Thanks for posting this!  I was wondering this myself and have been asked this question when volunteering at Compassion tables, etc.

Beth

I was wondering that same thing myself. So thanks for posting this! My husband (Jason—he’s a regular commenter here) and I have sponsored (past tense) children through World Vision before ... and we’d really like to get into sponsoring at least one child again. Compassion is something we’ve been considering ... because we like that we’d be DIRECTLY helping a child through this ministry. Now we just need to quit being so lazy and sign up lol

I did like World Vision ... it does do very good work. I just like knowing that when I’m sponsoring and praying for a child that the money we’re sending is actually helping that specific child/family intended for.

Well said Shaun! I sometimes forget what a non-programmatic, succinct answer sounds like. You should work for Compassion. Oh wait…

Great explanation. We sponsor two children—one through Compassion, one through World Vision—and your descriptions are spot-on, in my personal experience.

I should add—though World Vision’s sponsorship money may be spent differently, the child I sponsor through World Vision is still personal. We write him letters, he writes back, etc. It’s a one-on-one thing. Someone correct me if I’m wrong here.

THANK YOU for writing this, this is a question that has been rattling around in my brain =)

Shaun--Thanks for this post.  We’ve been wondering what the difference is as well.  I’m glad both groups fill different needs, and there are certainly plenty of needs…

Thanks, Shaun. It’s exactly what I wanted to know. And thank you, Kelly, for further clarifying, because I have gotten letters from my World Vision child.

I’ve sponsored a child through Food for the Hungry for the past 10 years (my first child is no longer with the program, so they assigned a new one). FH doesn’t give sponsorship money directly to the child or family either because their goal is to develop communities as well as families. I would hate to think that anyone would stop sponsoring with World Vision, FH, or another agency for this reason, though! I think Compassion is a wonderful organization and would like to start sponsoring through them as well. I definitely agree with this:

“We’re different but all on the same team against a common enemy.”

I’ve been following your blog since the Uganda trip and really enjoy your posts!
I have also been thinking about sponsoring a child for some time now, but was still unclear about the differences and if one did a “better” job.
Thank you for clarifying the differences(not weaknesses) of each.
I’m comitting to pick my child this week!!

I too, have been sponsoring a child through World Vision, and we receive letters and photos regularly.  It’s not to say that I think WV is the be-all and end-all.  If I had to do it over and had the information you just presented, I would choose Compassion, to be honest.  But I just wanted to make sure the truth is out there.

Thanks, I’ve learned about Compassion International from boomama and now you, but have been a WV sponsor and fan for years. I would also add that WV sponsorship is a very direct, personal connection to one child, and while I haven’t made it to Africa, folks in my church have done just as you say - gotten on a plane flown there, and met THEIR children. The way I’ve heard it explained goes along with your distinction of the philosophies of the orgs - WV said that providing too much direct support to one or a few sponsored kids in a community in which they are doing community development can provide hard feelings amongst kids and families (why him/her and not me or my kid?), so they do spread sponsorship around a village, say, to help prevent that. However, I can also direct special gifts to my sponsor kiddos families alone, should I choose too. Your Uganda trip sounded beyond amazing, and both orgs, as you say, have PLENTY to do with all of our support!

Thanks for this clarification, Shaun!  This is great!  But I will kindly differ on one point—World Vision *does* assign specific children to sponsors.  My husband and I work for a band partnered with WV; two years ago, we traveled to Kenya and several band members were able to meet their children.  Even now, our own little ones write to and draw pictures for their adopted brother and we receive quarterly updates from him as well.  I know there are “general sponsorships” available through WV and the gift catalog programs (through which you can buy a goat or cow or water well for a family or village), but there are child-specific sponsorships available as well.
*Thank you* for the work you do through Compassion—Uganda was awe-inspiring viewed from my laptop; thank you (and your fellow travelers) for bringing the faces home for us.  It is mind-blowing to think how many children will know His “hope and a future” because each of you committed to introducing us to them.  Thank you!

The difference between the WV sponsored child relationship and the CI sponsored child relationship is not necessarily in the letters or drawings a sponsor receives or the ability to visit the child but rather how the monthly financial support is used.

Chris, do you think that was clear in my post or do I need to edit for clarity?

It’s definitely clear. I made my comment because I simply wanted to emphasize the point.

Sarah, Tara and Amy commented on the relational aspect of WV sponsorship, and they are correct and accurate in what they said, but for me, I value not only the relational aspect of the communication but the relational aspect of knowing that my money helps my sponsored child directly and specifically. It strengthens the bond I feel. It makes me feel that I’m more intimately involved in his life.

