About Child Sponsorship

It costs $49 per month to sponsor a child. This tax-deductible monthly donation provides your sponsored child with access to education, safe water, nutritious food, healthcare and more. You can look forward to getting the first letter from your child in your welcome package. It’s the start of a beautiful and uplifting relationship!

Child sponsorship is an opportunity to personally connect with a child, family, and community in need. You’ll walk alongside them as they work on lasting solutions to fight poverty and help vulnerable children reach their God-given potential.

When you become a child sponsor, while your funds will go towards community based solutions, you’ll start to build a relationship with one special child. You can connect with your child by writing letters and emails or sending cards and gifts. Knowing that someone far away cares about them and their future will be a great encouragement for a sponsored child.

Our decades of experience have proven that the most effective way to help a child is to strengthen the child’s entire community. We do this by pooling your monthly sponsorship donations with those of other sponsors to provide the assistance that children and families living in poverty need most. Your generous donations will help your child, their community, and other children in need by providing vital resources like clean water, nutritious food, healthcare, education, economic opportunities, and more.

Each community that we work with faces different challenges and has different needs, so the work we do is unique to each community. We listen to the people in the community to understand the issues hindering children from reaching their full potential and partner with them to address their short-term and long-term needs. We also work with local groups—such as churches or government organizations—to build stronger communities.

Experience has taught us that the best way to change a child's life is to transform the world in which they live - their family, their community and the local area. Your monthly donation is combined with the donations of other sponsors so we can provide long-term resources for lasting change for all the children in your child’s community.

When you sponsor a child, you can help to change their world. World Vision’s Child Sponsorship Program helps children living in disadvantaged regions to escape poverty. As a child sponsor, you partner with us as we work with families, community groups and governments in breaking the cycle of poverty and creating long-term change. Using your donations, we identify the causes of the child’s poverty and vulnerability, and create development projects designed to address them. Our goal is that all children in sponsorship communities will benefit from our work, which can include improved healthcare, education, water, sanitation and food. There are so many wonderful stories of sponsored children who’ve grown up healthy and happy – thanks to generous people like you. Depending on child and community needs, sponsorship projects may focus on:

Clean water and sanitation: Access to clean water, toilets and hygiene education give your sponsored child better health and more time and energy to learn.

Health and nutrition: Quality local health services and health and nutrition education for families give your sponsored child the chance to grow up strong and protected from preventable illness.

Food and agriculture: Skills for families to grow more crops and better protect the environment and give your sponsored child the food they need to lead a healthy, active life.

Education and child rights: Quality education and protecting child rights give your sponsored child knowledge and skills and the freedom to have a brighter future.

Income generation: By supporting communities and families to improve their incomes you can help your sponsored child reach their full potential as they gain access to life's essentials.

Sponsored children and their families do not receive direct cash benefits. Instead, your monthly donation is pooled with other donations to fund development programs that benefit your sponsored child and their whole community, as well as other children in need — ensuring you have maximum impact. And it works! Because of our community-focused solutions, for every child you help, four more children benefit, too. Experience has taught us that the best way to change a child's life is to transform the world in which they live - their family, their community and the local area.

Yes, we exist to make a lasting difference in the most efficient and effective way possible in the lives of the world’s most vulnerable girls and boys. We account for every dollar donated and focus on creating sustainable change for those we serve. To learn more about how donations are helping transform the lives of communities around the world, check out our latest Annual Results Report on our Financial Accountability page.

Of the funds given to World Vision over the past 5 years, 84% went directly to programs that help children and families in the communities where we work, 10.8% went to help raise more resources, and 5.2% was allocated to vital support and accountability. Our external auditor, KPMG, conducts regular audits to verify the accuracy of our financial reporting.

When you become a child sponsor, you will receive a welcome package and letter of introduction from your sponsored child or World Vision staff working in the child’s community. Each year you will receive an updated photo of your sponsored child and a progress report, which will let you know about the good news happening in his or her community.

You will also have access to My World Vision, a digital platform that allows you to manage your information, learn more about your sponsored child’s community, meet other children who live there, and follow along with their progress. When you sponsor a child, you provide access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, education and health care.

