Kay, it sounds like youre really concerned and we appreciate your care for your child and completely understand your desire for transparency and clarification regarding your childs situation! He alone knows the absolute truth about the heart of any individual or organization and whether it would be of benefit to both the sponsor and the donor. Charitable Services $899M. And do not judge me for what I have said. neat to see. Also the executive director of the Islamic Center at NYU, Latif said his ongoing communication with Turkish and Syrian students, alumni . C Compassion International Letter Writing Ideas So Im not sure how much benefit there is to having my reply on here, now. Im in the exact same position Lisa. The agency surveys compensation levels of similar faith-based sponsorship, poverty and relief non-profits in the United States. During all my (perfect) letter writing correspondence to both of my British sponsors (and that one South Korean church), we were always told by the student center staff here at my church to write down the amount in Philippine pesos what we have received (the usual Xmas gift, Bday gift, the usual money gift twice a year. Contribution Reliance Ratio: 0.831 vs. 0.991 And maybe read this again when you grow older, as I am sure it will mean more to you then. The child in Mexico was being raised by an uncle, but gave me the names of his father, his mother, and a photograph of his sister, and told me about trips he went on from time to time. Thank you for offering to do that! It has been such a rewarding experience. In a letter to its sponsors for children in India last month, CI, which insists it has not broken any Indian laws, said, "Due to a lack of funding resulting from government restrictions, we will . We are grateful for your generosity and blessing your child in such a tangible way! We want to rectify this situation and ensure we have accurate information on your boy. He just wasnt getting the help he needed to write them at the time and the issue was fixed. I havent even thought about not trusting Compassion, somehow Ive always trusted God with this, but only God should get the credit for that. Here are a couple of my favorite blogs talking about Why Do My Sponsored Childs Letters Seem So Impersonal and What to Expect from Your Childs Letters that may be more helpful for you :). Source www.compassion.com. It seems this post is still being read by a lot of people who also post concerns about their sponsor ships and getting answers and help here, so I shall try and post my question and maybe Ill get some help and answers here. Only the photo updates, and any updates that make it onto their pages. Compassion makes sure the money is properly spent by the parents by not just giving the parents pure cash. What would Jesus do? Hope that helps yours and anyone else who is having trust issues regarding misuse of a pronoun in relation to their childs gender. This is so disappointing. At 22? I have received letters from Mexico, but often many many months later than letters sent to them. And we will continue being committed to at least 80% of each dollar you send, going towards the programs that directly impact your child. Thank you so much for your patience as Im sure that you are excited to begin your relationship with your sweet girl. Graduated in 2013 actually with a degree in Communication. Thank you so much for your patience and grace with us through this transition process. And if I want a new picture I need to send $60.00. I will be searching for another charity. COMPASSION IS REAL. We do need an eight week notice before you plan to visit the child so that we can do a background check and coordinate with the childs center staff in planning the visit. This will speed up the time it takes to send and receive letters between you and your child to weeks instead of months. Rest assured weve received your letters and theyll get to your boy. Please pray for her.. Im sorry that the new information you received about Sarwan made you distrust our ministry. Thank you so much for your heart for this ministry, and we are incredibly grateful that you have chosen to bless Jhunior with your love and support! I currently am sponsoring 3 children thru Compassion International. You can opt into getting the original as i have but who knows when you might receive it as everything involving the mail system with compassion seems to be messed up right now. I am so sorry to hear that you are beginning to mistrust Compassion. http://christiannews.net/2012/12/23/non-profit-organizations-feeding-impoverished-children-serving-up-six-figure-salaries-to-ceos/. Letters are important. Please email me at [emailprotected] with your sponsor number as I relish the chance to be able to research this situation and set it right. The website of Compassion is much improved these days, which allows us to easier communicate with the children from time to time, by writing them letters. As an ESOL teacher (in the US), Ive also found that to be true. Discover & share this Compassion GIF with everyone you know. So naturally I am questioning if my child has received anything. I sponsor a little girl from the Phillipines.When I send extra money as a gift,does she or her family receive the full amount that I send? I am not being simply verbally courteous to say I love this organization called Compassion International. I cannot express how sorry I am to hear of the doubts you have about Compassion and whether your one-to-one sponsorship of Josiane is real. Then, Leos response letter will take about 2-3 months to be received by you. It is their core promise: to raise a child out of poverty. This comes out to at least 80 cents on each dollar and we do everything we can to be as efficient as possible so that we can send more. I wrote a letter to Compassion explaining I might not be able to continue because of medical expenses and such, but for now I would try to keep giving the 38.00 a month. If you send a gift over $60, you will also receive a photo of your child (and sometimes a family