Sponsorship FAQ's
About Child Sponsorships
What are Child Sponsorships?
What benefits does my Spark Child receive?
What benefits do I receive as a Spark Child Sponsor?
How long do Child Sponsorships last?
How are Spark Children chosen for the Child Sponsorship program?
Am I my Spark Child's only sponsor?
Becoming a Child Sponsor
How much does a Child Sponsorship cost?
How do I pay for my Child Sponsorship?
What happens after I sign up to sponsor a child?
Communicating with My Spark Child
How do I send letters to my Spark Child?
How often will I receive letters from my Spark Child?
What should I write to my Spark Child?
Can I send a gift to my Spark Child or his/her family?
Other
Can I visit my Spark Child?
Child Sponsorships are a way for Spark investors like you to connect firsthand with the children that our global partnerships serve while providing the reliable support that these children and the organizations need. By investing in a Spark Child, you give one of the world's poorest children the opportunity to achieve their potential by helping to provide basic needs and emotional support.
What benefits does my Spark Child receive?
When you sponsor a child at Hope Community School, you guarantee that your Spark Child will receive the following benefits:
- Basic needs, including clean water and nutritious meals year round
- Education, including guaranteed primary education at Hope Community School and all necessary supplies
- Health care, including two medical check-ups per year and treatments as needed
- Emotional support that comes from the correspondence with sponsors
When you sponsor a child at Hope House (orphanage), you guarantee that in addition to the above benefits, your Spark Child will also benefit from:
- A home in the newly built Hope House
- A stable, supportive family of house siblings and two full-time house mothers
- Guaranteed secondary education
What benefits do I receive as a Spark Child Sponsor?
As a Spark Child Sponsor, every year you will receive:
- Child Profile—Updated photo and profile of your Spark child
- Letters—Two letters from your Spark child and chances to respond
- Updates – Important updates on Spark and its partners, including Spark's Annual Report, bi-annual updates from your Spark Child's program and other important program updates
How long do Child Sponsorships last?
Child sponsorship are intended to last through the child's last year in high school. We understand that Spark Child Sponsors can face unexpected changes in their circumstances, and if you ever need to cancel your sponsorship, we understand and would be happy to help you if you contact our Program Director, Joann Chen.
Similarly, because the children that we and our Partners serve face the instability inherent in poverty, some students transfer to other schools, move away to different towns or leave the program for other reasons before they complete high school. Spark and its Partners try to mitigate this instability as much as possible through support of the children and their families, but if your Spark Child should leave the program, Spark will contact you to let you know as soon as possible.
How are Spark Children chosen for the Child Sponsorship program?
All of the children who are currently enrolled in Hope Community School or live at Hope House are in the Child Sponsorship program and are thus either sponsored or waiting to be sponsored. If a child or his/her family requests for the child to be taken out of the program, Spark and its Partners immediately comply.
Am I my Spark Child's only sponsor?
Yes, each Spark Child has only one sponsor, and you are able to develop your relationship through letters. Click here to learn more about corresponding to your Spark Child.
How much does a Child Sponsorship cost?
Child Sponsorships cost $25/month for children at Hope Community School and $50/month for children at Hope House. Sponsorships provide a wide array of valuable benefits including those listed here.
We certainly understand that for many Spark investors, this level of investment is not currently possible. If you want to support Spark Children but cannot commit to becoming a Spark Child Sponsor, we encourage you to make a one-time investment that can help provide things like school supplies, meals and medicines.
How do I pay for my Child Sponsorship?
For your convenience, you can pay for your Child Sponsorship monthly or yearly and by credit card or check.
To pay by check, please choose the child that you would like to sponsor and then fill out this form.
If you would like to pay annually or for other payment options, please contact our Program Director, Joann Chen.
What happens after I sign up to sponsor a child?
Roughly two weeks after you sign up to sponsor a child, you will receive a package welcoming you to the Child Sponsorship program. In this package will include photos of your Spark Child, a profile of information about him/her and additional information about the program, Partner and country.
If it has been more than two weeks and you have not received your welcome package, please .
How do I send letters to my Spark Child?
Spark encourages you to write as often as you would like to your Spark Child, as the children rarely, if ever, receive mail and enjoy the encouragement and attention immensely.
Before sending a letter, be sure to review the guidelines for what to include in your letters here.
To send a letter to your Spark Child, simply send the letter to Spark's office at:
Spark Ventures
Attn: Child Sponsorship
PO Box 479329
Chicago, IL 60647
If you would prefer to submit your letter online, just fill out this form or e-mail your letter. Spark will print your letter on Spark stationery and ensure that it gets to your Spark Child so he/she has a chance to respond.
How often will I receive letters from my Spark Child?
You will receive a letter from your Spark Child at least twice a year. You are welcome to write to your Spark Child as often as you would like, and we encourage you to be patient in receiving responses as the Zambian postal system can be slow and often unreliable.
What should I write to my Spark Child?
To ensure that you begin to develop a healthy and lasting relationship with your Spark Child, we encourage you to follow these guidelines when you write to your Spark Child:
- Please avoid talking about belongings, vacations and other major luxuries, as your Spark Child likely lives in stark poverty and will not be able to relate
- Feel free to just write a short letter or note, as that is more than enough to give your Spark Child the encouragement he/she seeks
- Please avoid sending anything that will not fit in a 6"x9" envelope, as children open their letters and packages together, so one child receiving a large or expensive gift can cause unnecessary tension among the children
Can I send a gift to my Spark Child or his/her family?
Our Partners have requested that sponsors not send large gifts (i.e., anything that will not fit in a 6"x9" envelope) to the children or their families because the children live in very close proximity and see each other everyday, which can cause tension among children and families when some receive large gifts and others do not.
Based on this advice from our Partners, Spark will not forward any packages that contain expensive items or than do not fit in a 6"x9" envelope.
If you would like to do something special for your Spark Child, we encourage you to consider making a one-time donation that you can specifically allocate to useful materials such as textbooks, meals, uniforms or desks. If you are interested in making such a donation, feel free to contact our Program Director, Joann Chen, who will be happy to help facilitate your request.
Of course! For years, Spark Child Sponsors have loved being able to meet and spend time with their Spark Children on Spark's annual Transformation Trip. If you are interested in visiting your Spark Child, we encourage you to read more about our Transformation Trips, which run every summer. If you are interested in visiting at another time, please contact us.