The selection of children for sponsorship is a respectful process that happens in partnership with their community. We work with community representatives to identify the local areas where the needs are greatest and the community then selects children from those areas for sponsorship. Sponsored children are selected from the most vulnerable families and being sponsored often gives them increased visibility and importance in the community. Participation in all World Vision programs is voluntary, and sponsored children and their families make the decision to be a part of the program. We always respect the rights of families to make decisions about this. Your sponsored child, along with other children in their community, benefits from the changes made possible by your donations. Children in the community who aren’t sponsored yet still benefit from sponsorship-funded community improvements in areas like clean water, healthcare, education, job opportunities, and more.

Sponsorship is a long-term commitment that lasts 10-12 years in one sponsored community with continued commitment beyond that as we move to serve more children in great need in other communities. However, the length of each sponsorship depends on the needs of the child and their community. Your child’s age of independence or circumstances will vary from country to country. Sponsorship may end for any of the following reasons:

The community has “graduated.” The goal of sponsorship is to help break the cycle of poverty so children and families can step into the future with well-founded hope. When sustainability goals are met, projects are phased out and we move on to serve children in great need in other communities. This is a time for celebration!

Your child becomes self-sufficient. In many cases, children are sponsored until they finish school, reach the age of independence in their community, are able to support themselves.

Occasionally, circumstances arise that mean a child must leave the sponsorship program. For example, a child’s family may move out of the community to an area where World Vision Child Sponsorship is not available.

If circumstances change and your child is no longer available for sponsorship, we’ll notify you and send you a new child in need to begin sponsoring.

No. We do not organize adoption or bringing children to Canada for visits. Your help to improve a child’s quality of life and self-reliance in their own countries and cultures has deeper value than moving them to a foreign country.

In everything we do, we aim to find the best balance between cost, donor satisfaction and the impact of donated dollars. As a best practice, we will provide donors with prior notice before any proposed increase is implemented. We will obtain your consent to any increase in your monthly sponsorship amount through an ‘opt-out’ process. This means that if you receive World Vision Canada’s notice of an increase and want to participate, there is nothing further required from you. If you don’t want to participate, simply indicate so by using one of the easy ‘opt-out’ options that will be provided. As always, if you wish to stop your sponsorship, you may do so at any time.


Writing a letter or sending a package

We strongly encourage you to write to your sponsored child. Children love to hear from their sponsors and often treasure the letters and photos that are sent.

When writing to your sponsored child, please use the World Vision country office address located in the picture folder for your sponsored child. All correspondence must include:

  • World Vision's national office address (exactly as it appears) on the front of the envelope.
  • Your sponsored child's name and child ID number on the back flap of your envelope and on the top of your letter. Please do not write your address inside the letter. Your letters may reach your sponsored child in a few weeks, but the response time can be quite long for some countries – up to six months, in some cases.

Definitely – but please send simple gifts tucked into your letters and cards. Flat items such as photos, bookmarks, stamps or stickers, in an envelope no bigger than 6” x 9”, are ideal. Please don't send parcels or cash. Your sponsored child's picture folder — which you received in your welcome package — contains all the address details that you need.

Yes, you can email sponsored children in some communities. To do this, you will need to create a My World Vision account by clicking the "Create an Account" link at the top of the page. If you need help, please contact us at info@worldvision.ca or call us at 1-866-595-5550.


Give a special gift

Here’s what we’ll be doing, based on feedback from our field staff:
  • welcoming Special Gifts just once per calendar year, per child
  • earmarking 25% of any amount between $100 and $200 toward a community gift or activity
Here’s what we’ll continue doing the same:
  • Welcoming Special Gifts of $100 minimum
  • directing Special Gift donation amounts exceeding $200 toward a community gift or activity.

For the sake of your sponsored child, and those around them! Our field staff have been letting us know that:
  • too-frequent Special Gifts have the potential to remove staff from activities which benefit the entire community
  • multiple gifts per year can create jealously amongst children, creating challenges for your sponsored child.
Shifting some benefit to other children in the community will preserve the joy of Special Gifts, while improving life for all children there.

