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Child and village sponsorship FAQs

WHAT SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS DO I HAVE?
You can sponsor a child or a village with SOS Children’s Villages. Child sponsors help support an individual child and give the child a loving family, a safe home and the opportunity for a successful future. Village sponsors contribute to a community of children by providing support to a specific children’s village and its programs.

Sign up to sponsor a child or to sponsor a village today.


WHY SHOULD I SPONSOR WITH SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES?
When you become a sponsor with SOS Children’s Villages, your donations are directly impacting the child or children you are supporting. 
SOS Children’s Villages has been helping children since 1949 and providing a care model that has been proven to work. As a recipient of the Mother Teresa Gold Medal and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, SOS Children’s Villages is an organization you can trust.


CAN I GIFT A SPONSORSHIP TO A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE?
Yes, you can share the gift of sponsorship. Contact us at sponsors@sos-usa.org or 1 (888) 767-4543 to sign up for a gifted sponsorship. Your gift recipient will receive a welcome package and regular updates about their sponsored child or village.

HOW MUCH DOES SPONSORING A CHILD COST?
It only costs about a dollar per day—$35 per month—to sponsor a child and help them reach their full potential. Your contribution is truly life-changing for a child. 

Sign up to sponsor a child today.


WHAT DOES MY MONTHLY GIFT PROVIDE FOR MY SPONSORED CHILD? 
As a child sponsor, you provide the critical essentials for a child: food, clothing, shelter and medical care. However, your gift does much more—ensuring that a child grows up in a family surrounded by a loving parent and siblings. Children living in our SOS Children’s Villages families benefit from more than 70 years of expertise caring for vulnerable children, including trauma support for children coming from difficult circumstances. Your sponsored child also receives a quality education and a tailored development plan so they can reach their full potential.

Additionally, your sponsorship gift strengthens the child’s greater community. We have devoted decades to building lasting relationships with children, families and communities around the world. SOS Children’s Villages schools and medical clinics provide for children in our families as well as other children and families in the area. Additionally, vocational programs teach job skills to children, youth and adults from SOS Children’s Villages families and the surrounding community so they can earn an income and eventually become self-reliant.  


HOW OFTEN WILL I RECEIVE AN UPDATE ABOUT MY SPONSORED CHILD?
After signing up to sponsor a child, you will receive a welcome package containing your first photo of your sponsored child, details about their background and interests, information about their life in the village and stories about how we help children and families in their country. Each year, we’ll mail you two updates about your sponsored child, including a new photo to see how they are growing and a progress report so you can learn how you’re helping them thrive.


CAN I WRITE/SEND GIFTS TO MY SPONSORED CHILD? 
We are currently discouraging sponsors from sending physical mail to their sponsored children, as it is a health and safety concern for the children in our care. If you are interested in sending a scanned letter, card, photo or email to your sponsored child, you can reach out to our sponsorship team at sponsors@sos-usa.org and request the email address of a sponsorship coordinator in your child’s country. Our international colleague should be able to pass along your letter to your sponsored child.

When sending photos or letters to a religiously or socially conservative country, the subjects should be modest. While you’re welcome to invite your sponsored child to write back, please understand that the ability to respond may be limited due to his or her age, education level or competing priorities. 

 

HOW CAN I GIVE A SPECIAL MONETARY GIFT TO MY SPONSORED CHILD? 
Many sponsors choose to give an additional gift to their sponsored child for an occasion such as their birthday or the holiday season. If you are interested in giving your sponsored child a gift for a special occasion, consider giving a monetary gift toward the child’s independence fund! These donations are held in a savings account until your sponsored child transitions to independent living in young adulthood. They might use these funds to continue their education, start a small business, purchase a home or rent an apartment.

To give a special gift online via credit card, visit our secure donation form here. If you are interested in making a special gift by check, please include your sponsored child’s name or ID number in the memo and address the check to:

SOS Children’s Villages USA
Attn: Sponsorship Team
1620 I Street NW, Suite 220 
Washington, DC 20006 

 

CAN I VISIT THE VILLAGE AND MY SPONSORED CHILD? 
While we hope to facilitate village visits again in the future, most of our villages are not currently allowing visitors due to health and safety concerns. The top priority of SOS Children’s Villages is to ensure the health and safety of the children in our care. Though we are always thrilled to hear about the interest our sponsors have in visiting their sponsored children, visits from international travelers may not be in the best interest of the children’s well-being at this time.


