Is Child Sponsorship the Best Way to Help Kids?
We usually see the problem, not the solution.
For decades, child sponsorship has been a go-to fundraising model for mission/service organizations working internationally, especially those serving vulnerable and “orphaned”* children.
It’s straightforward,
it’s simple,
and it’s effective.
We know—we used to run a child sponsorship program. So trust us, this isn’t an attempt to bash or judge those who do/did sponsor a child (I (Levi) used to sponsor a child and I’m sure many of you reading this have, or maybe your parents (like mine) also did).
We understand the love and deep desire to help behind this kind of monthly giving. We understand the desire to feel connected to a child and a ministry/organization and feel like you can see the tangible difference that YOU are making as a supporter.
We’re also not calling child sponsorship bad. (there’s a spectrum that goes from exploitative orphanages and perturbing, sensationalist images (very bad) to ethically solicited and shared images that prioritize the dignity of the beneficiary and their ability to live and grow in a family (not bad at all!).
Child sponsorship isn’t bad. It’s often well-executed and brings about lasting change in the people/communities that benefit from it.
We just think there’s something even better, which we’ll get to in a moment.
Now you might be thinking, “If child sponsorship can be great and is an effective model for raising funds to help kids, isn’t it doing what it’s supposed to?”
In terms of its most basic function—bringing in money—you’d be right.
However, in other ways child sponsorship can fail to achieve its primary objective: helping kids.
This controversial opinion has been around for quite some time (and far longer than we thought). Check out this article from 1982 that speaks to many of the pitfalls that child sponsorship can have.
The author makes some important points about the potentially divisive and competitive nature of this kind of model, as well as the vastness of what it sets out to achieve (something we’ve seen firsthand as well in our family preservation program): “Catapulting even one person out of poverty is a daunting task - especially on $20 a month.”
If you’ve been following us for a while you’ll know that we are constantly changing and adapting our programs as we get a deeper understanding of what the vulnerable children and families of Huehuetenango, Guatemala need.
We aim for our work to be sustainable, responsible, and transformative. Unfortunately, child sponsorship doesn’t always get the highest marks in these categories, so we’re opting for something we believe is even better.
Let me break down some of the shortcomings of child sponsorship in terms of the three criteria mentioned above.
Sustainability: Despite being a very simple way to bring in funds, it’s a LOT of work. From collecting the drawings and letters to translating them to getting updated photos to packing and mailing them, etc., child sponsorship is an administrative nightmare. All the time and money that goes into this is time and money NOT going into services and resources for these very kids.
Plus, with kids constantly entering and leaving the program/orphanage, having a donor bought into “Juanito” or “Maria” and not the services you’re providing is not a great model for donor retention, as that donor may stop giving once Juanito or Maria is no longer there.
Taken in tandem, you’ve got a one-two punch for a fundraising model that is a real headache to upkeep. Aka, not sustainable.
Responsibility: We believe that preserving the dignity of those we seek to help is not only important, it’s crucial to responsible (i.e., ethical) development work.
We rarely post public pictures with the families receiving our support services, preferring to send those directly to donors via mailings or emails. We’re careful to use photos with permission, as well.
In the age of social media, the last thing we want to do is post a non-anonymous picture or story of a family we serve knowing that their neighbors might see it. While we’ve sought to paint a dignified and hopeful picture of those we serve, child sponsorship often depends on a child’s need, challenges, and face being at the forefront of what a potential donor sees.
After all, if a child has a family and/or is not in need, why would they need a sponsor?
Also, as Peter Stalker noted in the article referenced earlier, there is something inherently divisive and competitive about this kind of model, as you certainly can’t run a sponsor program for EVERY child in need in most communities. Which means some benefit, while others don’t.
Imagine watching your friends with their new backpacks and new shoes sit down to read letters from their sponsors while you’ve been waiting months for a sponsor and are using a grocery bag to carry your books to school, barefoot.
The last thing these kids need is a glaring reminder of their circumstances compared to kids around them and those in more prosperous nations.
For those of us who’ve spent time in the developing world, it can be irksome to see the way that these nations can be portrayed by the media. Depictions of vulnerable children and families often underscore their vulnerability as an emotional plea to potential donors. We see pictures of dirt-floored huts, hungry people, flies, crying children, dirty water… you’ve probably seen this before in a commercial or targeted ad.
Oversimplifying the realities of poverty and orphanhood distorts our perception of these people, their lived realities, and how to alleviate their struggles in transformative ways. By focusing on how these countries and people are poor, destitute, and in desperate need of aid from foreign sponsors, we feed into a western savior complex and give an incomplete picture of countries that are beautiful, diverse, and usually far less destitute than we imagine.
