I am heartbroken over the matter of the handwriting. Yes, donations made to Compassion are tax deductible. We assign correspondents for sponsors who do not have the time or desire to write, or sometimes a company may sponsor many children and simply cannot write to so many children. We are honored to have your support and thrilled that you have chosen to be a devoted sponsor to your precious Compassion children! Kelly, This usually helps with the communication process. This helped a lot in explaining what happened. It seems a sponsored child, who is closer in age to a sponsors own child (in our family) would be interested in her and write back about her or our dog, etc. I called the 800 number, but got no answers at all; then the person hung up on me. Youve been a faithful sponsor with us over over 12 years now according to our records (wow!) All true. They told me it was a local matter and nothing to do with them. They are excessive. Read more to consider God's attributes demonstrating how he is love. While I do think the organization has things they certainly need to improve, it does not justify SPOILED attacks on every little thing they are not doing just exactly to your thoughts, or are doing. This will speed up the time it takes to send and receive letters between you and your child to weeks instead of months. Blessings! Since the person obviously chose to hide by not putting a name it causes me to wonder about legitimacy. My child finally aged out and today I got another letter from him. I appreciate and understand your desire to use your money wisely, and I am sorry that the way we pay our staff does not line up with the way you want funds to be used. I do understand your frustration with Leos letters not being personal. As the children get older, they will begin to add more personal details to their letters and learn how to engage with their sponsor more. I noted my sponsorship had done precious little to raise either of them out of poverty. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns. What Christ himself would say about Compassion UK in these cases? She would have received these gifts in the beginning of April when she was completing the program. I havent heard from my child for almost 10 months! Greetings Andrea, However, at this time, with so many children in the program and the limited staff and funding we have for this, it just is not possible. Hi Marci! Rest assured weve received your letters and theyll get to your boy. 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. Are they going to tell you you cant quit? Keep asking her questions. Their attendance at the center is in addition to their schooling, it does not replace it. Hi Lana! Her reply, it may have gotten lost in the mail. Strangely though, when I reached my second (third?) Do this do that give this-give that it goes on and on.so much money is being spent on all these mailingswhy not give it to the poor and needy?? If someone has been burned before, they look for faults in everything the letters from the child they sponsor, the pictures we send them, the way we use the funds we receive. Hi Helena! I said to myself this cant be true so I decided to call them and find out where the money is really going and how are they helping these children. On my list of conversations with Lydia, my letters to her are backed up in translation all the way from April. I do agree that the CEO salary is very high considering it is paid by donations; however, charitable organizations are typically rated on the percentage of donations that go directly to the cause of sponsorship vs. those that go to administration (which includes salaries). Why choose a specific child if the money is given to other children. Charities with religious affiliations, of which Compassion International is the largest, make up more than half of the top 15 donors to India. As long as I know my sponsored kids are being taken care of and receiving my gifts I dont care. You have stated several times that his salary is lower than those of other comparable charities, but that doesnt mean anything. Something began to not seem right about it anymorewhich seems to be the common thought in this thread. I want to encourage you that your child is very real and that you truly are making an incredible difference in his life. Our core mission remains to release children from poverty in Jesus name. 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 write my child often and have received photographs and wishes and prayers on occasion . This year has been so hard on everyone! Now I realize the school system might be different but its kind of strange that a 22 year old would be in grade 5. I completely understand that you want ever dollar you donate to count. Do they actually get anything for my donation? Will you please email us at [emailprotected], so we can help you further? I do apologize for this as our intention is not to deceive you or make you hesitant in the integrity of our ministry. Imagine how generous sponsors would be if they knew what they were doing was going directly to that child!!
I find the presumptouis and pride and attitudes in some of these[you] sponsors almost, appalling honestly. 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. Because it takes 2-3 months for gifts and letters to be delivered both ways, we ask that our sponsors wait up to 6 months to receive an acknowledgement for the gift they sent. 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. Thank you so much for your interest in sponsoring a child with Compassion! So please have patience and hang in there and please keep writing your children!! 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. They talk about the letters that were so valuable from their sponsors and how much they treasured those relationships. Sent money for a Christmas Gift, received a letter from the child but no mention of a gift. She retrieved their birth documents and when I made cakes for them for their birthdays she thought it was a very strange custom lol. If theres one thing Ive learned in my life about computers and computer systems, it is that nothing ever goes as planned and there are always glitches.
Is Compassion International a Scam? 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. Compassion International is the charity with the highest budget of the charities we reviewed this year. Thanks so much! [27] Compassion said that attempts were made to force the ministry to divert funding to non-Christian Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh groups. Have you ever wondered what actually happens when you give a goat to charity? I have not heard from my child in a while and when I do it is so generic it could be from anyone. Compassion has grown significantly year after year, even during difficult financial times in the economy. Percentage of cash revenue 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. I love them and now occasionally find myself mixing he or she just by association with 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. Karen, I am so sorry to hear that our CEOs salary has deterred you from sponsoring and impacting the life of a child. All that has changed and I can say this with a little mist in my eyes. Go look at our financial records which are posted publicly on our website. Most of us who are contributing $38 a month to sponsor a child do not make anywhere near that much money. You are exactly correct that we combine all Christmas gifts and distribute them equally among all of the children in our programs. Some leave after high school and begin working, helping their families, or go onto reach other goals they have. Some of us get letter writing blues, too . Not only did we receive the highest rating of four starslast year, but we received it for the previous seven years as well. I serve as senior Pastor of a church of around 200 people and wanted to get my church involved but before I did I wanted to see first hand where my sponsorship money was going. I will push for this through the FTC. Its very unlikely that they would ever be able to make that much in the marketplace. Please be encouraged to know that the children treasure the letters they receive from their sponsors. Im so sorry that we didnt get the opportunity to answer your questions and clarify your concerns. We will be in contact with you as soon as we receive a response within 6-8 weeks. * My child was in prison without his mother. 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? When children are registered into our program, the parents often times dont know the exact birth date of their child as birthdays are not as important in other cultures as they are here in the US. Prior to this change you could get letters every few months. http://christiannews.net/2012/12/23/non-profit-organizations-feeding-impoverished-children-serving-up-six-figure-salaries-to-ceos/. year in college, I found out that a lady working for Compassion UK was the one continuing to support me and Ive only received one letter from her during my senior year in college. Please let me know if you would like us to research this gift further for you. Thank you!!! I do apologize that it has felt quite overwhelming to you, which is not what we want. What would Jesus do? In the few letters that I received, her information/background was very inconsistent. This will call attention to your questions. I love your comment Elizabeth and totally agree with you! Diane, at the time we had written this blog, 100% of your gift was going to your child. This is the only gift that we handle this way. That sounds like someone would be getting the short end of the stick. We appreciate your patience and understanding regarding the letter writing process.
