# What's a reputable "sponsor a child" charity?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-reputable-sponsor-a-child-charity/429699>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 12, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-reputable-sponsor-a-child-charity/429699 "2007-12-12T02:54:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-reputable-sponsor-a-child-charity/429699/1 "2007-12-12T02:54:52Z")

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My niece and nephew are _extremely_ privileged. They’re teenagers and they have more money in their bank accounts/higher credit limits than I have (they’re allowed to use their parents cards up to a certain amount). I’ve always resented buying Christmas gifts for them because they simply don’t need (or, imho, appreciate) them.

So, I’ve decided to spend more on them than I’ve ever spent, but in a different way. I want to sponsor one “Third World Child” each for them for a year. My understanding is that it’s usually about $25-$30 per month, which I’ll pay- actually comes out to \>$600, but unlike the $100 I usually give them in gift cards, I’m actually glad to do it for a change.

The problem: I’ve given money to various relief charities (mostly American and African-AIDS related) over the years, but I’ve never done the “sponsor a child” thing. Any recommendations on an agency? I don’t care whether or not its faith based or secular AS LONG AS it’s legitimate and the money actually gets to the kids.

I’m currently leaning towards the [Christian Children’s Fund](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Children%27s_Fund) because they’re high profile and they seem to have a good rep, and ironically, because of the “controversy” in which they were recently involved:

> [@](#):
>
> In May of 2004, CCF became the subject of some contention when Christian charity watchdog group Wall Watchers sent a “donor alert” via e-mail to about 2,500 subscribers, informing them that the name of the charity – Christian Children’s Fund – was designed to intentionally mislead its donors into thinking it was a faith-based missionary group.[4] Howard Leonard, a chief executive of Wall Watchers, was quoted by a magazine as saying, “It isn’t Christian in the way we look at it. If you’re going to be bringing help to these children, you should be bringing the Gospel.”
> 
> A spokesperson for the group said that the organization does not proselytize any person to a faith, rather its name is derived from its founder, a Presbyterian minister who believed in “Christian principles,” such as “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Does anybody give money to them and if so do they have tales (neg or pos)? Or can you recommend any other agencies?

Thanks  
J

Yes, in fact I **did** get the idea in part from _The Human Fund_ episode of Seinfeld, why do you ask? 😉

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-reputable-sponsor-a-child-charity/429699/2 "2007-12-12T03:37:07Z")

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Closing duplicate thread.