Huehuetenango is FULL loving families and passionate Christians and professionals (and Christian professionals) who are working to serve the vulnerable in their communities.* Yet this isn’t usually what we see in commercials and ads seeking to raise funds.
We usually see the problem, not the solution.
*(Check out this video and this one to see the impact our team of passionate Guatemalans is having on their home community!)
Transformation: Transformative solutions are inherently sustainable and responsible. By aiming to address problems at the root, protect the dignity of the beneficiaries, and create lasting change, transformative programs are the kind that turn from ripples into waves over the years.
Oftentimes, especially when faced with a crisis, it can be easier to aim at short-term solutions. That’s how we ended up with an overabundance of orphanages and institutions around the world and a shortage of professionals, services, and funding directed at keeping kids in families.
While there are times for solutions aimed at urgent and immediate crises, when that happens for decades (or in the case of orphanages, centuries), the need for solutions that address the root of the problem becomes more necessary than ever.
(This is especially true for sponsored “orphans”)
Child sponsorship for orphanages and institutions can subconsciously (or sadly, at times, consciously) de-incentivize finding solutions to their “orphanhood”, because as mentioned in the sustainability section, children leaving the program/institution can also mean funds leaving as well.
Raising kids in institutionalized care is costly, largely due to staffing and upkeep costs for facilities. In fact, one study noted that it can be close to 8 times MORE expensive than family preservation services.
So, what’s the solution?
Sponsorship itself isn’t a problem. In fact, any model of recurring monthly gifts is hugely beneficial to non-profits, as it provides a calculable and consistent total from which they can plan appropriately for their staffing, programs, and services.
How can we help bring about sustainable, responsible, transformative change?
Here’s our answer:
Staff sponsorship.
Let me explain how that better aligns with our goals of sustainability, responsibility, and transformation.
Sustainability: When you sponsor a staff member, you are making an investment in the future of the community. Whereas children often age out or leave sponsorship programs, staff can be around for decades.
This allows for these staff members to continue to grow in their skills and abilities as they spend year after year in their roles. Sponsorship helps us to continue to pay a competitive wage (with benefits and bonuses), and retain staff members long-term.
Staff sponsorship is also much less work for the administrative team, as there isn’t such a massive amount of turnover to deal with. Teams like ours tend to be smaller, as usually one social worker or psychologist can serve numerous families.
Currently, we have 16 Guatemalan staff working on our team in Huehuetenango. So managing the sponsorship program is much more, well, manageable (disclaimer: still working out details for what digital updates from/on sponsored staff members should look like!)
Responsibility: Staff sponsorship does a few things particularly well when compared to child sponsorship that make it a more dignifying and ethical model, we think.
First off, it keeps the stories of those in need anonymous, and instead tells the stories of changemakers who’re investing in their communities.
By choosing this narrative, we’re focusing on dignity and empowerment while also presenting a more accurate picture of places like Guatemala that yes, have need, but also ALREADY have passionate people working to meet those needs.
If we want to eliminate problematic perspectives like American/western exceptionalism and western saviorism, then presenting a more balanced view of the developing world is an ethical responsibility.
As mentioned earlier, staff sponsorship also eliminates some of the comparison, feelings of inferiority, competition, and division that can arise when some benefit and others don’t, or when some benefit more than others.
Transformation: By investing in staff members you’re literally investing those who live and serve the most vulnerable in their communities, and in so doing, show them the value and importance of their work.
In many contexts where there isn’t much government or local financial aid provided to non profits or where problems can feel insurmountably large, having people around the world investing in them and their work can be a big encouragement (In one of the videos linked above you can see one of our staff members describe the joint effort of the government, Story Intl’s team, the donors, and foster families working together to show kids that they matter).
Simply put, an investment in local professionals on the ground is an investment in the long-term solution (in our case, skilled Guatemalan social workers and psychologists who believe that FAMILY should be the answer for every child in crisis) to the struggles facing that community.
They can pay it forward, too - last year our staff was able to educate ~140 local university students studying social work and psychology about how they can better serve and advocate for vulnerable children and families in Huehuetenango.
How’s that for a transformational investment?
We believe that our financial partners are just as much a part of this work as our social workers and psychologists Want to partner with our team on the ground to help create lasting change in the community of Huehuetenango? Sign up today to sponsor one of the dedicated professionals on our team fighting to make FAMILY and HOME realities for the most vulnerable in Huehuetenango.
*Note: When you sponsor a staff member, these funds come in as an unrestricted donation - meaning it actually benefits the WHOLE team. However, you can imagine that your gift is essentially helping offset that staff member’s salary, freeing up funds to use for other staff, programs, services, etc. You can also expect occasional updates on the staff member you’re supporting and how they’re learning and growing and impacting lives! Feel free to contact us if you have questions about this!