If you sponsor more than one child, you’re most welcome to give a Special Gift to each child, once a calendar year. This would celebrate your sponsored children, while still empowering field staff to focus primarily on programming that offers maximum benefit to the whole community!

Your gift helps provide something your sponsored community’s children may never otherwise receive. Here are just a few examples:

  • playground equipment
  • a small library
  • a group birthday party for all children!

Special Gifts also help provide critical items like agricultural tools, building supplies, or a water tank. Your gift might also support a local school, clinic or other important needs in the community that require funds over and above sponsors’ monthly donations.

All the powerful benefits of Special Gifts will remain – including the ever-stronger bond between you and your sponsored child. But you’ll also preserve harmony and improve the overall environment in which that child is growing up. Here’s how:
  • Your sponsored child and their family will receive the gifts they need most
  • The community will benefit from your gift, improving life for all children
  • You will enjoy the powerful connection that comes from giving a Special Gift, including receiving a photo of the items purchased and a thank you letter from your sponsored child.

Yes, in a small handful of cases. If a sponsored child is facing an emergency, for instance, or urgent health or education needs. For more information on these exceptions, please call us at 1-866-595-5550.

When you give a Special Gift, you do something wonderful. You offer a child the power to participate in a decision. In families that are struggling financially, money goes toward essentials. Clothes are usually hand-me-downs. School supplies are often just out of reach, as are toys and games. Your child will help choose the gift, along with his or her family.

That’s the really fun part! World Vision staff spend time with your sponsored child and family, listening carefully and discussing options. Imagine counting down to the day they receive the Special Gift! It’s an experience your sponsored child will never forget.

Due to the remote location of many of our sponsor-supported communities, please allow for at least six months after making your Special Gift donation to receive your thank you letter and photo.

Starting April 1, 2019, 25% of your Special Gift donation, and any amount over the first $200, will go towards a community gift or activity that benefits all the children in the community. This might be new school supplies or playground equipment.

Absolutely! Birthdays are important times for children in developing countries, just as they are here in Canada. Be sure to give a Special Gift well in advance of your sponsored child’s birthday, so our staff can make the arrangements. Christmas is another good option!

Purchasing gifts in your sponsored child’s own community brings business to local merchants. They’re working hard to support their children, grow their businesses and hire more workers. Buying locally is a great way to support the work we’re doing together, through sponsorship.

Helping children and families choose and purchase the items they need most is a joy for our staff. But it can take a fair bit of time, in communities with a great many needs. The $100 minimum ensures that the Special Gift provides real and lasting value to the child, their family—and starting in April 2019—the entire community.

There’s no limit! But it’s important to note that starting in April 2019, 25 per cent of each gift under $200 and all amounts over $200 will go towards a community gift. For a community that’s been waiting for a water tank, or equipment for a medical clinic, these larger gifts can be a wonderful blessing.

Lebanon is the only country we have sponsorship programs in that is unable to process Special Gifts.

Yes, you will. You’ll also receive a wonderful picture of your sponsored child with her new purchases. One will go in your files. The other will very likely go on your fridge!

Yes you can, through your regular sponsorship correspondence. Small, inexpensive gifts can be mailed to your child’s World Vision country office, to be opened with surprise and delight by your sponsored child! Here’s how you do it.


Sending colourful greeting cards

We appreciate that you want the best for your sponsored child and care about what's being sent. We have paid attention to your concern and came up with designs that appeal to a much wider age group. In some other cases, we determine the design of the card or gift a sponsored child would receive based on age. We also communicate regularly with our field staff and learn that more than the card or gift itself, children simply love getting mail from their sponsors. Each card they receive represents that their sponsor is thinking about them.

We work closely with our field staff to ensure the design and the message on each card/gift is culturally appropriate. The safety and protection of sponsored children are top priority. If you choose to add a note to your item, please consider your sponsored child’s environment, traditions, and culture. We reserve the option to remove any inappropriate content.

Of course! While we appreciate financial gifts, you are not obligated to donate when you return your card. The card/gift you return will be processed and shipped to individual sponsored children as soon as possible.

