How do sponsorship programs work?

[nodito]

I know of several charities that follow the sponsorship model of providing for those in need (e.g., Unbound, Caritas for Children, World Vision, etc). I’m trying to understand better how these programs work. The way it’s presented is that a donor pays a monthly sponsorship fee (say $35) to support a particular child or elderly person, who usually resides in a developing country. The donor gets regular updates (report cards, pictures) about the child and can also correspond with their child. In turn, the child or needy person receives school tuition or regular meals, etc.

Is this how it really works in practice, with a donor’s money going directly to a particular child (minus administration and advertising costs) or is the donor’s money pooled with other donors’ money to support everyone in a particular area? So for example, if a donor misses a payment, does the child miss out that month or does some sort of buffer fund cover it? Could the donor’s monthly payment be used to pay for things that benefit an entire community (like a community center or community job training) rather that directly to the child?

I’m also curious to know how the children enrolled in a program like Unbound come to be enrolled. Do the parents have to apply? Is it difficult to get enrolled or to find a sponsor? Is there a wait list?

This is mostly just curiosity asking. We support a couple of people through various programs and they were also talking about it at Mass yesterday. I’d love to hear from anyone who understands this better than I do.

 

[Joe_5859]

I won’t confess to being an expert here, but I’ll share what I know from my experience.

With Unbound, a year or so ago, they increased what they were asking people to donate in lieu of rising costs from $30 to $36 per month. In the letter about the increase, they did explain that the child you sponsored wasn’t getting short-changed if you did not increase the amount you gave. It would just be supplemented by the donations of others. So they didn’t increase the amount without permission. And it wasn’t mandatory to increase your donation. They just laid out the facts about the increase in costs.

It is similar to when they ask for a special donation at Christmas time. Again, I get the impression that the money was pooled. This is understandable. I’m sure there are some who would be able and eager to donate thousands of dollars for a special Christmas bonus for their sponsored child while others can’t really afford to give anything extra. This would translate into some “lucky” children getting a slew of Christmas gifts while others got none. This wouldn’t be good.

I suppose that’s the same principal for the monthly donation. Some people might say, “Well, I want my sponsored child to get $50 a month.” Or maybe even $100 or $1000. If they let the donors be in charge of that, things would get real unequal really fast.

Which, of course, doesn’t mean that you’re not truly sponsoring a child. They can only provide assistance to the number of children actually being sponsored. So even if they pool things together in order for a more equitable distribution, you are still supporting a particular child in a very real way.

Honestly, these programs are successful at fundraising because they put names and faces to the dollars given. If they were just soliciting funds for a nameless mass of children in impoverished nations, it would be easier to ignore. But when you see the pictures, it makes it personal. Now, one might view this as a deceptive fundraising technique designed to increase donations. And it is a technique that does increase donations. But it should be personal because the money is going to individual persons. They’re just making it easier to see that.

I do encourage doing your homework to make sure the place you are donating to is a reputable place. That’s why we went with Unbound (actually, it was called something else when we started giving). A friend from our old parish was very involved with them and had actually taken trips to visit her sponsored children. That was good enough for me.

 

[pianistclare]

I won’t confess to being an expert here, but I’ll share what I know from my experience.

With Unbound, a year or so ago, they increased what they were asking people to donate in lieu of rising costs from $30 to $36 per month. In the letter about the increase, they did explain that the child you sponsored wasn’t getting short-changed if you did not increase the amount you gave. It would just be supplemented by the donations of others. So they didn’t increase the amount without permission. And it wasn’t mandatory to increase your donation. They just laid out the facts about the increase in costs.

It is similar to when they ask for a special donation at Christmas time. Again, I get the impression that the money was pooled. This is understandable. I’m sure there are some who would be able and eager to donate thousands of dollars for a special Christmas bonus for their sponsored child while others can’t really afford to give anything extra. This would translate into some “lucky” children getting a slew of Christmas gifts while others got none. This wouldn’t be good.

I suppose that’s the same principal for the monthly donation. Some people might say, “Well, I want my sponsored child to get $50 a month.” Or maybe even $100 or $1000. If they let the donors be in charge of that, things would get real unequal really fast.

Which, of course, doesn’t mean that you’re not truly sponsoring a child. They can only provide assistance to the number of children actually being sponsored. So even if they pool things together in order for a more equitable distribution, you are still supporting a particular child in a very real way.

Honestly, these programs are successful at fundraising because they put names and faces to the dollars given. If they were just soliciting funds for a nameless mass of children in impoverished nations, it would be easier to ignore. But when you see the pictures, it makes it personal. Now, one might view this as a deceptive fundraising technique designed to increase donations. And it is a technique that does increase donations. But it should be personal because the money is going to individual persons. They’re just making it easier to see that.

I do encourage doing your homework to make sure the place you are donating to is a reputable place. That’s why we went with Unbound (actually, it was called something else when we started giving). A friend from our old parish was very involved with them and had actually taken trips to visit her sponsored children. That was good enough for me.

This^^^. I know a man who gave to a woman through Save the Children for years. YEARS When she was in her 90’s and his wife died, he thought the best way to honor his wife’s memory was to go and meet the woman. So he did, and they continue to have an amazing friendship. She’s still going strong, and they write every couple of weeks. It can be a very beautiful thing for all.

 

[Theo520]

My understanding is a child gets in the program but there is no real connection to what you give.

They’ll photograph all the kids in a village and then they provide clothing, shoes, or other resources to the village that are shared among the people. As others said, putting a face to your donation is effective marketing. Do your research on which charities use the money well.

 

[Rosebud77]

I did this for years and you are in many programmes connecting with a particular child and get letters from that child.

And there will always be a certain amount of trust needed in committing any money anywhere.
I was with one organisation as they described themselves as ecumanical,

I actually sponsored four of their children.

Then when the little girl in Mexico had a family bereavement, knowing she was Catholic, I sent a lovely prayer card…They sent it back saying it was against their beliefs to send that to a child.

When they finally defined ecumenism it was that they never refused to care for a child because of their religion

Then some dear friends working at the coal face of baby poverty and street children came into my life so I give all I can to them. I know where they are and that I can trust them
I did enjoy sponsoring a child though.

 

[ahs]

We sponsor a child through Food For the Poor. I don’t know for certain, but my impression is that financial donations are pooled, but by sponsoring a specific child, we are able to give a child a chance at forming a real bond, albeit a long-distance one. (Many of the children are orphans, and the one we sponsor is.) So, while the money may be getting pooled, the letters that we/our children send go to our sponsored child. We also are able to pray for her directly, by name, and offer her up specifically to the Lord.