We definitely want to make sure that the children in our program are writing to their sponsors. People have to decide for themselves. We want to ensure our sponsors are staying up to date with our program and with your children and we know not everyone uses email. For His glory. My sponsored little girl loves Jesus, and her family, and me! That sounds like someone would be getting the short end of the stick. Im so sorry to hear that your letters from him have been pretty similar and have not answered your questions :(. Please Google us and see what people are saying about us, check out what watchdog organizations say about us, read the third party research on the integrity and efficacy of our program, if you are able, visit your child and see where your money is going first hand. 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? [VIDEO]. I hope that it gives you some assurance in how much your letters mean to your kiddos and that they do receive them. Compassion ensures children are able to get an education, have medical care, nutrition, emotional support, discipleship, and the love and care of local believers. In March 2010 we also sponsor Daniela from Ecuador. Its been over five weeks. I pray that I can rectify this situation and help gain your trust back with some clarification on what happened. God bless! If you donate money at Christmas time, typically this goes into our Christmas fund. Im so sorry that we made you feel uncomfortable with this. I havent even thought about not trusting Compassion, somehow Ive always trusted God with this, but only God should get the credit for that. The rationale provided continues to promote doubt this is a scam as the response has a misspelled word. Fundraising Costs Ratio: 0.062 vs. 0.086 Thank you for blessing Leos family with a gift so they could purchase a chicken! Rather disappointing considering the amount of money I spend, the thought that goes into sending the packages, the hand-made items I come up with that can be sent. Out of concern I asked Compassion UK about her. On the Compassion web site, you can type letters to your sponsored kids and upload photos. I talk about some of the letter issues you mention in another blog post. However, what Josiane has said in her letter does not align with the information we have in her child profile. Program Output Ratio: 0.82 vs. 0.799 However, please know we take financial integrity very seriously to ensure we are caring for our beneficiaries the best we possibly can. It may seem far-fetched to our culture where time is so fixed, but it is reality for so many people! She is receiving your letters and your hand-made items. This was done just last month which is why you saw a letter in your My Account online so quickly and why it seemed odd with prior information you received. Starting to question the process. Absolutely. These leaders dont produce anything they simply administer the money that we the sponsors have given and thats worth up to half a million salary plus perks. (And for those of you who are wondering no, I dont work for Compassion. I have reduced the amount of mail that will be coming to your address. The easiest way to find an available child in the Philippines is on our website: https://www.compassion.com/. I wrote a letter to Compassion explaining I might not be able to continue because of medical expenses and such, but for now I would try to keep giving the 38.00 a month. Please know that it costs us very, very little to print most of our mailings because they are done in house. I know the Colorado Springs area well. Share it with her friends, etc. Does his sibling have special needs too? Current Assets Turnover Ratio: 4.916 vs. 5.376. Thank you again for your comment and for your heart for these children! I write my child often and have received photographs and wishes and prayers on occasion . And youre right, its a scanned copy! Two more will be out of the program in June, 2017. Why would it be dated March? If you have any additional questions or concerns, you are welcome to email us at [emailprotected]. It was true. Far removed from children I see stood against a tree, or up against a wall looking like theyre about to be shot. Charitable Services $899M. Our wonderful field staff there will confirm what her actual grade level is and why she may have said a different grade in her letter to you. Just wanted to send a hello and God bless message to him and his Garcia family and spirtual family over there. They expect the parents to make efforts too, not just sit at home and dream of a better life. Letter Writing GIF by Compassion. Yes, the top employees are paid a lot of money. In fact, weve been told that if an incoming ESOL student has a Jan 1, ______ birth date, we can expect that it was a child whose family didnt know the childs birthday at all. The customer service is available Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Letters are still taking up to two or three months to be processed and delivered, but they will bring such encouragement to your childrens lives when they do arrive. Other references: Internal and independent audits are regularly conducted for our offices in the field and here in Colorado Springs. So, while Givewell has some interesting ideas and Im excited to see what they do in the future, Im not sure theyre the one source Id currently use for choosing a charity. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns. Let me explain a little of how our program works so that you know where your letters and your mothers support is going. I never met my child. What would Jesus do? I can see a few different letters in the system that we are working to process for you as fast as we can. I asked for someone to call me so that I knew human was handling my issue..He stated that my child was a she when the child is a He. It is quite a joyous day when the letters arrive at the project and children wait expectantly to receive a letter. I called again today to inquire about my little Lydias letter, which has said in translation to me since 6-2. If yall are understaffed then you must be doing something wrong bc if its a blessing from God everyone would be satisfied. I just said a word of prayer for you and your family. This is common, especially in families with more than one child. Trying to invade these families with video chats etc would be very STRANGE on so many levels!!! Most worrying, it has not work for THEM. In our church, we also have a disabled child named Emilda Soriano, and she reached her dreams and changed her familys life through Compassion. Diane, at the time we had written this blog, 100% of your gift was going to your child. And thats okay. If you send a gift over $60, you will also receive a photo of your child (and sometimes a family member or entire family) with the items they purchased with your gift (livestock for example, or the clothes or food they purchased). They have strict guidelines on what they can and cannot do. 