CAN I POST ABOUT MY SPONSORED CHILD ONLINE?
You are a key stakeholder in ensuring that sensitive information about your sponsored child is not shared with third parties outside of your family and friends. We kindly ask that you do not post pictures or information about your sponsored child on social media or anywhere else online. 


HOW LONG WILL MY SPONSORSHIP LAST? 
Our work to support children and families is long-term. For this reason, your sponsorship will continue until you contact us to end your support.
Children may also leave the care of SOS Children’s Villages for a variety of reasons. When possible and in the best interest of the child, SOS Children’s Villages works with local authorities to reunite children with their families.

However, most children will remain in our care until they are between the ages of 18-23, in accordance with both their individual development and the social and cultural norms of their community.

We will notify you immediately if your sponsored child leaves the care of SOS Children’s Villages. At that time, you will have the opportunity to sponsor another child in need, often within the same village.  

HOW MUCH DOES SPONSORING A VILLAGE COST?
You can choose the amount that you would like to contribute to your sponsored village. Your gift of $20, $35, $100 or more each month will provide a lasting impact for the children who call the village home, as well as their entire community. 

Sign up to sponsor a village today.


WHAT DOES MY MONTHLY GIFT PROVIDE FOR THE CHILDREN IN MY SPONSORED VILLAGE? 
As a village sponsor, you fulfill essential needs for the children you support, including food, clothing, shelter and medical care. However, your gift does so much more—ensuring that all of the children in your sponsored village grow up in nurturing families surrounded by loving parents and siblings. Children living in our SOS Children’s Villages families benefit from more than 70 years of our expertise caring for vulnerable children, including trauma support for children coming from difficult circumstances. The children in your sponsored village also receive quality education and a tailored development plan so they can reach their full potential.

Additionally, your sponsorship gift strengthens the child’s greater community. We have devoted decades to building lasting relationships with children, families and communities around the world. SOS Children’s Villages schools and medical clinics service children in our families as well as other children and families in the area. Additionally, vocational programs teach job skills to children, youth and adults from SOS Children’s Villages families and the surrounding community so they can earn an income and eventually become self-reliant. 


HOW OFTEN WILL I RECEIVE AN UPDATE ABOUT MY SPONSORED VILLAGE?
After signing up to sponsor a village, you will receive a welcome package containing information about your sponsored village, details about the lives of the children who live there, how we help children and families in that country and your first photo of the village. Each year, we’ll mail you two updates about how the children in the village are thriving.


CAN I VISIT THE VILLAGE I SPONSOR? 
While we hope to facilitate village visits again in the future, most of our villages are not currently allowing visitors due to health and safety concerns. The top priority of SOS Children’s Villages is to ensure the health and safety of the children in our care. Though we are always thrilled to hear about the interest our sponsors have in visiting the children in their sponsored village, visits from international travelers may not be in the best interest of the children’s well-being at this time. 


HOW LONG WILL MY SPONSORSHIP LAST? 
Our work to support children and families is long-term. For this reason, your sponsorship will continue until you contact us to end your support.

Ways to donate

HOW DO I MAKE A ONE-TIME DONATION?
To make a donation to SOS Children’s Villages, you can access our secure donation form here. Your donation will build families for children in need, help them shape their futures and contribute to the development of their communities.


HOW DO I DONATE MONTHLY?
To make a monthly donation to SOS Children’s Villages, you can access our secure donation form here. Your committed support ensures that we can continue our programs that serve children and families in need without interruption, fund projects and remain prepared to respond immediately when emergencies arise. 

You can also make a monthly commitment to become a child sponsor or village sponsor

You can rush immediate, life-saving relief to children and families amidst conflict in places like Israel, Palestine and Ukraine or surviving natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. Your donation will support humanitarian crises with the most urgent needs at that moment, providing critical resources for survival and psychological support so children can heal from trauma.

HOW DO I MAKE A GIFT TO SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES IN HONOR OF OR IN MEMORY OF SOMEONE?
Is there someone in your life you want to recognize? Honor this person by making a gift to SOS Children’s Villages in their name. Your inspired gift will better the lives of vulnerable children across the world. Please visit our secure donation form here. 

