I also do not know why the children are never smiling in the photos I have received of them. So, reluctantly, I will have to say goodbye in February 2014 the same month an automatic levy was set up to take more out of my finance to deliver more of the same. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective. That is all. Something began to not seem right about it anymorewhich seems to be the common thought in this thread. This will call attention to your questions. How many sponsors does it take to support one child through the process? I declined. Am I expecting too much? Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. Other than that, I love Compassion and the children and what God is doing through both? And youre right, its a scanned copy! I am also learning so much through Compassion about various cultures. For example, when I ask how theyre doing in school, I get, Fine, or Well., I know there are limits on the kinds of things anyone other than the child would tell us, so as not to rob them of dignity or violate their privacy. Again, because taking pictures is costly with everything involved from taking the picture to getting it to you and would take much staff time when they have many duties throughout the day along with carrying on project activities, we cannot do it for every letter that is sent. With her age, she does have help from a tutor with writing letters back to you. $330,000 a year for CEO is too much. They say these letters are from our sponsored child, but with what I received, thats not possible. First, I wonder what the person who sponsored this poor child did through 10 years of sponsoring? You are welcome to send us an email at [emailprotected] if you would like to speak further with us. The question of trustworthiness goes beyond financial accountability. We definitely want you to be confident that your children are receiving your loving letters and gifts. We do this so that no child is left out at Christmas. At that time he was 10 going on 11. Think of how popping in for a photo opp would seem (of you taking pictures of things that are very NORMAL to them, but NOT normal to you?? I read a lot of these concerns from other sponsors and Im sorry but not one of them is actually happy with their experiences. However, the child and their family or the center ultimately decide how the gift is used and will be able to use the money on their greatest needs. Granted, before joining Compassion, I had my doubts, hearing about other so-called sponsorship organizations using vast amounts of money for illegal activities. There is much going back and forth about the integrity of the organization and looking for proof that one should sponsor a child through Compassion or not. https://blog.compassion.com/why-do-my-sponsored-childs-letters-seem-so-impersonal/. Were thrilled about this and I pray that you begin to find your questions being answered in future letters your child writes to you. I will not send them away hungry" (Matthew 15.32). I was told to wait a few more weeks? However, I have had the awesome blessing to visit Kenya twice in the past two years on a mission trip in Nakuru. My child was in the 4th grade 5 years ago. Heres the financials chart used by Ministry Watch so you can see how Compassions numbers line up with other organizations: Industry average vs. Compassion: Sponsored children are selected by the sponsors from lists provided by the ministry, and two-way communication is encouraged between the sponsored child and the sponsor. Thank you very much. Were I on the other end of the phone, Id be asking the same things. I got an LDP scholarship instead and I was supported by funds from other sponsors. I have not had any letters from either of my two sponsored children since their Christmas letters (and its now August) and they were writing me pretty frequently. Your donation attempt encountered a problem. Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place. If you donate money at Christmas time, typically this goes into our Christmas fund. We are a child-development ministry dedicated to releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name. You probably would not make it one day. I had not done so that night I prayed to God for help. The way our program works, sponsors are not guaranteed to receive a Christmas gift acknowledgement since all Christmas gifts are combined and distributed evenly among both sponsored and unsponsored children to ensure each child receives a gift. First time logging in? [23] However, Charity Navigator changed its rating system in 2016,[24] and Compassion International's 2016 overall rating dropped to three stars out of four, for its accountability and transparency. As for Givewell, this is a relatively new organization started in 2007 by two 25-year old hedge fund managers. They currently have a full-time staff of four two hedge-fund managers and two research analysts. e.Resourcefulness I know you gave that gift from the heart hoping to be a blessing to her entire family and felt as though Compassion did not listen to your request. This is a recent change that most of the sponsors hate. Especially if you look for them on Amazon or make them yourself. I am able to send inquiries when it has been longer than six months since you last heard from your children. I really dont blame anyone for asking these questions. We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. With much faith and trust I boldly state that I honestly do not believe this organization is a scam. All Compassion partner projects are audited annually. I guess I dont mind it stuff comes in a mass email that goes to everyone on the list but this stuff by mail has got to end. I just dont know. Tax ID (EIN) 36-2423707. These Running-Related Charities Need Your Help Now - Runner's World The teachers, the kids, the families they are real. I am privileged and blessed to do this for Him. Im so sorry to hear your story. I began a sponsorship in March 2016. I am from Kenya and am an alumni of the Compassion Sponsorship Program, I graduated from the program at the beginning of last year. Your donation helps children when they need it most.. 2023 Compassion International. Please chalk it up to my hunger to know how my children are progressing academically, spiritually, and in other ways that the kids might not talk about. Your second letter is still being translated as a result of these kinks in the new system, but I can tell you that your letter is on its way to Juliano. We dive deep to let you know how efficiently a charity will use your donation to fund the programs you want to support. They went on to note that the evidence, while early, "suggest[ed] that these impacts are due, in part, to increases in childrens aspirations. Sorry for such a disappointment. Contribution Reliance Ratio: 0.831 vs. 0.991 If you have any other questions, please feel free to email our team directly at [emailprotected] and we would be happy to help! That could be because so many of the children in our program begin working as young teenagers. Of course, there are many explanations as to why your questions may not be answered or why some letters seem generic, but there is a wonderful blog offering an explanation of why letters may seem impersonal. 