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. Other than that, I love Compassion and the children and what God is doing through both? Unlock your own 28-day journey to a more meaningful life. We do need an eight week notice before you plan to visit the child so that we can do a background check and coordinate with the childs center staff in planning the visit. I posted a link at the end of this comment for a blog post about this same issue. These peoples are very simple as is their LIVES. The other salaries are also disheartening. You are encouraging them in more ways than you know, and I pray that your open heart will help them begin to share more about themselves as well :). But in the future, youll see responses from him to the letters youve been writing. One way we have increased the speed of letters is by having the letters scanned and sent electronically between the United States and the countries we work in instead of air mailed. A year after the tragic deaths of four divers trapped in a Paria pipeline; their families . Shaina is a former team lead in the Compassion U.S. contact center. Thank you for sponsoring your sweet kiddo. This is from the time period of Jun 1, 2015 through June 30,2016. I have had the privilege and blessing of visiting 3 different Compassion projects in Ethiopia. I will pray that God leads me to another charity where my funds will used exclusively for the children. Since the person obviously chose to hide by not putting a name it causes me to wonder about legitimacy. We update each childs information and photo every two years, which means you can expect to receive that around November of this year. I agree with the concern for legitimacy of letters as Brian stated from November 2019. I really dont blame anyone for asking these questions. We certainly understand that when you give to a charity like Compassion, you expect transparency and honesty about finances. It will take them some time to iron out the kinks in the system although i keep hoping and praying they revert back to the old way. For those searchingI wouldnt tell anyone to cancel. However, the childs grade will change and if their performance changes, this is another update you will see to this section. I did notice that this was brought up by an external reviewer and Ill be interested to see how Givewell incorporates that feedback into their selection process. While we in the US might go several months without thinking of the Child outside that monthly credit card charge and thank Uncle Sam for the tax write-off but those children and their families are playing to God, speaking your name, thanking God for you, calling you mommy and/or daddy. We have been sponsoring children through Compassion since 2013. I have long wished for a letter from the project or the pastor of each child, every couple of years, giving an all-over update on how my kids are doing: spiritually, behaviorally (at the project, at school and at home), academically, and any other way that is significant in the childs life. What Does It Mean To Be "A Man After My Own Heart"? Thank you so much in advance. Hi Marci! This is useful if the letter is a scam as HMRC will have a record to refer to and flag up to others if necessary. If you have any further concerns about the letters, please send them to me personally and I would be happy to investigate further. He went on and on excitingly about all the miracles God delivers through that center and does for the children. Please let me know if you would like me to add you on our prayer list so that we can continue to intercede on your behalf. I am able to send inquiries when it has been longer than six months since you last heard from your children. Every financial process undergoes intensive and continual scrutiny to ensure that funds are properly received, tracked, and managed. In one letter the writer refers to the child as SHE and in the other letter as HE. It is just not priority in these culture and in fact, hear me, is foreign!!!!!! 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? You will also receive an updated photo of your child every two years as we know how much sponsors enjoy watching their children mature and grow. You indicated that the goal of the program included supporting the child until they are able to support themselves. I dont think your company realizes that if you guys sent more proof that the kids are receiving those handmade crafts and letters..I mean take a picture of the sponsored child the letter or gift received and a newspaper of the date.and that child should look exactly like the pictures you guys send us.. Something began to not seem right about it anymorewhich seems to be the common thought in this thread. The little girl I was to converse has written 3 letters over the last 2 years. Please know that our wonderful, loving tutors do their absolute best to help each and every child write to their sponsor and answer their questions. I am so sorry that you have doubts and you are disappointed with the letters from Amele. As Christians, we understand that every $38 we receive is really the Lords and He has called us to steward it wisely. It was at that time I never received another letter. Many sponsors and donors are itching for more ways to give and help people in need. I too was sceptical when I received my first generic letter from my sponsered child! Compassion International is a Christian child development organization working to release children from poverty in Jesus' name. Im so sorry that when you spoke with us, we referred to your child as a girl instead of a boy. Secondly, the letters I have recently received from my sponsored child are no longer being written by him. Go look at our financial records which are posted publicly on our website. Compassions bias to fund child development over maintaining a large asset balance impacted our rating. I can tell this it is a subject that is important to you. I have written 2 letters in a month at times and they are just backing up. -health care to prevent and fight disease and sickness It seems like shes never gotten any of the stuff I send. I had to sit down and share something with all of you two years ago I decided to sponsor a beautiful little girl in Honduras, who was then 8 years old. Now the doubt creeps in. Thats extremely hard on the kids. neat to see. I know it seems like a lot of money but when you book your flight in advance its incredibly cheaper. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention and for your patience as we work to resolve this situation for you so that you can continue building a relationship with Mesfin and better know how to talk to him in your letters. I work with nurses from other countries. Out of concern I asked Compassion UK about her. Youre both right. So our almost 6 year old is really almost a 10 year old??? or give you a full refund? Karen, we have run across more issues with the new letter translation and processing system than we had anticipated. It probably would have done more to convince me to stay, to see for myself, but it never happened. He may not have them with him when he writes back, so he may not remember the questions you have asked. I began to pray about it and eventually decided to end the sponsorship, as difficult as it felt. As an ESOL teacher (in the US), Ive also found that to be true. Here at Compassion, we are very passionate about ensuring we are. I am so sorry you have not been able to communicate with her! Were thrilled about this and I pray that you begin to find your questions being answered in future letters your child writes to you. Clean water is in the category of what we would call a Complimentary Intervention. 