[K2010]

I would really love to sponsor a child but am a bit confused about which organisation
To go with ...
Anyone have any good or bad experiences they would like to share ?
My husband is hesitant as to whether the money actually gets to the children after watching a segment on ACA a few years back .

[follies]

If you don't like the idea of going through a religious group you can use Plan.

[Lyra]

I am pretty sure you can sponsor a child in need here in Australia through the Smith Family

[luke's mummu]

I sponsor a child thru world vision. It has been a great experience. Yes the child/family does not get the money, the community does for things like vaccinations, training health care workers etc.

My only suggestion would be whatever charity you go with, ask about the monthly costs, is it indexed to the CPI, do they expect extra for Christmas and birthday gifts, are there any extra costs at all?

My parents got burnt a few years ago - they signed up with the Smith Family, expecting they could hand make a small Christmas gift and post it. No they suggested a minimum of $50 giftcard each for the family for Christmas/birthday. That's an extra $100 a year they expected. My parents had to stop after a year - the extra $100 was just out of their budget.

[seepi]

We sponsor through child fund. the little girl in timor we sponsor really needs the help. timor is the poorest country in our region, and I'm happy to be doing something.

the little girl lives with her mum only in a house they made themselves on palm branches - it looks quite basic in the photos. she is also tiny - she is 100cm and about 14kg - this is smaller than my 4 yr old and she is 8.

the letters we get are very basic and full of typos and strange language- I think the timor program is only just starting out and their translators are not very qualified - but to me that just says they really need the help.

the money doesn't go directly to the family , but instead the child gets on healath programs, gets vacinated, gets school uniforms and books etc.

I think it is worthwile. With
Child fund you can choose male or female child, and which are area of the world you are interested in.

[skylark]

We go with Plan, have been great, lots of letters and a very easy online system for sending letters and photos etc.

[K2010]

Thanks for the replies ...

I should have explained better though I realise the money doesn't directly go to the child - my Dh is concerned that the bulk of the money gets used for admin costs at some organisations ....

[luke's mummu]

If you look at their websites they all should tell you what % is used in admin costs. Definitely world vision does.

[erindiv]

I have only heard bad things about the amount of money that disappears into 'administration' in World Vision.

edit to add: There was a story on Foreign Correspondant about it ages ago, one of them had sponsored and child and was told she was learning English and so on. But when they visited her she had not been taught any English, and the only thing she knew of World Vision was that they had given her a pen or something.

Link: http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/World_Vision_FCPResponse.htm

This post has been edited by erindiv: 22/12/2012, 09:00 PM

[seepi]

They do have admin costs - every time you send a letter it has to be translated. Someone has to run the program. They have to have letterhead paper etc. I dont' think you can ever get away from having some admin costs.