We want to take the hassle out of communicating with your sponsored child. When you sign and return a card/gift, we will make sure each one is processed and delivered to your sponsored child.


Emailing your sponsored child

Yes, you can email sponsored children in some communities. To do this, you will need to create a My World Vision account by clicking the "Create an Account" link at the top of the page. For more information, contact us at info@worldvision.ca or call us at 1-866-595-5550.

It’s a personalized online account that allows you to deepen your connection with your sponsored children. From your My World Vision, you can send your sponsored children emails, see their latest progress and photos, and update your account information.


Visiting your sponsored child

A visit to your sponsored child and their community is a rewarding way to see the benefits of your contributions. Please contact us at least two to three months before your intended departure date and before you make any travel arrangements.

Sponsor visits typically take place at a World Vision office, community center or school. It is important to note that in some countries, due to their child protection policy, the visit is held outside of the sponsored child’s community.

Sponsor visits take place on weekdays ONLY and are typically a few hours, not including the travel time to and from the community. It is understandable that you may want to extend your visit, but we ask that you respect the length of time the local World Vision staff has allotted for your visit. Bear in mind that a lengthy visit may disrupt the normal daily routine of your sponsored child, their family, and the community.

No. World Vision Canada will organize the necessary arrangements for you to meet your sponsored child only. For all other travel-related logistics such as flights, hotels, passports, visas and health/vaccines, please contact your local travel agency. For information on country specific travel advice and advisories please go to: https://travel.gc.ca

You are responsible for covering all the expenses related to visiting your sponsored child. Depending on your sponsored child’s location and the site of your visit, expenses may arise such as: transportation, meals and lodging for yourself, your sponsored child, and the local World Vision staff accompanying your visit, acting as your guide or translator. We will be able to give an estimate of these costs when the visit application has been approved.

In consideration of our child protection and safeguarding policies, only sponsors and immediate family members are allowed to visit and would need to go through the same process with documentation. A friend can accompany a sponsor on the visit. Unfortunately, a friend without the sponsor accompanying cannot visit alone.

Although we appreciate your desire to volunteer your skills, knowledge, and time to help those in need, World Vision does not have a program for visiting volunteers. Our development projects are managed and operated in partnership with the local community, and we recruit qualified, local volunteers because they speak the same language and understand the culture of their people. This also provides local volunteers the opportunity to develop skills which will enable the community to become self-sufficient.

Sponsored children and community members celebrate sponsorship visits. This significant event is highly valued in the communities and cancelling a visit should be avoided if possible. If you must cancel your sponsorship visit, please contact World Vision and we can provide you with instructions on how to send a gift packet or special monetary gift to your sponsored child as an alternative.

We welcome you to bring a gift for your sponsored child and their family. Some gift ideas for your sponsored child are school supplies, hygiene items, a soccer ball or volleyball (with air pump), candy or souvenirs. Gifts for the family may include cooking utensils, potholders, local groceries, and other small treats that can be shared with the family. We do ask you to be sensitive to the child’s economic situation and to avoid items that may seem too expensive or lavish. Please refrain from giving monetary funds to your sponsored child, their family or other community members during your visit.

For privacy and child protection reasons, we ask that you do not give your mailing address, email, or phone number to your sponsored child, their family or other community members.

For your own safety, the following countries either do not allow visits from sponsors or have restrictions on visits. We also recommend that sponsors visit https://travel.gc.ca for information.

Jerusalem West Bank Gaza: Visits are approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. Only sponsors and immediate family members are allowed to visit, no friends, extended family, etc.

Haiti: No visits due to safety/civil unrest concerns.

Lebanon: Visits are approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. Only sponsors and immediate family members are allowed to visit, no friends, extended family, etc.

Ethiopia: Visits are approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. Only sponsors and immediate family members are allowed to visit, no friends, extended family, etc.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Visits are approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. Only sponsors and immediate family members are allowed to visit, no friends, extended family, etc.

Chad: Visits are approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. Only sponsors and immediate family members are allowed to visit, no friends, extended family, etc.

Mali: Visits are approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. Only sponsors and immediate family members are allowed to visit, no friends, extended family, etc.

