Child Sponsorship – Frequently Asked Questions
Is My Sponsorship Payment Tax Deductible?
Outreach Uganda is a U.S. 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contributions are tax deductible in the U.S. to the fullest extent of the U.S. tax law.
How Often Do I Contribute?
Your child’s sponsorship amount will be due either annually, by term or by month depending on the payment option you chose. Most annual amounts are due on February 1 (the start of the school year). Term amounts are due every four months beginning with your anniversary date, and monthly amounts are due monthly. Payment may be made by check or credit card. Recurring payments using your credit card are encouraged
Can I Correspond With My Sponsored Child?
You are encouraged to correspond with your child at least 3 to 4 times per year. You can either email or mail your letters. See the “Letter Writing Guidelines” in your packet. Your child will send you a personal letter at least two times per year. If you prefer not to correspond, please let us know and we can have a volunteer send occasional notes or words of encouragement to your sponsored child.
Am I My Child’s Only Sponsor?
You will be the child’s only sponsor as long as you continue to make the sponsorship contributions as agreed. There may be certain boarding secondary, or university students who may have more than one sponsor simply because the contribution needed was too high for just one sponsor. But you will know if this is the case at the time of your sponsorship.
What Do I Receive as a Sponsor?
Your sponsorship package includes a picture of your child, and more detailed information on how to correspond with your child and how to develop an ongoing mentoring type relationship with that child. You will receive either annual or term reminders when future school fees payments are due for your child. Every 12 to 18 months, you will receive an updated picture and updated child history on your sponsored child and his/her family.
How Long am I Committing to Be a Sponsor?
Our expectation is that you will commit to participating in our sponsorship program for at least one year. We hope that you will find this to be such a rewarding experience that you will want to continue to sponsor for much longer. However, we realize circumstances do change. If that happens, and you need to discontinue your sponsorship, please let us know as soon as possible, and we will try to find another sponsor for your child. We are never able to refund any monies already paid.
Can I Send Gifts or Other Items to My Child?
You may send additional money to your child using the procedures specified in your sponsorship packet. You may also attach pictures, postcards, stickers, coloring pages, etc. to your regular letters to your child. If you want to ensure your child receives a gift, donating money and having our Ugandan sponsorship coordinator purchase a gift for the child is the most economical way. You may call us for instructions on mailing a gift to Uganda. It costs over $9 per pound to send it via trackable EMS mail. We discourage including anything of value or bulk inside your letter, and cannot be responsible for any items that fail to arrive.
What Does My Sponsorship Contribution Provide?
Your sponsorship contribution allows your child to be a part of our sponsorship program at one of four locations: Agwata primary school, northern Ugandan secondary, Jinja primary and older, and Kitgum primary. Sponsorship monies are combined at each location to make sure your child can attend school, receive mentoring and educational encouragement through our sponsorship program, participate in an annual recognition and awards party, and in our Agwata location, receive a mid-day meal at the school. In some cases, there may also be monies or product donations for school supplies or assistance with uniform costs.
Can I Sponsor More Than One Child?
Yes, we would encourage you to sponsor more than one child if you are financially able to do so. We have many children of the beaders who need sponsors. We will add these additional children to the web site once the current group of children is sponsored.
What Happens if My Child Leaves the Sponsorship Program?
This can sometimes happen due to many different circumstances ranging from the child moving away, the child’s mother becoming disqualified from our companion income-generation program, the child dropping out of school etc. While unfortunate, we hope you will understand and embrace the opportunity to give another child a chance for education. We will notify you of any such circumstance as soon as we receive word and decide the departure circumstance seems to be final.
Can I Donate More Money to My Sponsored Child?
You may make additional donations up to $300 as a family gift throughout the calendar year. Donations should be mailed to Outreach Uganda at 9457 S University Blvd., #410, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126. If you would like to donate a higher amount, please contact us to discuss other possible ways to help improve your child’s learning and living environment.
Can I Also Make a One-Time Donation to Help Unsponsored Children?
Yes, mail a check to Outreach Uganda with “Unsponsored Children in Need” specified if you would like to make a one-time donation to help needy children who currently have no sponsor. It takes 3 to 4 months or even longer to find a sponsor for a child.
I Have Other Questions. Can Someone Help Me?
Please email carol@outreachuganda.org, with any additional questions you have. You may also call the Outreach Uganda office in the U.S. at 303/683-8450 during normal business hours of 9am to 4pm(Mountain time).
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