Every child deserves to feel known, loved and valued. And sending a gift is a simple way to ensure your sponsored child knows how special they truly are. To learn the power of gifts, the types of gifts you can send and how it works, keep reading.
Why Should You Give a Gift to the Child You Sponsor?
Giving a monetary gift to the child you sponsor could mean a new outfit for school, their first pair of shoes or even a chicken their family can use to generate life-changing income. It could mean a Bible so they can read God’s Word or a new toy that delivers joy on their birthday.
Put simply, gifts bless your sponsored child and often their family too. Sending a gift is a way to meet a child’s real needs while reminding them just how much they’re truly cared for.
The Gift That Changed Benedicta’s Family’s Life
Benedicta, a young girl living in Ghana has experienced the power of a gift. Her father, a carpenter, worked hard to provide for his wife and four children. But his meager salary was never enough, leaving them often without food on their table.
But one day, Benedicta’s sponsor sent the family $1,000, a life-changing sum. With it, Joseph created a savings account for Benedicta’s education and invested the rest in a small grocery storefront in his community.
With the store’s profits, Joseph no longer has to rely solely on his carpentry business. He can provide food, shelter and clothing for his growing family. He’s even been able to build a safe bathroom beside his home.
Now, Benedicta can attend school and reach for a brighter future beyond child poverty.
What Kinds of Gifts Can You Send?
You have a few different options for sending a monetary gift. You can send one birthday gift per year to your sponsored child, up to $150. You can also send one general gift per year, up to $150.
For your sponsored child’s family, you can give $25 or more throughout the year, up to $1,100. Upon the child’s graduation from the program, you can send a final gift of up to $3,000. Due to processing, we can’t accept gifts for less than $10.
Why Do We Restrict Gift Amounts?
Many of the children and families we care for live on less than $3 a day. We restrict the dollar amount of monetary gifts allowed per child/family to avoid creating opportunities for dependence, and to avoid fostering jealousy within the community, which could place a child and their family at risk.
Why We Can’t Accept Packages
Many sponsors desire to send packages to the children they sponsor. And while we love the heart behind that desire, we’re unable to accept or send them.
Why? In most cases, the cost of shipping and duty would exceed the value of the gift. And the risk of theft or loss of the package while in route is high. With monetary gifts, we avoid these issues while also allowing for economic growth in the country your sponsored child lives in.
You can of course send photos and other paper items like coloring pages along with your sponsor letters. If you choose to do so, they must be between 3” x 5” and 8.5” by 11” as they will be digitally sent and printed locally.
How Does Gift Giving Work?
So, you’ve given a monetary gift. Now what? Your gift, minus 10% for delivery and administrative costs, will be exchanged into local currency and transferred to the child’s Compassion center.
There, a Compassion staff member will work with the child and their family to make a purchase with your gift money. While you can suggest how a gift should be used, the decision on what to buy is determined based on what the child needs most.
For amounts of $20 or more, your sponsored child will send you a letter thanking you for your gift. For amounts of $60 or more, you’ll also receive a photo of what was purchased with your gift.
Sending a monetary gift to the child you sponsor is a simple way to say, “You’re loved.” Still have questions about sending a gift? Check out our Gift Giving FAQs.
