Compassion International History

Appalled by the great number of small, shivering and starving war orphans on the streets of Korea, Rev. Swanson began talking about his experience there during his revival meetings in the U.S. Christians responded by donating funds to purchase rice and other resources for the children. 

Soon after, he developed special sponsorship programs for individuals, families or churches to help support orphans for a few dollars a month. The sponsorship money provided Bible lessons, food, clothing, shelter and medical aid on a regular basis. 

Rev. Swanson formed the Everett Swanson Evangelistic Association in the basement of his Chicago home. Here, he would handle the funds and attend to the day-to-day business of ministering to the orphans. 

1961 

By September 1961, the Everett Swanson Evangelistic Association had grown to support 108 orphanages and homes in South Korea. 

1963 

Two years later, Rev. Everett Swanson was inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:32 (NIV), “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” 

He changed the name of his nonprofit to Compassion, Inc. Compassion of Canada, Ltd. was also formed in 1963. 

1965 

In November 1965, 113 friends of Compassion traveled to South Korea to visit Compassion-assisted orphanages. The sponsor trip was so successful that six more trips were planned over the next several years. 

In November 1965, Rev. Swanson passed away after 13 years of pioneering the ministry. After several months of prayer, the board of Compassion, Inc. selected Rev. Henry L. Harvey as president. 

1968 

During Rev. Harvey’s eight-year tenure, we started projects in 17 new countries. In 1968, we established the Family Helper Plan in Indonesia. By providing children with school tuition, nutritious meals, medical care, Bible lessons and other benefits, our staff workers helped keep impoverished families together. 

The Family Helper Plan’s success in Indonesia allowed us to expand into three other countries. 

1970-1974 

In 1970, we organized Special Care Centers to treat children with disabilities, offering relief through surgery, training, physical therapy and special equipment. We also: 

• Launched our ministry in the Dominican Republic  as a relief program donating food, medicine and resources for children selected by the local churches. 

• Designed a school-related sponsorship program to serve children in Haiti, Colombia  and Thailand. This program helped children attend school regularly who were previously unable to. 

• Started work in the Philippines and in the United States Native American field in 1972. 

• Started work in Honduras and Ecuador in 1974. In this same year, Rev. Harvey retired as president. 

1975-1977 

In June 1975, Wally Erickson became Compassion’s third president. During Wally’s term as president, the number of sponsored children climbed from 25,000 to more than 180,000. 

TEAR Fund, a Christian relief agency in Great Britain, became an affiliate in 1975. We then began working in Brazil and Bolivia,  as well as Guatemala  in 1976 and El Salvador in 1977. 

1978-1979 

In 1978, Australian sponsors helped create Compassion Limited of Australia, and we established a fund to meet critical needs caused by natural disasters and medical crises. In 1979, at the end of this incredible decade of growth, we began work in Mexico.

From our new home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, we introduced the Non-Formal Education (NFE) program in 1980. 

Our Compassion-assisted, church-run child development centers that participated in the NFE program started to address more than physical needs. Children began to learn vocational skills, principles of hygiene and nutrition, and leadership skills to improve their lives and perhaps even their communities. 

We also launched our child sponsorship program in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, and changed our name from Compassion, Inc. to Compassion International, Inc. 

1983-1984 

In 1983, we established the MEALS and MEALSPlus programs to provide food and daycare to young children and to assist our other programs in providing nutrition and health-related activities. 

In 1984, we introduced the Compassion Fund to provide extraordinary medical and education assistance to sponsored children and set up the Unsponsored Children’s Fund to help support newly registered children waiting for sponsors.

1990-1992 

In 1990, Bibles for All Kids organized to provide Bibles for all Compassion-assisted children. This also supported our goal of giving each child the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. 

In 1991, the Overseas Scholarship Grant Program was organized to financially support older children who completed their formal education and wanted to continue in secondary school, vocational training or university. 

In 1992, we began working in the United States with American inner-city and rural youth, as well as Native American children. In 1993, we stopped working in Korea after 40 successful years of ministry, as our work was no longer needed in the country. We then began work in Ethiopia.

1993-1996 

Rev. Wally Erickson retired in 1993 after serving as president for 18 years. Dr. Wess Stafford assumed the presidency. The following year, Miriam Swanson Westerberg, director emeritus and Everett Swanson’s widow, passed away on February 4. 

The Netherlands became a Compassion partner country in 1996, and we also launched the inaugural version of compassion.com that year. 

1998-1999 

By 1998, our ministry was serving over a quarter million children worldwide. In 1999, we began child development work in Tanzania.  Compassion UK also opened in the United Kingdom in 1999.