member or entire family) with the items they purchased with your gift (livestock for example, or the clothes or food they purchased). And I just check what their CEO paid, guess how much he get? Yes, the time frame is typically around forty-five days but we will let you know just as soon as we hear back. Look at what watchdog organizations, like Charity Navigators, say about Compassion. About the website: In at least one instance, parental information remained unchanged three and four years after a parent had died. Sponsors are individually connected with a child who will get to know them personally through exchanged letters. Compassion International received a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator, 10 years in a row. Im sure having to add something specific about each child would be a burden, in a project serving 350-400 children, or even 200. You are such a blessing to your sweet sponsored child and I appreciate what you do for her and for the Lord! I hope this helps to clarify some of your questions. Thank you so much in advance. I personally have been working in one of the field Offices in Uganda and do attest that Compassion International is highly credible, transparent and 99% genuine. Tim, thank you for sharing about your work in the Philippines! It was clearly written. Compassion International Marketing Copywriter II Remote 2d $54K-$67K Per Year (Employer est.) My wife and I chose to sponsor a child through compassion international 8 years ago and have committed to continuing until our sponsor child is 18. (They have instituted an internal and external review process.) Thank you so much for taking on this crucial role as a correspondent for Edith! It is a settled thing in my heart. I understand he may be too young to write the letters himself and someone else is doing it for him, but I feel this is a huge miss as we have pulled her inwe want it to be real as it should be. It makes me sad to see so many comments of people ending their commitments to the children they sponsor. This is actually a letter Ive been waiting on (hopefully its the one) regarding a family $ gift I sent last October. Im sorry but did this company ever consider VIDEO CHAT?!!! The compensation for Compassion Internationals President & Chief Executive Officer is established by Compassions independent Board of Directors. What Christ himself would say about Compassion UK in these cases? I really hope you enjoy it! You can also email our social media team directly at [emailprotected]. I sincerely apologize that the photos you received were not the same child and that the letters were not personal. I was told to wait a few more weeks? At first the representative said there were computer issues but then seemed to indicate the child was already receiving aid or had previously. Why is the CEOs salary so high? Briefly and surprisingly though I received information that I got a church from South Korea to sponsor my education. I have had the privilege and blessing of visiting 3 different Compassion projects in Ethiopia. While I understand it takes time to do this, that is what they are suppose to be doing; one on one work with the child and the thoughts coming from the child. The teachers, the kids, the families they are real. As mentioned at the top of this blog post, the watchdog organization, Charity Navigators, has given us a 4-star rating for over 14 years in a row. We never divide up gifts specific for your child, family, or student center. One way we have increased the speed of letters is by having the letters scanned and sent electronically between the United States and the countries we work in instead of air mailed. We would love the opportunity to speak with you further, address any additional concerns, and update your account accordingly. I see that youve already written to him seven times. I was told that she was an only child who was raised by her aunt because her parents had passed away. In order to develop quality staff at Compassion while at the same time managing our financial resources with great care and wisdom, we seek to offer competitive salaries for the various positions necessary to successfully execute Compassions mission statement. If Leo is not answering your questions in his letters, he, most likely, took his letter home and forgot to bring in back on letter writing day. I do apologize that it has felt quite overwhelming to you, which is not what we want. I just dont know. Please accept my personal thanks for your wonderful correspondence to Leo. It receives an A rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy and is listed as one of their top-rated charities. I dont like the idea of speaking with someone on the phone n them telling me that if I send more than the recommended amount that it will still go to my child at Christmas, but I read on a paper that it will be devided among others. My name is Danielle and I am 20 years old. Please be encouraged that in the next couple of years, when we roll out our new software and processes, we are looking to give sponsors more opportunities to connect with their children that are quicker and improved! If we had received a letter with an explanation like this along with our new pictures, we couldve avoided a lot of confusion. We sincerely look forward to earning your trust and proving our hearts for serving our sponsors and children with excellence. We know sponsors are eager to hear from their children when they begin sponsoring and so a pre-written introduction letter from your child is waiting to be sent once they hear they have a sponsor. Sponsors Share Their Best Letter Writing Tips, Before and After Safe Water: 20 Powerful Photos, How to Get to Know Your Sponsored Childs Family, Thank you, Samantha. Did you receive these Christmas letters from Kayivi and Inoussa in February? It took time to develop our relationship, a few years in fact, but now she chatters at me like Im on the other end of the telephone or sitting next to her on the swings at recess. A year after the tragic deaths of four divers trapped