked to share the gospel in word and action with children living in devastating poverty. Since our start, we’ve grown to now serve 2.3 million children in 29 countries (and counting) in partnership with 8,000+ local churches.
The Impact of Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program
Our child sponsorship program has been proven to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. In fact, a recent survey found that many Compassion alumni experience a complete life transformation.
- 97% said they were released from poverty in Jesus’ name.
- 95% said the program helped them have hope as adults.
- 95% said the program helped them achieve their educational goals.
- 95% said the Compassion center helped them have self-confidence.
- 93% said the Compassion center changed their lives.
As children grow into adults and build lives free from poverty, many become changemakers in their communities, working to help others find the same hope and freedom.
- 92% said the program helped them provide their children with a better life.
- 79% said the program helped them break the cycle of poverty in their family.
- 90% said they now serve in their community, with 73% doing so at least weekly.
What Makes Compassion International Different?
At Compassion, we’re following in Jesus’ footsteps to care for the sick, feed the hungry and share the good news of the gospel. Here, we don’t just talk about the love of Jesus; we actively share it in tangible ways through our child sponsorship program.
Because of our dedication to following Jesus’ example, our programs are:
- Christ-centered: Jesus is at the center of everything we do, so every child in our program hears the gospel and sees it in action through local church pastors, volunteers and sponsors around the world.
- Church-driven: We empower local churches in impoverished communities to serve children in need. These churches become consistent sources of light and hope, representing Christ, making disciples in their communities and caring for children as they grow.
- Child-focused: We care for each child’s unique right-now and long-term needs. Given the care they need, children can become thriving followers of Jesus, transforming their families, communities and nations.
Want to learn more about what makes us different? Check out: Compassion Basics: What Do the 3 C’s Mean?
What Does Compassion Provide to Children in Need?
While each child is different and receives support based on their unique needs, every child in our program receives:
- The hope of the gospel: Each child is connected to a local church, where they hear the gospel and experience Jesus’ love for them.
- Protection from abuse: Children are surrounded by loving adults trained in child protection who keep them safe and teach them to use their voices to advocate for themselves.
- Care for their health: Children are monitored for malnutrition receive a yearly checkup and are cared for whenever they’re sick or hurt.
- Educational opportunities: Each child gets a quality education, empowering them to become thriving adults.
- Disaster response: In the aftermath of floods, earthquakes and other disasters, children receive emergency care, including clean water, shelter and trauma counseling.
3 Stories That Show Compassion Child Sponsorship Works
Every day, we get to see the impact of sponsorship on children’s lives and their communities around the world. Each story is proof of what God can do through a sponsor’s yes.
- Frizky from Indonesia: Abandoned by his parents at a young age, Frizky was heartbroken. While his family tried to take care of him, he was often without food and other essentials. At his Compassion center, he found love, acceptance and care. Through their support and encouragement, he grew in confidence and received an education that led him to develop a hydroponics greenhouse. The greenhouse would soon support those at his Compassion center and provide essential food to the community. Read story >
- Wendy from Bolivia: When Wendy was just 9 years old, she received a devastating diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Living in poverty, Wendy’s mother, Aidee, was unable to afford the medication Wendy needed. She worried that Wendy wouldn’t survive. That was until the local church stepped in. Through their support, Wendy receives insulin and the care of a nutritionist. Although the diagnosis seemed hopeless, Wendy is thriving once again. Read story >
- Sekata from Rwanda: After losing her mother, Sekata was raised by her grandparents. But resources were scarce. When Sekata was registered at her local Compassion center, she received the support needed to pursue an education in coding. And with her newfound skills, she invented BALDI, a tool to combat malnutrition in her community. Read story >
Frizky, Wendy and Sekata are just three of the incredible children who’ve been empowered with the care needed to leave poverty behind. Millions more are served daily through the generosity of local churches and sponsors around the world.
Whether you’ve decided to sponsor a child or are simply considering sponsorship, we celebrate you! It’s through your yes that Compassion International can continue releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.