Child Sponsorship: Your Ongoing Support with Save the Children Changes Lives
Wondering “what is child sponsorship?” You’re in the right place. Save the Children pioneered child sponsorship in the early 1900s, and has since helped bring education, protection and safety to more than 1 billion children worldwide.
Today, we live in a different world.
At Save the Children, we strive to innovate and adapt our programs to meet the changing needs of today’s children. That’s why in 2020, we undertook a multi-year global review of our child sponsorship programs, asking for input from communities, our country offices, program leaders and, most importantly, the children themselves.
And while the ability to sponsor a child has allowed our donors to support programs in 22 countries, we’ve found that sponsorship programming is no longer maximizing our potential for children—or supporters.
Save the Children has found that the most effective way to support children in a community is through sustainable solutions designed to help them all. A community-led approach, guided by those closest to the challenges enables us to create lasting, positive change together.
If you want to sponsor a child in need , our programs are designed to help multiple children, families and communities wherever the need is greatest. So, you can rest assured that you’re giving to an organization that addresses children’s needs holistically, partnering with communities, local organizations and families to adapt as those needs change. Just like before, your gifts will be combined with those of other generous supporters to benefit all children.
Top 4 Questions About Child Sponsorship
In the past, our child sponsorship program allowed donors to give ongoing support, exchange letters with individual children, and in some cases, even visit the country or community to see the impact of their support firsthand. While this model fostered meaningful connections over the years, we found that it unintentionally created disparities between sponsored and non-sponsored children in the same community, and between those who received gifts and letters and those who didn’t—leaving many kids feeling disappointed and left out. We also discovered that child sponsorship lacked the flexibility to support children and families displaced by extreme weather events or conflict, among others.
In response, Save the Children will no longer offer supporters the option to sponsor individual children. If you currently sponsor a child or have been wanting to sponsor a child in need —please know that our commitment to children and the communities we work with is unwavering. Here are the top four questions donors have been asking about the Save the Children sponsor a child program:
What is child sponsorship?
Many charities offer the ability to sponsor individual children and the opportunity to keep in touch with them. Typically, supporters’ gifts don’t go directly to the child’s family, but contributions are combined with those of other donors to help create opportunities for children, families and entire communities.
Save the Children –a pioneer of child sponsorship over a century ago and one of the most highly regarded charities in the world with top charity ratings today– is transitioning to a more flexible fundraising approach that will meet the most urgent needs of children and communities, ensure the sustainability of our programs and maximize the impact of every donation. By making this change, we hope all the children in the communities we work with will feel more included and engaged in our programs. In every decision we make, we have children’s and communities’ best interests at heart and remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring all children can grow up healthy, educated and safe.
Can I become a child sponsor through Save the Children?
As the world changes, so do the needs of children. That is why Save the Children must continuously innovate and adapt —as we have for the past century— to ensure we can support children when and where they need us most.
As a monthly supporter of Save the Children, your contributions will enable us to address immediate and ongoing needs of children and the communities where they live. Instead of sponsoring an individual child, this approach will enable us to extend the impact of every dollar donated, significantly reducing administrative costs, and ultimately spending more time and funds directly on our programs. With this change, we seek to create the best possible experience for children in our programs, allocating resources as effectively and efficiently as possible in partnership with supporters like you and the communities we work with in the U.S. and around the world.
I’m currently sponsoring a child – what’s changing?
As our world changes due to factors like the climate crisis, conflict and growing inequality, the needs of the children, families and communities change too. That’s why we consistently transform the way we work, innovating and adapting our programs to ensure the best and most inclusive experience possible for all children in the communities where we operate. Save the Children pioneered child sponsorship in the early 1900s. Over 100 years later, we’re evolving to meet today’s challenges. Our child sponsorship donors can expect to hear directly about program changes from our CEO in the coming months and learn more about how their impact will grow in 2025.
Is Save the Children’s sponsorship program leaving certain countries or communities?
Save the Children establishes long-term commitments with children and communities, and we work collectively to develop and deliver successful programs that achieve lasting results. We transition out of sponsorship communities once we can ensure that their members are equipped and empowered to independently continue the progress we have made together for children. This allows us to keep reaching more children while ensuring that what we’ve achieved in partnership with the community is sustainable. The only time we make an exception is when there is a significant safety risk for children, communities or staff.
A 12-year old girl smiles while standing in the crop field at her family’s farm in drought-affected East Sumba, Indonesia.
Monthly Giving: An Alternative to Child Sponsorship
One of the most effective ways to support our work and help children today is by becoming a monthly donor through our monthly giving program, Team Tomorrow. If you are currently supporting us monthly through our child sponsorship program, rest assured, there’s no action required on your part. Your donor experience will seamlessly transition to our Team Tomorrow program and we’ll keep you informed about the change. With your generous, ongoing commitment, we can direct more money toward programs by decreasing administrative costs and providing greater flexibility for funding to reach children most in need. Your consistent contribution also helps our program teams to better forecast and plan for the future.
Our recurring giving program allows supporters to choose an issue impacting children that matters most to them —such as the climate crisis, conflict, inequality and poverty in the U.S. Supporters receive regular updates on how their giving is helping create positive change for children. You’ll hear from children, community leaders, teachers, parents, Save the Children staff and partner organizations. We’re also working to provide more opportunities for meaningful connections, including webinars, online program visits, focus groups and advocacy engagement. It’s an exciting time to be a member of Team Tomorrow!
Save the Children is proud to be consistently recognized as one of the most highly regarded charities in the world by top charity ratings. If you have questions about our recurring giving program, Team Tomorrow, or the changes happening to child sponsorship, call 1-844-977-6676, Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (EST) or email [email protected].
What is the best way to support a child in need?
If you’re wondering what’s the best way to support children, become a monthly donor with Save the Children. In rural America, 1 in 5 children are living in poverty. Globally, 473 million children are living in areas affected by armed conflict. Today’s children will experience more frequent extreme weather events than any other generation due to the effects of the climate crisis. And around the world, kids continue to face challenges due to factors like gender, religion, race or simply where they live.
Giving monthly is one of the most effective ways to make a difference. When we can count on your monthly gift, we can act quickly when an emergency hits to provide effective and timely disaster relief. Plus, monthly giving is easy and convenient for you, and don’t forget that your donation is tax-deductible. Just choose your gift amount, enter your billing information and you’ll be all set—knowing that your donation will help create positive change to give children the future they deserve.
Through our work in over 100 countries, Save the Children supports kids and families with what they need most. From creating child-friendly spaces in shelters and camps, to providing life-saving immunizations and a healthy start for newborns, to ensuring access to education, safety and protection— we’re there for children, their families and entire communities, every day and in times of crisis.
As a monthly donor, you can help make incredible impact for children. Here are some examples of how your donation can make a big difference:
- $25 - can provide enough food to keep one child from going hungry for a month
- $35 - can ensure one child participates in our home-based early learning program for a year
- $50 - can supply a home water filter so girls can spend their days in school instead of fetching water
As a monthly donor, you’re part of a passionate and dedicated community of supporters. When you join Save the Children, you’ll receive digital and print communications introducing you to the children and communities you help support. You’ll also get ongoing updates about the issues you care about most, hearing directly from the children and communities we’re working with to build a better tomorrow. Additionally, you’ll have access to an easy-to-use, personalized online account, which will be periodically updated with photos, videos and program information and where you can edit your personal details and make changes to your gift.
Become a monthly donor. Join Team Tomorrow today.