Your sponsorship provides help and hope that transforms entire communities

Sponsorship helps free children from the cycle of poverty. But not just children; through our approach to community development, it changes their families and communities too!

Children in developing countries all over the world, like their parents before them, are trapped in a cycle of poverty. They lack access to an education that would break the cycle and change things for themselves and future generations. The majority of these families live on less than $1.60-2.40 per day for everything — food, medical care, housing, clothing and education.

Inspired by Jesus’ love for the poor, GFA World launched its child sponsorship program in 2004 to provide hope and help to free children from the cycle of poverty. Together with you, our sponsors, we fulfill Christ’s command to care for and love children in poverty.

Sponsor a Child

$35/month is all it takes to change a life

Poverty is a trap

Millions throughout the developing world are trapped in a cycle of poverty, living in rural villages and urban slums. For the majority of these children, poverty is all that their parents have known — same with their parents before them. It is their family’s reality, not just in their household, but surrounding them in their communities. To them, poverty is a fact of life, the definition of how things will be until they die. They have little to no hope for the future.

Child slavery is a real threat

Children trapped in the cycle of poverty are at risk of becoming victims of crime and violence, being exploited as slaves and sex trafficked. 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. Without financial resources, children are made more vulnerable in these communities because they grow up feeling unloved, unwanted and hopeless about their future.

How your sponsorship changes things

It takes a village to raise a child. To expand your reach and impact as a sponsor, we embrace a community development model where sponsored children and their families, along with others in their community, receive the help and benefits of the program.

Through community development initiatives, children are taken care of and have the chance to grow. The child is the priority, and the child is provided for through their community.

Transforming a community happens when, together, we meet real needs. As we meet real needs, the people in the community see the love of God — they experience Christ through the work and they come to know that God loves them.

How it Works

Ways your child and their community can benefit through your sponsorship:

Our field staff work with community leaders to identify the most pressing needs in the community. Your monthly support then helps provide solutions like:

What you get when you sponsor a child

So many boys and girls are currently awaiting sponsorship! Now is the time to change a life forever. When you sponsor, you will:

Food

Ward off starvation. May include nutritious meals as well as essential vitamins for children.

Clean water

Grant access to community wells or filtration systems so clean, life-giving water becomes easily accessible.

Hygiene training

Share the basics about hand washing and dental care. Includes providing toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Healthcare

Fight disease and sickness. May include immunizations, checkups, diagnoses and treatments.

Recreational activities

See children who lack self-confidence and social skills begin to thrive.

Basic sanitation facilities

Clear the way for basic health by making sure human waste is safely disposed of.

Educational opportunities

Defeat illiteracy and equip children with key life-skills training to succeed in the future.

Community service

Make opportunities available for children so they may experience the value of investing in others.

Training for parents

Provide vocational training and other awareness activities for community members.

Be connected

Enjoy connecting with one specific child (unless you choose more!).

Gain access

Through an online portal, you may send your child letters and pictures.

Begin praying

Your prayers to our God of the impossible can forever change things for your child!

Receive letters

You will be able to write letters to your child, and your child will respond from time to time.

Receive updates

Discover broader GFA World programs and their impact.

Our commitment to financial integrity

As a Christian nonprofit organization seeking to love, care for and welcome God’s children as Jesus would (Matthew 18:4-5) through GFA World's child sponsorship program, we handle each and every gift with prayer and integrity. For 40 years, we as a ministry have been committed to honoring Christ in how we share His message of grace and mercy, and how we steward the finances entrusted to us by our friends and donors.

GFA World is committed to honoring the Lord and your generosity by investing the maximum amount possible into programs that benefit children, their families and communities in spiritual and physical need throughout the world in Christ’s name. Currently, an assessed portion of each donation is used to help cover administrative expenses.

Because of our commitment to financial integrity, we have an ongoing process of internal review. We actively work to update our internal systems and procedures to meet best practices for Christian charities.

Learn more about our best practices

Some of our best practices include the following:

  • We are annually audited by an independent financial entity in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. We contract with an auditing firm that is well-equipped to assist the ministry in navigating the increasingly complex demands presented by the varying international environments in which we serve.
  • Donations to the ministry are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
  • We will provide a copy of our current audited financial statement upon written request.
  • We respect the privacy of our ministry partners, and therefore, do not sell or rent their information to any third-party entities. We go to great lengths to keep secure the names and addresses of all our friends.
  • We have an agreement with our field partners that allows GFA to efficiently deploy resources and communicate clearly regarding the use of all resources.
  • Our guiding Scripture for all our fundraising efforts is 2 Corinthians 8:5, "They first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God" (NKJV). We believe that people should respond to us according to God’s leading in their life; therefore, we reject pressuring and manipulating people to give to the Lord's work.
  • We, and the members of our staff, subscribe to a written statement of faith upholding the historic biblical Christian doctrine. Faith in Christ, according to the Bible, is the objective of our financial policies and practices.

We strive to ensure that all our work is accomplished according to standards that are above reproach.

What can I expect?

Sponsorship helps free children from the cycle of poverty. But not just children, it changes their families and communities too!

I want to sponsor a child!

Help free children, their families and their communities from the cycle of poverty by sponsoring a child for $35/month.

See More Children

Get answers to your top five FAQs

How does a sponsored child benefit from my monthly donation?

Sponsorship connects you with one special child, but unlike in some other programs, sponsored children don’t receive direct cash benefits. Instead, your monthly donation is pooled for maximum effectiveness — you join with other like-minded sponsors to enable long-term community development programs that empower your sponsored child and their community, as well as other children in need, to improve their own lives in lasting, transformational ways.

Our years of experience have shown that the most effective way to help a child is to strengthen the child’s entire community. Each community that we work with faces different challenges and has different needs, so the work we do is unique to each community.

Your gift will help provide your sponsored child and other children in desperate need with the basic necessities that can help them reach their God-given potential. This may mean improving access to resources like clean water, better nutrition, basic healthcare, education and economic opportunities for his or her family, the community, and other children in need.

A small percentage of your monthly support may also be used to help with office administration and staff training.

Am I the only sponsor for my child?

Yes. Each child has only one sponsor, which is why it means so much to them when you take the time to write letters and pray for them. They're real children with real stories. You can even visit your sponsored child and see how you are a part of helping transform their community.

Can I write my child a letter online?

Yes, you can. As soon as you’ve sponsored a child, you can either click here to begin your letter right away or log in to your account at www.gfa.ca/accounts/login. Your letters and notes make such a difference in the lives of those who are constantly derided and told they are worthless by their culture.

How can I sponsor a child?

Please visit this page to sponsor a child through GFA World. You may also call our office at 1-888-946-2742 for more information.

Child sponsorship donations are tax-deductible, and can be made monthly or annually by check, credit/debit card, or electronic transfers from your bank account.

We will send you an annual receipt stating your tax-deductible donation for the year for child sponsorship.

You will receive a picture of the child you are sponsoring.

How are kids selected to participate in child sponsorship? What happens to kids who don't have sponsors?

Vulnerable children are nominated by the community to participate in child sponsorship, and their parents or guardians then enroll them in the program. Then children wait for a sponsor. Kids in the community who aren’t sponsored yet or aren't in the program still benefit from sponsorship-funded community improvements in areas like clean water, healthcare, education, job opportunities, and more.

Contact Us

[email protected]
1-888-946-2742

GFA World
245 King Street E
Stoney Creek, ON L8G 1L9

Made with in Stoney Creek, ON

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Are you from the United States?

If you would like to sponsor, donate or make a store purchase, please visit our US office page.

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