Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Gifts of Compassion donations are tax-deductible. A charitable tax receipt for all donations made in a calendar year (excluding donations made through Text to Give or an online fundraiser, which are receipted separately) will be issued no later than February 28th of the following year.

Funds raised from the Gifts of Compassion catalogue are used to support Compassion’s Response Programs. Should excess funds be raised in a particular area, we will meet other urgent needs as they arise.

While gifts can be ordered year-round, if you require gift cards for Christmas, we recommend you make your order by December 15th. Digital versions of the cards tied to each gift are available at any time for download through the website. Please allow at least 10 business days for your card to arrive.

No. The Canada Revenue Agency states that we must receipt the person that gave the donation.

You are a valued part of this ministry, and the relationship you have with your sponsored child is cherished. However, we understand there may be circumstances that prevent you from continuing your sponsorship and we are here to serve you.

To cancel your sponsorship or to learn more regarding some financial options that may allow you to continue your relationship with your sponsored child, please email us at info@compassion.ca or call us at 1-800-563-5437.

Once you have signed into your My Compassion account, hover over your name in the top right corner. Select “Tax Receipts” from the dropdown menu options. Scroll down to see your available tax receipts and choose “Download” next to the receipt you’d like to view.

To graduate from Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program, sponsored children need to have at least completed primary school, a vocational training course and possibly secondary education as well. The expected age at which children may complete the program varies from country to country depending on the education system, but will be between 16 years and 22 years. A child may leave the program earlier if their family moves from the area, if the home situation improves, or if the family chooses to withdraw their child from the program. Every teenager with Compassion has a plan for their future, including their likely date for finishing the program. You are welcome to write to your older sponsored child asking about what is contained in their copy of ‘My Plan for Tomorrow’.

For more details on the process, check out this article: When do you graduate from Compassion’s program? 

Due to the limitations of customs regulations, only paper items can be sent to sponsored children. Items made of paper up to 8.5″ by 11″ and up to .25″ thick can be sent on. Compassion cannot send on or return items that do not fall within these guidelines. If you would like to bless your child in other ways, please send a financial gift, which your child can use to purchase something they really need. Your money will go a lot further in the countries where we work and it will help stimulate the local economy.

Examples of what you can send in the mail include: photos, greeting cards, stickers, bookmarks, postcards, colouring pages, booklets, small calendars, scripture cards, decorative writing paper, paper dolls, and paper planes.

Items which we cannot send include: pencils, crayons, balloons, gum, jewelry, candy, magnets, clothes, toys, seeds, etc.

You can change your credit card information through your My Compassion account or by calling our office. Thank you for supporting Compassion.

Yes, it is possible for a group to sponsor one child. We have a few options to make donations simpler.

Depending on donation preferences and the group type, there may be different options for how this is set up. Please contact our office to walk through the sponsorship set-up for groups.

For each gift you order, you will receive a gift card for you to personalize for your friends and loved ones that explains how the gift you have purchased will benefit an individual or family living in poverty.

In the event a sponsor misses a monthly donation, Compassion has a fund that covers the sponsorship cost. We realize that credit card changes and other financial complications are an inconvenient reality for many of us. Our goal is to ensure children receive the same benefits and attend the program as usual while we try to contact the sponsor to resolve the missed donation. Please note, Compassion cannot cover a sponsorship indefinitely and if we were unable to contact the current sponsor, we would have to find a new sponsor for the child.

You can update your financial information through our secure website.

Communication within many of the countries where we work can be extremely slow. All letters to and from the children can take two to four months to arrive. They are couriered to the Compassion office in each country where they are translated. As projects are often very remote, the head office will wait until they have received a reasonable number of letters before they are delivered to a particular project. A member of staff will then hand deliver them as mail systems can be very erratic and unreliable. Many sponsored children do not have a postal address in the way that we do in Canada. Please be assured that we will do our best to make sure that your letter will arrive as soon as possible. The exchange of letters is a crucial element of sponsorship and it is an area we are constantly working to improve.

Check out this detailed description of the letter writing process in Ghana.

Follow a letter from a sponsored child in Guatemala to her sponsor.

Sponsorship costs $49 CAD per month per sponsored child. Sponsorship provides children with different learning opportunities, healthcare and social activities, including:

• Christian Teaching & Discipleship
• Bibles
• Access to Education & Literacy Training
• School Supplies
• Regular Health Checkups & Hygiene Supplies
• Dental Screenings
• Life Skills Training
• Vocational Training
• Nutritional Supplements
• Education on Proper Nutrition

Compassion’s local church partners tailor the program to address the specific needs of their communities to ensure that children have the greatest opportunity to reach their God-given potential.Together, you and the church are ensuring that the gospel is shared, people are discipled, lives are changed, communities are transformed and poverty ends

Children love receiving letters from their sponsors, but we realize some people aren’t sure what to write to a child they’ve never met. Your letters don’t need to be long to make a huge impact. Knowing that someone cares and is thinking about them will encourage your Compassion child.

Here are some helpful ideas:

Things to share:

• Family, friends, and pets (whatever you’re comfortable with)
• Hobbies or favourite activities
• Bible verses and prayer requests
• Local holidays and special traditions
• Words of encouragement

Things to ask:

• Family and friends (ages and names)
• Favourite activities at school, church and the Compassion centre
• Their country, town or community and its local traditions
• What they hope to be when they grow up

More ideas:

• 80 letter-writing ideas

Children treasure your letters, so we hope you will write one today. Writing from your My Compassion account is convenient and easy.

You can send a family gift of $40-$1,200 CAD up to two times per year (gift limit is cumulative). You can specify that your sponsored child’s family use your gift for livestock by simply asking us to attach a Gift Instruction to your gift. However, the family is free to use the gift for their greatest need. The centre staff will talk with the child and family to help them to spend your gift in the wisest way, with the best long-term improvement for the family. You can send a family gift through your My Compassion account or by calling our office.

Read more about how impactful the gift of livestock can be!

You can send a family gift of $40-$1,200 CAD up to two times per year (gift limit is cumulative). The centre staff will talk with the child and family to help them to spend your gift in the wisest way.

To send a gift online through your My Compassion account click here or contact us for more information.

You can send a family gift online through your My Compassion account or by contacting our office directly. You can send a family gift of $40-$1,200 CAD up to two times per year (gift limit is cumulative). Families often use gifts to buy livestock, items to repair the home, food, clothing, or bedding. Your financial gift to your sponsored child is greatly appreciated as it brings joy and help to ease the struggles of poverty.

You can send a child gift online or by calling our office. Child gifts, including birthday gifts, can be between $15 and $150 CAD. Your financial gift to your sponsored child is greatly appreciated as it brings joy and help to ease the struggles of poverty.

You can send a birthday gift online or by contacting our office. Birthday gifts can be between $15 and $150 CAD. Your financial gift to your sponsored child is greatly appreciated as it brings joy and help to ease the struggles of poverty.