Thank you for your interest in changing a child’s life, and your own, through sponsorship. Whether you’re a part of the Children Incorporated family or just beginning to explore how sponsorship works, we’re glad you’re here.

Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions about becoming a sponsor. We strive to make every step simple, transparent, and authentic, so you can focus on what matters most: giving a child the chance to learn, grow, and dream.

Together, we’re building a brighter future, one child, one sponsor, and one act of kindness at a time.

What Is Sponsorship?

Sponsorship connects a caring donor with a child in need through a monthly gift of $35. Your support provides essentials such as food, clothing, school supplies, and healthcare. In addition, your act of care provides encouragement and kindness to the sponsored child.

Start Sponsoring a Child ›

Why Sponsorship Matters

In addition to financial assistance, sponsorship builds hope. Many children treasure the relationships they form with their sponsors just as much as the assistance they receive. Every letter, photo, and exchange reminds a child that they are seen and valued.

WILL I RECEIVE UPDATED INFORMATION ON THE CHILD I SPONSOR?

Yes! You’ll receive an annual update and photo of your child, along with information about their school progress, interests, and achievements. These updates let you see how your support is changing lives over time. All children will write at least one letter a year to their sponsor, but of course you are welcome to have a written communication with them anytime!

MAY I WRITE TO THE CHILD I SPONSOR?

Yes! Corresponding with your sponsored child can be a wonderful experience. Our site volunteers will translate your letter, if necessary, and deliver it to your sponsored child. You will find the affiliated site’s mailing address in your child’s information brochure.

Children Incorporated provides resources for children in need in the United States and abroad because we passionately believe that children everywhere deserve education, hope, and opportunity.

WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT?

Writing to your sponsored child can be simple, heartfelt, and fun. The most important thing is to be genuine, kind, and respectful; your sponsee will be excited to hear from you no matter how short or simple your letter is.

Getting Started

• Begin with a warm greeting and a brief introduction: your name, where you live, and who is in your family.
  
• Share a few details from everyday life—your work or studies, your city or neighborhood, and one or two hobbies you enjoy.
  
• Let your sponsored child know you are happy to know them and grateful for the chance to write.

What to Talk About

• Everyday life: family members, pets, weekend activities, and any traditions or holidays you enjoy.
  
• Encouragement: remind your sponsee that their education matters and that you believe in their dreams and goals.
  
• Positive stories: include simple, upbeat moments from your life that a child can easily picture and understand.

Helpful “Do” Guidelines

• Ask open-ended questions that invite more than “yes” or “no,” such as “What do you like to do after school?”
  
• Keep your tone warm and hopeful; offer sincere compliments when you learn about their efforts or achievements.
  
• Use short sentences and straightforward language so your letter is easier to translate and easier for a child to read.

Things to Avoid

• Steer clear of questions that might feel painful or embarrassing, such as those about failing a class, loss, or difficult home situations.
  
• Avoid intimate terms of address like “my dear” or “love,” which may not fit the cultural context.
  
• Do not focus on material possessions or compare lifestyles and living conditions.
  
• Do not try to change your sponsored child’s faith or beliefs; it is fine to share your own gently, but not to persuade.

Good Questions to Ask

Include just a few questions in each letter so your sponsee does not feel overwhelmed. For example:

• What is your favorite activity to do for fun?
  
• Who lives with you, and how is everyone doing?
  
• What is something you feel proud of or think you are good at?
  
• What is the weather like where you live right now?
  
• How far is your school or community center from your home, and how do you get there?

If you know the child’s area has experienced a disaster or emergency, it is thoughtful to say you are thinking of them and gently ask how they and their family are doing.

Can I send packages to the child I sponsor?

For U.S. children: You may send packages directly to your sponsored child’s site address. Please send monetary gifts directly to our North Chesterfield, Virginia office, as our site coordinators are not able to process checks or cash. We recommend using a tracking service, if possible, when shipping a package to the child you sponsor.

For international children: Please send monetary gifts only, as mailed packages can be delayed or lost.

You’re always welcome to send extra financial gifts for birthdays, holidays, or special needs. YOUR additional gift directly benefits your sponsored child and their community.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO VISIT MY SPONSORED CHILD?

Depending on the child’s location and local site policies, visits are sometimes possible. If you’re interested in planning a visit, please contact us for details specific to your child and their site. If the location does allow visits, reach out at least 45 days in advance so we can help with arrangements.

A member of our sponsorship team will guide you through the process. We will ensure that you can complete our visit request forms easily and we’ll make you aware of our child protection policy, which requires a background check (at the sponsor’s expense).

We’ll do everything we can to help make your visit a safe, positive, and unforgettable experience for both you and your sponsored child.

WHAT IF I HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING THE CHILD I SPONSOR?

Please call us at 1-800-538-5381 or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org. Depending on the nature of a child-specific question, we may need to contact our volunteer coordinator at your sponsored child’s affiliated site. We will get the requested information to you as soon as possible, as long as it does not violate the child protection and privacy laws to which we adhere.

MAY I SEND ADDITIONAL GIFTS FOR MY SPONSORED CHILD (FOR BIRTHDAYS, HOLIDAYS, BEGINNING/END OF SCHOOL YEAR NEEDS, ETC.)?

Yes. Contributions beyond regular monthly sponsorship amounts are always welcome, and there are no minimum or maximum amount restrictions.