Niger: Visits are approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. Only sponsors and immediate family members are allowed to visit, no friends, extended family, etc.


For Current Child Sponsors

Technology has created so many new opportunities for connecting with those we care about, but we discourage sponsors from trying to contact children using social media sites, like Facebook. One reason is because of our priority to ensure both their safety and privacy, as well as yours.

There are three possible reasons why you cannot contact your previous sponsored child:

  1. When sponsored children leave the community, their new homes may be in an area where World Vision does not have staff to facilitate communications or their new locations are unknown.
  2. When World Vision transitions out of a community because the community has become self-sufficient, our staff does not remain to facilitate communications.
  3. When a child or the child’s family is no longer participating in the sponsorship program, sponsorship funds cannot support communications to them.

Please call us at 1-866-595-5550 and we will contact your sponsored child’s community to see if there is additional information available.

In everything we do, we aim to find the best balance between cost, donor satisfaction and the impact of donated dollars. As a best practice, we will provide donors with prior notice before any proposed increase is implemented. We will obtain your consent to any increase in your monthly sponsorship amount through an ‘opt-out’ process. This means that if you receive World Vision Canada’s notice of an increase and want to participate, there is nothing further required from you. If you don’t want to participate, simply indicate so by using one of the easy ‘opt-out’ options that will be provided. As always, if you wish to stop your sponsorship, you may do so at any time.

Please contact World Vision as soon as possible at 1-866-595-5550 to explore the options available.

Volunteer Resources

In a word, need. There is such a great need for children and families living in poverty to have their voices heard. But also… we need YOU! Our volunteers give their time and lend a variety of skills to the cause, helping more Canadians to learn about the work of World Vision and sharing the opportunity to make a difference.

This website has the most comprehensive information about all our volunteer opportunities. Please take some time to read through and investigate the many ways you can use your skills to make an impact. We want to help you find the best fit given your skills, interest and time.

Yes! Our Pack It Forward program is the perfect fit for Canadian companies! Together with our partner, Kits for a Cause, we will bring our volunteer kit packing experience to your office. Contact us to learn more about this fun employee engagement opportunity.

Once you fill out the application form, our volunteer coordinators work hard to assess the best fit. In some cases, reference checks and interviews are required. We will contact you once your application has been fully processed. You can expect to hear from us within 10-15 days from the date you submit your application.

3 Reasons:

  1. World Vision Canada is committed to helping you find the best fit and volunteer opportunity.
  2. It is important to us to assemble the very best team of volunteers we can.
  3. Our responsibility to our donors and the children we serve is important to us. Our application process helps us accomplish these goals. ​​​​​

We are happy to have youth volunteers looking to fulfill their high school community service hours join us!


Frequently Asked Questions About Us

You are a highly valued child supporter and we are here to serve you. Our team can help you make the best decision to suit your changing circumstances, including discontinuing your sponsorship or monthly donation. We would like to share some important information about the options available to you, that may allow you to continue impacting the lives of vulnerable children around the world.

Please call us at 1-866-619-2226 to let us know that you need to cancel. We look forward to helping you.

World Vision is a global Christian relief and development organization. We’re dedicated to helping children, families, and communities reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

We help transform the lives of the world’s poorest children and families in nearly 100 countries, including the United States. Our community-development approach to ending poverty includes: Nutrition, safe drinking water, education, economic opportunity, disaster response, and empowering women. We help all people, regardless of their religious beliefs, gender, race, or ethnicity.

Learn more about us

We promise to use your donation in the most effective way possible. The needs shown in the Gift Catalog reflect World Vision projects at the time the catalog was written, and each item is representative of its gift category. Donations will provide assistance where it’s needed most within that category, or to address a similar need. With the larger items, such as wells, clinics, and schools, World Vision pools donations in order to provide as many wells, clinics, and schools as possible. These items are not matched to individual donors.

Everyone! At World Vision we encourage everyone to participate in transforming the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children. Although, if you are under 13 years of age, first check with your parents or guardians.

Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. Our gift catalogue items are for planned community projects, not individual sponsored children. However, if you want to give a special gift to your sponsored child, please call 1-800-777-5777, and we’ll help work out the details. To be good stewards of our field staff’s time and resources, these gifts must be $100 or more. Local staff will use your gift to purchase items in your child’s country, saving shipping and other costs. Then we’ll send you a letter and photo about the impact of your gift.

Yes! Being a child sponsor is also about building a wonderful friendship. Exchanging letters, cards, or emails is a great way to connect with your sponsored child. Visit the “Send a Letter” page for ideas on what to write.

You may send letters to your sponsored child at the National Office address located on your child’s picture folder. You can also find it by signing in to your My World Vision account.

Note: For the protection of the children, sponsors, and our staff, we read letters that are exchanged between sponsors and their sponsored children. The letters are reviewed to ensure people do not threaten children, put their lives in danger, or try to develop inappropriate relationships.

In many of the countries where we work, Christian expression is restricted, so we monitor the letters to make sure nothing written could endanger the child or family. We also review letters to our sponsors to ensure they do not receive inappropriate solicitation of funds from children’s families.

If your sponsored child lives in a country where Christianity is restricted, we will notify you. Please see your Welcome Kit or visit the “Send a Letter” page for writing tips on what topics to avoid.

If you are a corporation that sponsors children, or if you sponsor more than 15 children, please use this special link to email your sponsored children.

Yes, we’ll mail you a receipt for your gift to World Vision. Your gifts are tax-deductible, excluding the amount for shipping and handling charges or the fair market value for any items, if applicable.

Yes. Sign in to My World Vision and visit the “My Account” page. Under “Payment Options,” select “Manage Automated Giving.” You can add or edit your credit card or bank information.

We keep your personal information as secure as possible. All web forms requesting your confidential information (such as credit card numbers) on the My World Vision website use “SSL,” an Internet security protocol that encrypts your information.

World Vision and several other charitable agencies have been subject to recent "phishing" attach (email scams). The scams claim to offer job opportunities and are requests for additional information from the individual. Other fraudulent requests may include: requests to convert funds or requests to forward financial transaction directly to field programs.

If you have received an email in connection with a job or financial opportunity, we urge you not to respond. These emails are not legitimate. Either delete the email or report it to www.ic3.gov.


Customer Service

Yes, you are able to email sponsored children in some communities. To do this, you will need to create a My World Vision account by clicking the "Create an Account" link at the top of the page. For more information, contact us at info@worldvision.ca or call us at 1-866-595-5550.

Learn more about corresponding with your sponsored child by
 

Yes, when you sponsor a child, you help that child’s community become stronger, healthier, more resourceful than before.  Parents can provide for their children today, and have reason to dream for the future.  You help create hope that endures for generations to come.

Learn more about our community based approach

Community members help identify the most vulnerable children in their area. Then, the families of these children are asked if they'd like to be part of the child sponsorship program, with the understanding that the benefits will be shared by everyone in the community.

We work in a community until it becomes self-sufficient, which usually takes from 10 to 15 years. As a sponsor, you join in this work for as long as you are able. However, each time you select a child to sponsor, there are many other variables that determine the length of time that the child may be available for sponsorship, such as the development phase of the project, or if the child’s family stays in the project area. When a child is no longer available or when a project comes to an end, you will be invited to help transform another child’s life.

When you become a child sponsor, you receive a welcome package and a letter of introduction from your sponsored child, or from World Vision staff working in the child's community. Each year, you’ll also receive an updated photo of your sponsored child and a progress report, which will let you know about the good news happening in his or her community.

Yes. We account for every dollar. Of the funds given to World Vision in 2020, 80.9% went directly to programs that help children and families, 13.0% went to fundraising, and 6.1% was allocated to administration. Audits are conducted regularly by external firms to verify the accuracy of our financial reporting. To learn more about how donations are used, check out our latest Annual Report.

We strongly encourage you to write to your sponsored child. Children love to hear from their sponsors and often treasure the letters and photos that are sent. Click here learn more about corresponding with your sponsored child.

