How you can help - FAQs

A. Each month your contribution works to benefit your sponsored child or aging person at the CFCA project serving your friend. The manner in which the money is used (education, nutrition, clothing, shelter, medical care) is decided by the project coordinators according to the family's needs.

Your sponsorship contribution is sent to the CFCA project office at your child's or aging friend's location to provide benefits such as schooling, health care, nutrition, recreation, spiritual development, and in some cases monitored, direct family assistance. Unmonitored cash handouts can cause jealousy and infighting within the community. Therefore, cash handouts are generally not supported by CFCA. Experience tells us it is better to work with programs designed to translate funds into services and benefits for sponsored individuals and their families. Benefits vary depending on location, project focus and needs of the family. CFCA encourages maximum participation by families in the design of benefits.

A. CFCA currently uses $3.06 of  your monthly sponsorship contribution for overhead costs in the U.S. Please review our accountability information and our annual Stewardship Report for more information about CFCA's stewardship of your contributions.

A. We encourage you, if possible, to visit your sponsored friend and experience the culture in person by participating in our mission awareness trips. Sponsors have found such visits both reassuring and heartwarming.

A. A natural outgrowth of sponsorship is the desire to send your sponsored friend a gift. Unfortunately, packages are subject to high customs duties and are easily lost or stolen. If they do arrive intact, they may cause discord within the community when one family receives more than another.

If you wish to mail your sponsored friend a gift of your own choosing, we suggest something simple and lightweight such as pencils, markers, coloring books, picture books, hair ribbons, a T-shirt, postcards or photos.

Please be sure what you send:
1. Fits in an envelope 9 by 12 inches or smaller. Bubble-lined envelopes are best.
2. Weighs less than 1 pound.

3. Measures less than 1 inch thick.

Note: Please do not send boxes or bulky envelopes, either to CFCA Kansas City or directly to the project. The country of destination charges a customs fee for all incoming items over one pound, and this can be cost prohibitive.

Questions? Call CFCA Sponsor Services toll-free at (800) 875-6564 or in the Kansas City area at (913) 384-6500.

A. You may make an additional contribution through CFCA for birthday and/or Christmas celebrations. Please keep in mind that some cultures do not celebrate birthdays as we do. Your gift will be sent in its entirety to the projects CFCA serves. A community-wide celebration will be held with appropriate gifts for all sponsored children and the aging.

A. CFCA is a 501(c)(3) organization, and your contributions are U.S. tax deductible. We can provide copies of receipts for tax purposes and, if necessary, a copy of CFCA's determination letter from the IRS.