in a Paria pipeline; their families . Thank you so much for helping us direct more funds towards the children! We care deeply about each child and want every child to feel seen, loved, and cared for at least once a year if not all year round. What did you do, or not do here? The translations do not appear accurate; the letters do not appear detailed from my child; questions I ask to the child are not answered back; he as Christie said, asks for pictures of me after Ive already sent pictures; just a lot of inconsistencies that I dont feel good about. This marked the 15th consecutive year of 4 Star ratings. Do you recall if you received this one? Hi Lynn, Proof shouldnt even need to be a debate on these forums. To whom in may concern, I am trying to be patient and to understand that the new system of letter sending/receiving has changed, but I am pretty worried. We sponsor a young girl and a young man in Kenya, and two girls in Tanzania, so both countries are very close to my heart! All Compassion partner projects are audited annually. Clinical Care * The Physician Assistant (PA) or the Nurse Practitioner (NP) provides assessment, triage, and therapeutic management of patient/family needs throughout the disease process as an integral part of an interdisciplinary team. Jay, I am so sorry for the confusion and frustration that we have caused in regards to your letter writing relationship with this precious little girl. 3-stars on Fund Acquisition Efficiency. As far as the letters, we see personal pronouns often mixed up by our translators. Things have changed so much in six years. I do know that some sponsors receive a lot of information in their childs letters and they have a wonderful correspondent relationship with their child. . I got more Compassion mail today! However if you want to send money around christmas to your child and her family, just send it as a family or child gift and it will go to them. Some of us get letter writing blues, too . Hi Lisa! You do not just pop in anywhere with a video camera or (regular camera) in these communitites! Letter Writing GIF by Compassion. Yet I have received endless demands for more sponsor for a desperate situation. I cannot express how sorry I am to hear of the doubts you have about Compassion and whether your one-to-one sponsorship of Andrew and Yasmine is real. I enjoy the letter writing and picture updates. I agree they could be more resourceful by doing paperless statements, but thats almost like saying you wont tithe at church because the church spends money on the bulletins that they hand out, or on the coffee they offer.? I also see a new letter from Danna is on its way as of very recently, and I hope you receive it soon. All of the proof I could ever need is in the letters and photographs of my little girl, Ludis. Erik, that is an incredible testimony. Talk about a way to eliminate scam fears!!!!! There has always been problems with communication and accuracy of information vital to building relationships was low. We love you always, Elisa (your sponsor mom) Become a Child Sponsor! There are so many things that seem strange about the letters I have recieved.Then all the other mail I get from Compassion is bothersome! Compassion does not provide formal schooling for our children. So our almost 6 year old is really almost a 10 year old??? Youre both right. I never dreamed the changes would have problems this long. I can assure you however that Pransanth is known and loved individually by the staff at his student center. I appreciate the blessings I have received and pray earnestly for the continued integrity of Compassion. You are encouraging them in more ways than you know, and I pray that your open heart will help them begin to share more about themselves as well :). Please know that we would love to be able to provide more photos and even videos of the children. Thank you so much for being a blessing in Susis life, Debra! Stop wasting this money on paper, printing, postage, staff time to send it all. Most if the time children cant make it into these programs and are left out completely.but lets go ahead and waste money sending bulk mail and thick and pretty pamphlets to sponsors to get more money out of them. We have a daughter who would like to be part of this experience and she, by name, is never mentioned in the letters received back from our sponsored child even though we talk about her and have sent pictures. I just want to say that I dont feel Compassion is a scam, I do feel there are some issues and inconsistencies like some of those that others have noted. I cannot afford the $3,000.00+ price to visit for a meal, then fly all the way back home. That is much too much salary for a non profit Christian outreach. In plain English they have some kinks to work out in their process. We appreciate your desire to bless others and see them grow healthy and strong. I certainly apologize for any misunderstanding or confusion in regards to the time frame of receiving an acknowledgement for the gifts you sent and if this information was not communicated to you. In the email and via phone I was told the updated one is the correct one,but no explanation was given as to how something like this could happen. Please know that I do see you have been writing often and your letters are thoughtful and full of love; and I want you to know he is definitely receiving them. In Sarwans case, when he was registered, they estimated his birth date as being in 2010. I completely agree with many of the concerns expressed here about the CEO salary. I woke up the next day with so much love and concern for the children living in poverty I immediately went online and I sign up to sponsor Juana from Honduras in Aug. 2009. Very frustrated. . There is a backlog of letters in the countries that we are working to get translated and delivered to both the children and the sponsors. Photo by Marvin Hamilton. Please see our other post about our new letter guidelines and why we are scanning, sending letters digitally, and printing them on the other end. Out