When writing to your sponsored child, use the World Vision national office address located in the picture folder for your sponsored child. All correspondence must include:
  • World Vision's national office address (exactly as it appears) on the front of the envelope.
  • Your sponsored child's name and child ID number on the back flap of your envelope and on the top of your letter.
  • Please do not write your address inside the letter. Your letters may reach your sponsored child in a few weeks, but the response time can be quite long for some countries, up to six months, in some cases. For more tips on writing to your sponsored child, click here.

Sure, but please send simple gifts tucked into your letters and cards. Flat items such as photos, bookmarks, stamps or stickers, in an envelope no bigger than 6 x 9, are ideal. Please don't send parcels or cash. Your sponsored child's picture folder — which you receive in your welcome package — gives you all the address details.

A visit to your sponsored child and their community is a rewarding way to see the benefits of your contributions. Contact us at least three months before your intended departure date and before you make any travel arrangements. To begin coordinating your visit, click here or contact us at 1-866-595-5550.

No. We do not organize adoption or bringing children to Canada for visits. Your help to improve a child’s quality of life and self-reliance in their own countries and cultures has deeper value than moving them to a foreign country.

Technology has created so many new opportunities for connecting with those we care about, but we discourage sponsors from trying to contact children using social media sites, like Facebook. One reason is because of our priority to ensure both their safety and privacy, as well as yours.

Again, our priority is ensuring the safety and respecting the privacy of all sponsored children. To help with this important goal:
  • Please only use the first name of your sponsored child.
  • Please do not share your sponsored child's ID number online or with others
  • Please do not share identifying or private information about the child (i.e. the name of the location where he or she lives).
  • Please ensure that the photos you share in letters or emails with your child are appropriate.

We appreciate your support and understanding in protecting the safety of your sponsored child. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at info@worldvision.ca or 1-866-595-5550.

Yes. We issue a yearly cumulative tax receipt for all of your monthly child sponsorship payments and other World Vision donations. Receipts are typically mailed to donors in February. For more information about tax receipts and to learn how you can receive yours sooner, please visit our "Your Tax Receipt" page.

Please contact World Vision as soon as possible at 1-866-595-5550 to explore the options available.

If you need to change your address, phone number or donation information, you can call us at 1-866-595-5550. You can also update your contact and donation information in the "My Account" section of your My World Vision account. Don't have an account? Register for one here.

In everything we do, we aim to find the best balance between cost, donor satisfaction and the impact of donated dollars. As a best practice, we will provide donors with prior notice before any proposed increase is implemented. We will obtain your consent to any increase in your monthly sponsorship amount through an ‘opt-out’ process. This means that if you receive World Vision Canada’s notice of an increase and want to participate, there is nothing further required from you. If you don’t want to participate, simply indicate so by using one of the easy ‘opt-out’ options that will be provided. As always, if you wish to stop your sponsorship, you may do so at any time.

Face-to-face fundraising is an efficient way of helping thousands of children and their community in need. It's also a great way to talk to Canadians about what we do and enables us to reach Canadians who may not otherwise have the opportunity to support us. Many prefer this form of fundraising as it gives them the opportunity to ask questions about our work and discuss the different ways in which they can donate.

Fundraising representatives follow a fundraising code of conduct, which is a part of their employment agreement. The code of conduct states face-to-face fundraisers must "represent World Vision Canada in a professional manner”. Our fundraisers wear a photo ID badge that should be clearly visible. The badge includes their name, personal ID number and the client name.

These statements are not true. We are aware of a malicious email that has been circulating. The email names World Vision Canada and a number of other charities, and its anonymous author makes several false claims about how your donations are being used. Please contact us with any concerns.

World Vision Canada complies with provincial laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation. Matters of sexual orientation are not part of our interview process and are not a factor in employment. Our recruitment and employment practices are structured to welcome, value and manage diversity so that we can attract and retain highly qualified and committed staff.

It’s a personalized online account that allows you to deepen your connection with your sponsored children. An account allows you to send your sponsored children emails, see their latest progress and photos, and update your account information. To register for a My World Vision account, click here.

We pre-assign a new sponsored child because your previous child was no longer available to be sponsored. Pre-assigning prevents a delay in helping another child. If you would prefer to select a different child, please call us at 1-866-595-5550.

