What is Child Sponsorship?

Child sponsorship means donating monthly to a child in need and encouraging them through messages and prayer.

Your donation allows a local church to welcome that child into their program, providing the essentials they need to thrive, including an introduction to the gospel, medical care, nutrition support, education and so much more.

Through sponsorship, your support can help us release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

The world’s poverty problem is too big to ignore. But not too big to change.

Poverty can stunt children’s growth, hinder their social and emotional development and expose them to abuse and exploitation. While many think of it as a simple lack of resources, another painful reality is a lack of hope. Ronnie Mulema, a graduate of Compassion’s program, explains how he felt this way as a child: “Not one person I knew believed in me, and poverty was my forever reality.”

1 in 6 children lives in extreme poverty (UNICEF).
Children are two times more likely to live in poverty than adults (UNICEF).
A child who experiences poverty is three times more likely to raise their own children in poverty as an adult (Melbourne Institute).

Child sponsorship fights poverty

Child sponsorship is designed to empower children to create brighter futures for themselves, their families, their communities and the world. How does child sponsorship help children break the cycle of poverty?

By providing access to education, health care and basic necessities, child sponsorship acts as a catalyst for lasting change. Children sponsored through Compassion are surrounded by safe adults who know them individually, live in the love of Jesus and offer the specific support they need as they journey out of poverty.

Olive shares how sponsorship through Compassion changed her life:

“Growing up, my Compassion sponsors encouraged me and continually spoke truth into my life. The Compassion [center] became a place of healing and restoration. It was a place of refuge for me. I got medical care. I got an education. … My life was forever changed.”

How sponsorship benefits children

$43/month will provide your sponsored child with

Malnutrition monitoring and intervention

Regular medical checkups

Individual mentorship and love

Education assistance and skills training

The opportunity to receive encouraging words and support from you, their sponsor

An introduction to the love of God

Learn more about how child sponsorship helps.

How child sponsorship through Compassion works

Learn More About Compassion’s 3 C’s

Christ-centered

True transformation begins with the hope of the gospel. We share Jesus with every child in a way they can understand. Because Jesus is our core, everything we do for children is meant to reflect God’s heart through the gospel.

Church-driven

The local church knows best the needs of the children in their community best. That’s why we partner with thousands of local churches to provide the specific needs of the children they serve.

Child-focused

The whole child is our focus. We work to address the critical needs of a child’s entire well-being by tailoring our support to each child’s unique circumstances and environment.

Frequently asked questions

Have questions? We’re here to help!

Why should I sponsor a child through Compassion?

When you sponsor a child with Compassion International, you help equip a child with the support and opportunities they need to journey out of poverty.

We partner with a local church in the child’s community to care for their overall well-being, mind, body and soul. Plus, each child hears the gospel message, which changes everything.

What sponsors say about child sponsorship

Wonderful Organization!

I love the relational, one-on-one nature of the sponsorships. I love to write letters anyway and now I can use that to encourage and uplift a child who needs it.

Sarah (sponsor)

It Is a Blessing!

This blessing starts with blessing an individual child, then you also bless their family, and then their community as well, and then the blessing returns to the giver.

Kimberly (sponsor)

Overjoyed!

Making the decision to become a Compassion sponsor 18 years ago was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.

Michelle (sponsor)