With these additional gifts, the needs of the child you sponsor will be addressed first and foremost, and any remaining funds may be shared among other children in need at the same affiliated site at the volunteer coordinator’s discretion. Children Incorporated will designate 10% of your additional contribution to cover our administrative and processing costs; this means your sponsored child and possibly other children at the same affiliated site will benefit from 90% of the total you send as an additional monetary gift.

HOW DO I PAY FOR MONTHLY SPONSORSHIP?

Sponsorship contributions may be made by check, money order, credit/debit card, or ACH transfer (debit from a checking or savings account). Please call us or visit our website if you would like to set up automatic recurring contributions on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or yearly basis.

ARE THERE DEADLINES FOR SENDING ADDITIONAL MONETARY GIFTS FOR THE CHILD I SPONSOR?

Yes. It takes time to process a gift and send it to the child you sponsor, particularly if your child lives in a foreign country. To send additional monetary gifts to your sponsored child, please ensure the gift arrives in our Richmond, Virginia office at least sixty days before the date you would like it to be received by the child.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CHILD I SPONSOR LEAVES THE PROGRAM?

Sometimes, children graduate or move out of program areas. If that happens, we’ll notify you immediately and share another child’s story so you can continue making a difference. 

Rest assured: the positive impact of your generosity on each child, as well as on his or her community, endures for a lifetime!

What if I Need to Cancel My Sponsorship?

You can cancel your sponsorship whenever you need; you never have to worry about being locked into a long-term agreement. Sponsorship is flexible, because life and finances can change.

If you need to stop your monthly contributions:

• You may cancel at any time.
  
• Please let us know of your decision so we can find a new sponsor for the child you currently support.

Your past gifts have already made a meaningful difference in that child’s life, and we are deeply grateful for your generosity.

Other Ways to Stay Involved

If you’d like to remain connected but cannot commit to a monthly gift:

• You can explore other ways to give that do not require ongoing sponsorship.
  

One-time donations, special project support, or other forms of involvement can still provide vital help to children and communities.

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Ready to Make a Difference?

Sponsorship changes lives, both yours and the child you choose to support. With a small monthly gift of $35, you can help provide education, nourishment, and hope where it’s needed most.

Every sponsorship begins with one simple step.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Thank you for believing in a world where every child has the opportunity to thrive.

your sponsorship is more than just financial, it is a path to changing lives

We are so excited you are considering the life changing opportunity of child sponsorship. For around the same amount as a “pizza night” you can provide clothing, food, healthcare needs, and most importantly: hope. Many children living in generational poverty see the greatest impact when they know someone out there believes in them – and that is what a sponsor provides.

Sponsoring a child with Children Incorporated is a very simple process! For $35/month the needs of a child are provided by your contribution.  You can begin sponsoring a child in one of three ways:

• call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members
• email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org
• go online to our sponsorship portal and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.

Where are you able to sponsor?

We are currently in over 30 countries around the world providing life changing support to children. For a full breakdown of all of the countries we are affiliated with you can scroll and search here. We partner with already-established schools, group homes, and community centers to address the specific needs of the children they serve, offering each child basic needs every month. The wonderful part of our program is when you chose a child, you are the only person sponsoring them – they know you are their sponsor and you are able to write to them, receive letters and updates, and stay informed of their progress.

When searching for a child on our database

For each child, his or her photo (if international), name, country in which he or she lives, and birthday and age will display by default. You may view additional details about a specific child (such as his or her current grade level and favorite school subject or color) by hovering your mouse over his or her “About [Child Name]” link. Unfortunately, photos of children in the United States are not displayed on our website. This is due to the abundance of caution within our child protection policy. But rest assured, if you chose to sponsor a child in the United States, you will receive a physical photo of them with your welcome packet.

To narrow your search to a specific age range, gender, and/or country, please use the corresponding dropdown fields, located along the left side of the screen, to select your preferences and then click “SEARCH”.

Once you have found a child you’d like to sponsor, click the child’s “SPONSOR ME” button. Then, to finalize the sponsorship process, click the heart-in-cart icon within the popup window that appears OR located in the top right corner of the screen.

It is very easy to sponsor a child by going to our website, calling our office, or emailing Children Incorporated.

Lastly, if you have not already logged into or created your Children Incorporated web account, the site will prompt you to do so now. Then/otherwise, you may select your desired frequency for recurring sponsorship contributions (monthly, yearly, etc.), select or add a method of payment, and click “CHECK OUT”.

Congratulations! Once you have completed these steps, you will receive a confirmation email, and, within a few business days, you will also receive a sponsorship welcome packet containing additional details about your sponsored child or children!

DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR GIVING

Outside of sponsoring a child, we also have other ways in which you can donate to help children in need. Donations to our special funds help children, families, and communities in need by offering support beyond sponsorship, often due to unexpected emergencies. These funds include our Clothing Fund, Back to School Fund, Mosquito Net Fund, Hope In Action Fund, and Feeding Programs Fund.

You can also donate to our Special Projects, which allow our donors to support construction projects, expansion projects, community and school gardens, and other efforts to help improve our affiliated sites around the world. Throughout the year, our volunteer coordinators inform us about Special Projects at their particular sites. You can donate directly to these Special Projects online through our Hope In Action Fund. If you would like to receive additional information about our current Special Projects to make a donation to a particular type of project, please contact us today.

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SPONSOR A CHILD