Please call us at 1-866-595-5550; we are happy to help you.

There are three possible reasons why you cannot contact your previous sponsored child:
  1. When sponsored children leave the community, their new homes may be in an area where World Vision does not have staff to facilitate communications or their new locations are unknown.
  2. When World Vision transitions out of a community because the community has become self-sufficient, our staff does not remain to facilitate communications.
  3. When a child or the child’s family is no longer participating in the sponsorship program, sponsorship funds cannot support communications to them.

Please call us at 1-866-595-5550 and we will contact your sponsored child’s community to see if there is additional information available.

Our staff members are not able to facilitate the Special Gift for these three possible reasons:

  1. The sponsored child has left the community. When this happens, the child’s new home may be in an area where World Vision does not have staff to facilitate the Special Gift or the child’s new location is unknown.
  2. When World Vision transitions out of a community because the community has become self-sufficient, our staff does not remain to facilitate Special Gifts.
  3. When a child or the child’s family is no longer participating in the sponsorship program, our staff members are not able to facilitate the Special Gift to a non-participating child.
When we learn of these situations, we contact sponsors to see if we are able to provide the gift to another child in need.

 

The children and their families who decide to no longer participate in sponsorship still benefit from World Vision’s projects in their community. The only change is that those children will no longer be able to exchange letters or gifts with previous sponsors.

Throughout our 10 to 15-year relationship with a community, we monitor progress and adjust plans as needed. When World Vision transitions out of a community, it is because the community has shown its ability to continue projects without our support. You can see the progress in all of our communities by visiting our community pages. To see the progress in your sponsored child’s community, select his or her country, then select the name of the community. If you have a worldvision.ca account, you can learn more about the impact of your sponsorship.

World Vision Canada (WVC) is a child focused organization, committed to protecting the world’s most vulnerable children. We have strict child protection standards and make every effort to ensure that sponsored children are safe and protected. As a result, if it is deemed an individual’s engagement in the sponsorship program may potentially compromise the well-being or safety of a child, WVC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel a sponsorship at any time.

We recently updated our systems to increase our security and better protect your personal and private information. Now you can also login using your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Google+ account. In order to help us complete the update and match your security credentials with our records, please re-enter your email address, postal code and reset your password.

Recently we have upgraded our systems in order to better protect your personal information. On July 16th, 2015 we sent an email to all donors with instructions on how to reset their login information. If you did not receive an email, or are still unable to login in please try one of the following:

  1. Click "Forgot Password" link on the My World World Login Page
  2. Call us at 1-866-595-5550

With a My World Vision account you are able to:
  • See the latest photos, videos and updates about your sponsored child
  • See the latest photos, videos and updates from your sponsored child’s community
  • Send emails and special gifts to your sponsored child
  • Access and print your annual tax receipt as soon as it’s available
  • View your donation history and update your donation information

As of July 2015, you no longer require a login name to access your account. Please enter your email address where you would have used a login name. If you cannot remember the email address you used to set up your account, please call 1-866-595-5550 for assistance.

If you forgot your account password:
  • Go to the My World Vision Login Page 
  • Click "Forgot Password" link
  • Enter the email address used to register the account
  • We will email you a password reset link
  • Click on the email link to reset your password (your have 4 days to complete this)
Note: If you do not receive an email in your inbox or junk folder after 5 minutes, please call us at 1-866-595-5550 for assistance.
 

You can update your donation method on the Financial Information page which is in the My Account section. Select the children or pledges you wish to move to a new card. Click “Move selected…” and select either an account on record, or add a new credit card or bank account. For more help please give us a call at 1-866-595-5550.

In an effort to further combat fraud and minimize the risk for merchants, VISA introduced changes to the way merchant-initiated and cardholder-initiated transactions can store payment data.  World Vision Canada has prepared for these changes for all credit cards.  Starting August 22, 2019, you will be required to provide the security code for all new e-commerce or telephone credit card transactions.  You do not have to provide the security code when providing your credit card information in written format.  All existing cards already on file do not need the security code, even when updating the expiry date, until the existing card needs to be replaced or the card number is changed.