of concern I asked Compassion UK about her. Please rest assured that your child will feel loved and cared for regardless of whether you are their financial sponsor or their correspondent sponsor :). I was not happy to hear that when I send money he may or may not get all of it. You should also begin to see his letters become more personal as your relationship grows. We sincerely look forward to earning your trust and proving our hearts for serving our sponsors and children with excellence. Sent money for a Christmas Gift, received a letter from the child but no mention of a gift. If you send a child, family, or center gift, only 10% is taken as an administrative fee just to process the gift and get it to where it needs to go. (More) Rating Information Great Total Revenue $1.1B. There's always an amazing sense of personal fulfillment that comes with supporting a charity organization. Hi Helena! In reviewing your account, I show the last letter that we received from Leo was on April 9th. However, for your monthly donations (the $38 you send for your child), 80-85% goes towards programs that directly benefit your child. In April, we rolled out new software, similar to what you had mentioned, to translate and deliver letters faster than ever before. I agree with Christie, comment from July 25, 2019. Our primary focus is on holistic child development through sponsorship. In the few letters that I received, her information/background was very inconsistent. The poor are, check out Charity Navigators review of Compassion. We so appreciate all that you have done for Prasanth, but if you are no longer able to continue we will understand. This year has been so hard on everyone! Will you please send us an email at [emailprotected]? This will draw the project staffs attention to the questions. or give you a full refund? It was true. Your letters say to Jhunior that he is worthy, loved, and known, and you are making a difference in his life even if that may not be apparent at this moment. They say these letters are from our sponsored child, but with what I received, thats not possible. For example, I wrote out a recipe for my favorite banana bread, and my child said that she would try and make it in her next letter. Sadly, Ill be giving up sponsorship to Compassion UK in February 2014. The most shocking thing was the amount of sponsors that have visited that site. Greetings Andrea, The system wont allow us to view the letters that are currently in translation, but they will show up on your account as soon as they are complete. If Jesus asked them to sell everything they had and give to the poor (or give up an extremely high salary) what would Compassion say? Your monthly sponsorship helps provide your child with life-changing benefits that include: nutritious snacks or meals, educational opportunities, health and hygiene training, medical checkups, the caring embrace of a local church, and the message of Gods love through Jesus Christ. Our records indicate that Marcela was to graduate the program in April of 2014. What does it mean for an organization to live with integrity? I asked how long until I heard back from the inquiry and she said, someone will contact you as soon as we hear something. I have sponsored for 8 years, and I generally do not open any email unless it is from my child. Just remember what a blessing you have been to her, even if the distance or conditions did not allow a final note to you. I would request, too, if possible, that the in translation letters still be made available for viewing, as they were before the system change. The handwriting is completely different, yet the translation is almost word for word in both letters. Joann Reed. Please know that we do regularly ask outside, non-biased watchdog organizations, such as Charity Navigators, to research us. I would even encourage you to ask your child if they are able to write on their own. Ask questions. If you have, we will have to wait for it to be processed before we can cancel your sponsorship. Now I am getting stuff about taking a trip to hug my child. I have no doubts that Compassion is trust worthy. Wed love to help you find a child to sponsor and coordinate a visit as well. This child might be in high school whereby in east Africa we say Senior five (S.5) yet in the USA and other Countries it would be High School. Or the executive who uses their frequent flier miles compliments of the folks who sponsor children to buy air line tickets for friends and family. I wish you all the best in your future giving endeavors, and will pass your comment along. You do have responsibilities in that relationship it isnt just you pay some money, and sit back and get letters to entertain yourself once a month, or whatever. For the vast majority of children, our photographs are the only ones they have ever had taken and in some cultures smiling for a photo is not the norm. I understand that the delay in Ediths response could be the technical difficulties or maybe even just from being very busy this year, but I worry that she maybe isnt sure how to respond. If Josiane is unsure of what to write, then she may choose to write what the tutor is recommending, and this may result in letters sounding the same. Compassion maybe legitimate but I have witnessed first hand their blatant disregard for their sponsors money. It seems to me that their evaluation process favors health-related charities because those organizations 1) are able to offer easily-quantifiable results, and 2) their mission fits more firmly under the heading of what Givewell considers priority programs. She wrote me her first letter without any help in January!!!! This was certainly not intentional and it sounds like it was just a misunderstanding when we spoke with you and our representative said the wrong gender. It may seem far-fetched to our culture where time is so fixed, but it is reality for so many people! Im finding it harder and harder to believe that 82-86% of the money goes to the childs care. 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