There isn’t a right or wrong way in how these organizations work; however, comparing Compassion and WV is not comparing apples to apples. It’s Compassion’s apple to WV’s orange They’re both fruit (i.e., offer child sponsorship), but they nourish the person differently.

Winky is supposed to be after orange. DOH! Not in the middle of child sponsorship.

Hello Shaun and all who have posted here. As you noted, someone from World Vision was bound to read the post and that person would be me. My name is Jenny and I actually head up the Artist Associates program for World Vision. Since you asked to be corrected if anything was misrepresented, I thought I would jump in here and bring some clarification to your overview of the differences between World Vision and Compassion. (Shaun – might be good to pass this on to whoever provided the information to you about World Vision.)

Working through the local church: Actually, World Vision does work with local churches whenever possible. In fact, during our first three decades in ministry, we worked primarily through churches. Because of the doors that God has opened in communities and countries where Christian churches don’t exist, World Vision continues to go in the name of Christ, demonstrating His hope through life, word and deed.

We also work to connect churches here in the U.S. with churches overseas to create community partnerships, so that Christians on both sides of the world are involved in supporting and praying for each other.

U.S. Government Funding: World Vision does receive government grants and funds, but in no way does that prevent us from doing work as a Christian organization. In fact, it provides a tremendous opportunity to leverage funds for the most impact in serving the poor, so that 86% of our income is directed toward helping children, families and communities. While public funding cannot be used to pay for specifically “religious” work, we receive significant private funding that supports these efforts.

Child Sponsorship: Although several people have already mentioned that World Vision child sponsorship is actually sponsorship of a unique child, I feel compelled to shed more light on this subject. I am especially passionate about this since I have personally met one of my sponsored children who lives in Lesotho, Africa. I had the honor of sharing a picnic lunch with Ramonne and his sister and being able to put my arms around this shy and beautiful boy. Any one who has had the opportunity to meet their sponsored child knows it changes your life forever.

In reality, the money I give to World Vision has a direct and meaningful impact on Ramonne’s life.  It ensures that he has access to things like school, food, clean water, medicine, education on how to avoid HIV and AIDs, and other issues affecting his community. The difference with World Vision is that not only am I helping him, I am helping his entire family and his community. Ultimately, by addressing the broader community issues and needs – the root causes of poverty - the time will come when Ramonne and his family will likely no longer need my assistance. They will be able to follow a new path toward life in all its fullness with the knowledge and understanding that our work was motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ.

In the end, World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization with child-focused community development at the core of its ministry.

I hope this will help clarify the distinctions between World Vision and Compassion. As Paul reminds us in his first letter to the Corinthians, we are all one body with many members and God has set each member as He pleases (Jenny’s paraphrase.) In light of this conversation, I believe the most important question any of us can ask is: “Lord, you call me to serve the poor. Am I doing all that you desire for me to do?” If your answer to the question is no, Shaun or I can offer you some options to change that.

Great explanation. We sponsor two children. One through Compassion one through World Vision and your descriptions are spot-on in my personal experience.

The most urgent needs of the people are shelter, food, water, and medical supplies.This will be an ongoing project as the country struggles to recover.

I am a compassion advocate, and heard a WV presentation this weekend at a camp and went and talked to the guy at the wv table. he was awesome about describing the difference between wv and compassion. i really feel that both aspects are needed in alleviating and erasing poverty. The wv guy described the work of wv in reaching people with the gospel as “friendship evangelism.” im not sure exactly what that entails, but wv is reaching people with the gospel who would not otherwise hear it because of legfal restriction. As a compassion advocate, I very much honor compassions practice of working only in countries where christianity is legal. However, that doesn’t mean that other organizations should not try where we can not. The fruit on the trees, both are fruitful. Testing of the spirits- both are serving the least of these in the name of Jesus.
It’s good to know what your sponsorship looks like, but withg these two organizations, I would say have no fear. (some others...eh but im not going there !!! lol)
Advocating Christ!
-Mandy
ps- my views dont necessarily reflect the views of anyone else at compassion, but i think a general consensus about true and pure religion is somewhere included in that...

Agreed, Mandy.

And, to clarify...vaguely, so as not to get myself or anyone into trouble: Compassion does not sponsor children in “closed” countries but that doesn’t mean Compassion isn’t doing something in those countries.