800-336-7676 Based on the letters I had received you would think that the girl I was sponsoring would have at least mentioned the gift if not just a thank you. (They have instituted an internal and external review process.) I have a question that you may be able to answer. Hi Christie, Is there some addition to the system that could be added to let sponsors know that a letter is in translation (on the way) to us as well? Beg you to stay? It is now August. At this point we havent heard from her in nearly 3 years (since Feb. 2019). She is receiving your letters and your hand-made items. . -clean drinking water Your support is helping to provide all of these needs and more for him and his family. I sent money for her a Christmas present in 2013, money for her birthday for April 1, 2014, and a graduation check for $200, plus a good-bye letter, and never received any acknowledgements for these. Also, in the past, many of our translators were volunteers. I just received a letter from her and it looks very much like all the letters from the past 10 years (the same very generic details anyone could write) but it said she is currently in grade 5. Thank you so much for already writing so often. I pray that the Lord shows you what a beautiful difference youre making in the lives of the children you pour into. However, the childs grade will change and if their performance changes, this is another update you will see to this section. The only possible reason would be to make the organization look more realistic. Prior to this change you could get letters every few months. Just last year, I had a 6th grader who was positive, based on her moms comments, that she was actually a year or possibly 2 years older than our school documents said. I would even encourage you to ask your child if they are able to write on their own. I sponsored a child from El Salvador for 7 years, beginning when she was 11 and ending when she became 18. As Mugisha gets older, you will begin to see him write his own letters without the assistance of a tutor/mentor. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years. I have read this email post quite a number of times, and it concerns me a lot. Successfully intervening for them requires holistic care, which is why our child development model addresses the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of each child. In your next letter to Jacob, you can ask about his family, and his family may share additional information if they are comfortable doing so. Please know that our desire is for every sponsor to have an opportunity to develop a meaningful relationship with their child. Also, while I know Compassion well, I am not an expert on all organizations and the intricacies. Our records do indicate that your boy is living with his mother but its possible that she went away for work and so he is staying with his grandmother or that his situation has changed and he is there permanently. It is an honor to have you in our Compassion family! I see that you got the chance to speak with one of our representatives in the Philippines. I am so sorry for the disappointments and to hear that you are now doubting our ministry. Thank you so much for your feedback and Im sorry that you feel you havent been getting updated information on your kiddos :(. And do not judge me for what I have said. [5] In 2022, it would be present in 27 countries. Once your child reaches their final year in the project, we send reminders to you so that you can prepare to say goodbye. I am unsure if the children are receiving the correspondence that we send. Which one is correct? Compassions2016-2017 990 form shows our CEO, Santiago Jimmy Mellados reportable compensation from theministry as $340,940 which is well below other ministrieswithin this same field. Your child will be told the gift is from you and will receive it at a special Christmas celebration. It probably would have done more to convince me to stay, to see for myself, but it never happened. We have the opportunity for donors to give to different funds such as income generation for families, donating livestock, or classes on health and parenting skills. Other people have commented about the same thing, and even so, the salaries continue to increase well beyond what is needed to make a good living. I informed Compassion International but the only response I received from them was them asking for me to sign up additional children. The children take their letters home and usually have a special place in their home where they keep all of their letters. Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place. I write often enough that I cant remember what Ive told them about, so Im sure they wonder why my letters say the sames things sometimes! [6], As of November 2019, the board chair of the organization was Judy Golz, and the president and CEO was Santiago Mellado. Id encourage you to highlight a question about those in your next letter! Continue Reading Share this post: Today God has blessed me with the courage and a heart to become a child advocate for Compassion International. When I receive letters from her they are so generic that one can tell the translator is just writing something generic that they probably write to most. The little girl I was to converse has written 3 letters over the last 2 years. Program Output Ratio: 0.82 vs. 0.799 We want to be good stewards of the resources we have and although this is an awesome suggestion and may be possible in the future, we felt it was important for us to focus on upgrading our systems and enhancing the letter relationship with your children while continuing to pour into them holistically when they attend our projects. Their sponsor is the only person they write letters to. We are about to sponsor a child because she grew up in the Philippines and Ive traveled there many times. I think there was some confusion regarding the christmas fund thing. But I persisted and continued to encourage her at every opportunity the same way you have been with Susi. I am hoping that as we are able to clear up the issues with this system and get back on track with processing the letters, you will continue to hear from Gadiel as often as you used to. a relationship with him.Its working ok for me it will be fore you it needs time patients and prayer peter. I sponsored a child on Easter day and have not received any communication back yet. God Bless Therefore, we protect, develop, and deploy all of our resources (people, time, money, knowledge, reputation and materials) with great care and wisdom. 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. Please dont let translation issues or logistical issues beyond anyones control rob you of the joy of choosing to love and assist a child in the Name of Jesus. Since the person obviously chose to hide by not putting a name it causes me to wonder about legitimacy. AM BEING SPONSORED BY COMPASSION KENYA.THEY HAVE BEEN SPONSORING ME SINCE 1998,RIGHT NOW,AM IN UNIVERSITY AND COMPASSION STILL SPONSORS ME.AM A PROUD LDP COMPASSION STIDENT. I urge all supporters of Compassion UK to look past the glossy brochures and the promises, and the heart pull techniques they employ and assess them. Children do not always know how to express their thanks or communicate their feelings, plans and dreams butwe encourage you to keep feeding love into your childs life. You certainly are entitled to know exactly where your money is going. But youre welcome to contact us if you no longer want to receive updates from the field and other mail from us such as general appeals and were happy to update your account so that these stop. Compassion International cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization. May God continue to bless you and also to let you be a blessing to others. It looks like the last time you received a letter from him was April 2015. The only exception to this is our Christmas fund. They are so excited to get letters from their sponsors the letters are precious to them. Emails that only take one minute tops to reach the receiver..but they cant get it to us any faster than 3 to 6 months? I do apologize that it has felt quite overwhelming to you, which is not what we want. There is software that is capable of reading letters written in any language and convert it to any language, and pictures along with generic letters (used as templates) wouldnt take long to build such software programmers. I hear your heart for this ministry and your desire to foster a relationship with your sweet girl. Here is a link to all of our alumni blogs, and the interview titled What if I dont write to my sponsored child? Can someone from CI address this? I returned June 19th with a gift of reassurance from God. Now, other than the photo updates, I get grade reports on my girls in TZ, and from none of the other countries where we sponsor, or have sponsored children. It can be frightening for children to get their picture taken as it isfor children in all cultures. I do understand your frustration with Leos letters not being personal. 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. He just wasnt getting the help he needed to write them at the time and the issue was fixed. Donate to Charity. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. I would like to know if vaccines are a part of the health care that a sponsored child receives as a result of the funding? 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? Was the money used for a Christmas gift?? My husband and I sponsor 2 children. Thank you so much for taking on this crucial role as a correspondent for Edith! Compassion, Compassion International, Compassion Sunday, the . In this case, we deduct 15 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. You can visit our website at https://www.compassion.com/about/financial.htm and view our tax documents that lists the specific information on our Upper management and Board of Directors salaries. I pray for continued success in communication and connections, especially during an extremely challenging time for so many people. I hope this helps to clarify some of your questions. Your right that it can be difficult to get to know them really well when you only know the basics they share in their letters at the younger ages. I pray this isnt a scam . Ambassadors of Compassion International - GuideStar Profile Hang in there. . I would like to first thank you for your support for Leo for the past 2 years. Yes, the top employees are paid a lot of money. Compassion International Organization name . Just wanted to send a hello and God bless message to him and his Garcia family and spirtual family over there. Hi Helena! The organization reported that it is implementing 14 Equity Practices. I know this because I have been one for over 20 years now. We supplied local churches across the world with resources to respond when disasters struck the most vulnerable. Please do let us know if that is the case and we will check to make sure your child is alright. thats why Red Cross is lacking in funds lately, because only 25% of what you give actually helps people, admin gets the other 75%. This will draw the project staffs attention to the questions. 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? Sarah, we are so sorry to hear your sponsorship experience was not what you hoped. Did you read the responses at all? Are they sometimes simplistic? Far removed from children I see stood against a tree, or up against a wall looking like theyre about to be shot. This meansthey may haveforgotten questions that were asked in a previous letter or details you may have shared with them. Heather, this sounds very concerning.
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