Top 8 Organizations Dedicated To Helping Children in Need They are aware that he is a boy, but often when the letters are translated, the translator might get those pronouns mixed up. As of January2019[update] the cost to sponsor a child through Compassion was US$38 per month, and globally there were over two million babies, children, and young adults in its programs. I know it seems like a lot of money but when you book your flight in advance its incredibly cheaper. The Birthday gift I usually send around my sponsored childs birthday always arrives very late! I assumed everyone would know such a important date but if it doesnt play such a important role as it does here and in other countries, then I guess, I can understand how something like this can happen. With her age, she does have help from a tutor with writing letters back to you. Hi Joe and Brenda! 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. I just checked on your letter and it is still in the translation step but once its finished, youll be able to open it and view the letter in your My Account! It may seem far-fetched to our culture where time is so fixed, but it is reality for so many people! Gary Lineker accepts human rights award with call to show refugees more compassion Read more Furore is a good word; if there is a recurring theme as Lineker talks, it is a kind of bafflement that . Both my children have indicated that they visit the center once a week (4 times a month). However, please know we take financial integrity very seriously to ensure we are caring for our beneficiaries the best we possibly can. Hi Mandy! I will pray that God leads me to another charity where my funds will used exclusively for the children. 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. Its also likely that his parents didnt have his birth certificate when they came to the center to register him. Again, Im so sorry for the confusion this caused you but we want to keep our sponsors informed at all times and updated on the records we have for your child. Your donation helps children when they need it most.. 2023 Compassion International. You can read more about this in our blog we wrote about communicating with your child through social media. Im hoping I can clarify the confusion regarding the letter time frame. 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. not used for drugs or alcohol etc.). My family has been sponsoring a young boy named Alanael. A monetary gift takes about 2 months to be received by the child. Please also take note that Compassion NO LONGER HAS A 4 STAR RATING from Charity Navigator. I expressed concerns but they were passed off as the centers fault for not educating the child. I hope I answered all of the concerns and questions you have and please know how much we love these kiddos and value your heart for children and desire to see their lives transformed. I read a lot of these concerns from other sponsors and Im sorry but not one of them is actually happy with their experiences. They are also helping his family with the medical costs and any other outstanding needs like food and counseling during this time. I dont feel like it should be someone elses burden to do so. If you are in business, either for profit or non-profit problems are bound to crop up that is inevitable. Compassion International 12290 Voyager Parkway Colorado Springs, CO 80921-3668 Other Names None Tax Status 501 (c)3 Website www.compassion.com Stated Mission Exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty and to enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults. May the good God keep blessing you, I am so pleased to be able to help Lydia and her family. This isnt the only time they get schooling from the sponsorship funds, correct? Working in the contact center, sponsors and donors call me and want to know if we if Compassion is trustworthy or if its a scam. I am concerned and placed a phone call today. neat to see. What Does It Mean To Be A Man After My Own Heart? Program Output Ratio: 0.82 vs. 0.799 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. I too was sceptical when I received my first generic letter from my sponsered child! You will probably do anything you can to CharityWatch, the CharityWatch logo, and the CharityWatch Top Rated Seal are all trademarks of CharityWatch.
Top 9 Best Christian Charities to Donate to in 2022 - Nonprofit Point I apologize for the inconvenience and if this makes you hesitant in what you send. I still pray for my child and hope/trust I made the right choice. [15], Compassion International is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability[16] in the US, holds a grade of "A" from CharityWatch,[17][18] and has met the "20 Standards for Charity Accountability" from the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. Upon my return home I encouraged the members of my church to also pick up a sponsor child. Compassion International received a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator, 10 years in a row. I thank you again for your heart to give to those in need, and wish you the best in your future giving endeavors! In many countries, the day is listed first and the month second. -ongoing Christian training through a local church As Valentine's Day approached, we reflected on the truth that God isn't just loving but is the very definition of love. Also CI assigned me another child without my requesting one. I am concerned as well with the letters we receive. Their questions would be more than answered!!!! After talks back and forth, in 2017 the BJP-led Indian government barred Compassion from transferring funds into India, forcing the group to close its operations in that country. 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. Hello Kate. Sometimes they are vague and sometimes they are very informative. I wish you all the best in your future giving endeavors, and will pass your comment along. *I do not work for Compassion Int., in fact, I am an every day jane dough. Letters are important. We understand that some may feel uneasy about the salaries of our upper management and board of directors. Compassion, yes they are a company with human flaws like any other company, but they are doing a great job with my measly $38/month. Joann Reed. They expect the parents to make efforts too, not just sit at home and dream of a better life. I love the child focus and Jesus focus of Compassion. And are rated higher from ministry watch.
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