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? However, any letter you write online should automatically send a confirmation email with the text of your letter included as soon as you submit it. Im sorry if your kiddos dont answer your questions. Yes, the time frame is typically around forty-five days but we will let you know just as soon as we hear back. Hi Lynn, Some time later my now-husband raised the same concerns I had, without knowing mine. EG, I am so sorry that you have felt duped and have concerns about Compassions use of funds because of the salary our CEO makes per year. This is why after 20y of sponsoring with you, you were not able to follow-up nor contact me on my concerns regarding the child I sponsored (the letter translations became very brief, one of his letters informed me you do know I am disabled dont you? after 10years of sponsoring him)? I know they do some coaching with the little ones to thank you, etc but, that is okay. Thank you so much for the grace and patience you have extended to your Compassion family during this trying transition to our new letter system. That meant either my letters to them were not being properly translated to them, or those written back were being written by a person who had little knowledge of them and just filled in the space to make it sound good. The only thing Im struggling with now is that I have a sponsor child, Edith who I do not sponsor financially but through writing letters. Compassion is accredited with the Better Business Bureau and meets the 20 standards for charity accountability. This practice is part of the Pathway to Happiness Program Self-Compassionate Letter Stop beating yourself up for flaws and mistakes. Please know that while some people feel our CEO makes more than he should, our ministry is committed to the children we serve and your donations truly do make a difference. Letters as you might know can now be viewed straight from your My Account. 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. The Feed my children also sends out Gods message in addition to the meals. We want to ensure you feel strong in your faith with us so that you can continue sponsoring. I have received pictures, letters, and drawings from the girls telling me that they pray for me and the family also theyre both praying that one day I will be able to visit them. It use to not be that way as I had a conversation in my letters with one of my sponsors mother a couple years ago. I have sent numerous letters with pictures telling him about our family along with my children, husband and dogs names. Each country that we partner with has a maximum age that the children are able to attend the program and it varies per country. That being said, I understand how it may be unsettling when looking at the salaries of our upper management and board of directors. Did you receive these Christmas letters from Kayivi and Inoussa in February? However, there is a problem with how countries grade academic levels. 9.1 miles away from Compassion International. Dont get me wrong, it makes my day when they arrive and they are all over my refrigerator. Responsibilities. The letters are already sent, so I cant undo this; I dont want to cause him grief when the purpose of the sponsorship is to help and support. The Birthday gift I usually send around my sponsored childs birthday always arrives very late! "The HDSB has abdicated its responsibility by failing to put the interests and safety of students first" and they . Zero! You can also view them on our main website by selecting Where We Work and then selecting your childs country and region. Compassion International Engaged Employer Overview 412 Reviews 14 Jobs 339 Salaries 80 Interviews 189 Benefits 24 Photos 99 Diversity + Add a Review Compassion International Reviews Updated Feb 6, 2023 Find Reviews Clear All Full-time, Part-time English Filter Found 308 of over 412 reviews Sort Popular Popular COVID-19 Related Highest Rating Compassion calls this "child development through child sponsorship." We appreciate you and please let me know if I can assist you further! I love your comment Elizabeth and totally agree with you! That was so thoughtful of you and I want to encourage you that you can still send your children bookmarks, but they have to be made of paper and flat. For example, if your child lives with the same guardians during the duration of their time in the program, this will not be updated. Hi Rayshell, I always receive a picture of my child with her gift from the extra money I sent for birthdays. I am no longer interested in sponsoring this child after reviewing the site. You will be doing more good than you know. They get 100% of the donations we give through their sponsoring organization. But the children dont say things like, Plays well with others, or Please pray about behavioral issues, or is struggling, right now. Please let me know if you are still sponsoring and if there is any way that we can make this up to you. Or the executive who uses their frequent flier miles compliments of the folks who sponsor children to buy air line tickets for friends and family. It receives an A rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy and is listed as one of their top-rated charities. If you have, we will have to wait for it to be processed before we can cancel your sponsorship. At first the representative said there were computer issues but then seemed to indicate the child was already receiving aid or had previously. He did ask for a chicken but I have not heard if he got it. I had some of the same doubts as everyone that has posted. Hi Dotty! I was quite upset as one can imagine! 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. Im in the exact same position Lisa. My wife and I are traveling to the Philippines this year. The poor are, check out Charity Navigators review of Compassion. We're living in the Information Age, and we all know that information can be used for bad or good purposes. I hope this helps to clarify some of your questions. I also want to sincerely apologize as it sounds like this sponsorship and our mailings have increased the burden. I noticed you have started writing to Farel more often lately, which is great! I wondered how the childs health, provision, mental well-being, without a mother who was in hospital, was of no concern of Compassion UK? There is clearly something wrong somewhere. 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