What happens when I sign up to sponsor a child?
Funds raised for child sponsorship go to support the physical, emotional, and educational needs of all the children at the home.
You will receive a photo and story of your child in our Sponsorship Welcome Packet. We will include information about Kenya and the home where your child lives, along with the information about how we handle communication with your child. You will receive an annual progress report along with an updated photo of your child.
What does my sponsorship provide?
Your Complete Care sponsorship provides:
- A loving home where they will receive the nurturing and care they need to emotionally heal and thrive.
- A quality education through trade school, college or university
- Christ-centered discipleship
- Nutritious food and clean water
- Good healthcare and medicine as needed
Can I write to my sponsored child?
Once a year we have a postcard party in both homes. This note provides an opportunity for you to communicate with your child through a written word of encouragement. Be on the lookout for a postcard we will send to you. Please write a note on it to your child and include photos if you would like to. The kids love to see pictures of their extended families! When you return your postcard and snapshots to us, the party planning begins. The staff at Children of Hope® brainstorm to create a fun and memorable celebration for each of our homes. This party is a very precious time in the children’s lives as they receive these messages of affirmation from their family across the ocean.
Our unsponsored children will also receive a personal postcard written by a volunteer so that each child knows they are special, and equally loved and valued within our homes. Our children do not know if they are sponsored or not to promote fairness and a loving environment where all the children feel valued.
Can I visit my sponsored child?
You can join in on one of our mission trips and visit our homes and visit all our children, but we don’t arrange for individual trips for you to meet and spend time with your child. Contact us and let us know of your interest to join one of our mission trips.
Can I send other types of gifts?
Because our children live in complete care homes and function as families, the “aunties” and “uncles” handle the purchasing of gifts for the celebration of children’s birthdays and Christmas. It’s important for all the children to feel equally significant within the family, so we don’t want some kids to receive sponsors gifts and others not. As you can imagine, this could be hurtful to hearts of the children. For this reason, we don’t allow special presents from child sponsors. If you or a group you’re a part would like to do a project providing gifts for all the children, we would love to work with you on this type of project.
Can I share Children of Hope with my friends on Facebook?
Please do! We would love for you to inspire and inform your friends about Children of Hope®. An easy way to do this is through our Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/cohafrica/
How can I make a donation?
You can make a one-time or recurring donation directly on the donation page of our website
- Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover (For your convenience, we can automatically process your credit card donation each month.)
- Bank drafts: we can set up an electronic funds transfer from your checking account
- Checks* and recurring payments through online banking
*We do not send monthly statements or reminders to donors. Upon request, we are happy to send payment envelopes to help you remember to send your annual, quarterly, or monthly donations.
Do you take short or long term volunteers?
Currently we do not have a process for short or long term volunteers. We are open to speaking with you about the possibility of volunteering at one of our homes.
What is your overhead rate?
As a Christ-centered organization, we strive to be good stewards of the resources you entrust to us. We work diligently to keep our overhead low so the maximum amount of your donation can go toward helping the children in Kenya. Our overhead costs range from 10% – 13% on an annual basis. Each year Children of Hope participates in a financial audit with an outside CPA firm which helps us create our 990. Below are links to our three most recent 990s.
Will my sponsored child know who I am?
Sponsors are anonymous to our children. Our children do not know if they are sponsored or not to promote fairness and a loving environment where all the children feel valued.