Child Sponsorship

[de_LICA_ish18]

I've been thinking of doing it but am wary of some organisations. I've also wondered how it affects the child long term...do they become charity dependent later in life? does it really make a difference?

Has anyone done it? What are the good organisation to go thru and which should I stay away from?

 

[BomberGal]

World Vision stuffed me around big time. After me giving them my bank details, and me assuming the payments were going from my account (hadn't really checked), after a few months I got a letter saying I hadn't paid, and that they had the wrong bank details. Well, on checking these bank details, I can only find them to be correct. So I tell them this.

Three months later - my old housemates get a call to say that they'd be cancelling my sponsorship because I still hadn't paid.

I don't know what they're doing, but I sure as hell cannot afford the now 7 months worth of sponsorship all in one hit. And I can't do anything about it if they're telling me they've got the wrong details, when they don't.

It was a nice idea, but really...find someone other than World Vision.

 

[Mr Eagle]

Take a look around the net, you will find some sites that analyse what proportion of major charities' fundraising goes into admin costs v actual spending on the needy.

 

[bradrowe#32]

Take a look around the net, you will find some sites that analyse what proportion of major charities' fundraising goes into admin costs v actual spending on the needy.

Yes, that is a concern. I find that they all do so much advertising. I wonder how much money that takes from the people that need it.

Of every dollar you donate to World Vision, $0.84.1 goes to the people. This is a pretty good site to compate charities: http://www.charitablechoices.org

I signed up with World Vision about 4 years ago (big hello to Happy from Tanzania). The money doesn't actually go to the kid, but rather, it goes to the community. I guess the kid just attaches a face to the statistics.

Unfortunately, I had to drop my sponsorship (went from full time work to uni). Interestingly, World Vision sent me a letter saying that they will keep sponsoring the kid. So in theory, you could sign up someone, then drop them a few months later and they would be paid for.