You can also honor a loved one’s legacy by donating in their memory. Your gift will provide care, love and support to vulnerable children. To donate in memory of someone, please visit our secure donation form here.  

HOW CAN I FUNDRAISE FOR SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES?
Create your own fundraiser with SOS Children’s Villages to raise awareness and support for vulnerable children around the world.

Whether you invite your friends to celebrate your birthday with a donation, host a bake sale, run, dance or bike for SOS Children’s Villages, you will be joining a passionate community committed to ensuring that every child has a loving home.

HOW DO I INCLUDE SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES IN MY WILL OR ESTATE PLANS?
Your decision to remember SOS Children’s Villages-USA, Inc. in your will, estate plan or other long-term financial plan is a beautiful—and powerful—gesture of love. It gives you the satisfaction of knowing that your legacy will live on, helping children for generations to come. Click here to learn more about the variety of ways you can make a planned gift to SOS Children’s Villages.


HOW CAN I GIVE TO SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES THROUGH MY IRA?
Individuals over age 70 ½ can roll over, tax-free, up to $100,000 from their IRA to charity. Your gift will count toward your IRA’s Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). Click here to view a sample instruction letter that you can share with your IRA administrator. Our federal tax ID is 13-6188433.


HOW CAN I GIVE TO SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES THROUGH MY WILL OR TRUST?
Your will or trust can be a way to make thoughtful gifts to care for loved ones and support vulnerable children, in addition to being one of the simplest methods to distribute your estate. By naming SOS Children’s Villages-USA, Inc. as a beneficiary in your will or trust, you can continue to help children in need beyond your lifetime. Click here to download sample bequest language to share with your attorney. Our federal tax ID is 13-6188433.


HOW CAN I DONATE STOCKS OR SECURITIES TO SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES?
Because of tax considerations, you can often give appreciated assets and enjoy the tax deduction, rather than paying capital gains tax. Click here to print our Stock Donation Form, which includes our brokerage and account information. 


HOW CAN I GIVE TO SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES THROUGH MY RETIREMENT PLAN?
You may find that you can make the largest gift of your life from “what’s left” in your retirement account or pension plan. This allows you to provide for your retirement first, and then support charities like SOS Children’s Villages. Contact your plan administrator to update your form(s) and name SOS Children’s Villages-USA, Inc. as a beneficiary of all, or a percentage of, your retirement plan. Our federal tax ID is 13-6188433. 


HOW CAN I GIVE TO SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES THROUGH MY LIFE INSURANCE POLICY?
Do you have a life insurance policy you no longer need? Policies taken out to protect mortgages which have since been paid or educational plans that have been completed make excellent gifts. By naming SOS Children’s Villages-USA, Inc. as a beneficiary of your policy, you can ensure that children for generations to come have a loving home. Our federal tax ID is 13-6188433.

HOW CAN I HAVE MORE IMPACT WITH SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES?
1.    Make fundraising fun! Create a personalized fundraising page and share it with your family and friends to raise awareness and critical funds for children.
2.    Give back through your workplace. Ask your employer if your company matches gifts or participates in a workplace giving program.
3.    Watch an SOS Children’s Villages webinar. Learn more about the impact of your gift directly from our staff and the children and families we support.
4.    Make a difference while you shop. If you shop on Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com and select SOS Children’s Villages USA, Inc. as your charity of choice. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to SOS Children’s Villages.
5.    Follow us on social media. With just a few clicks, you can stay up to date on SOS Children’s Villages news and spread awareness about our life-changing work.


ARE MY CONTRIBUTIONS TAX DEDUCTIBLE?
Yes, SOS Children’s Villages USA, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) and our tax ID is 13-6188433. You will receive a receipt at the time of your donation and an annual tax receipt with your giving total from the prior year in the mail in February. If you would like an electronic statement or you need additional information to make a contribution, please email us at info@sos-usa.org.

General questions

WHAT IS SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES?
Established in 1949, SOS Children’s Villages is the world’s largest organization focused on ensuring that children and young people without parental care—or who are at risk of losing it—grow up with the care, relationships and support they need to become their strongest selves. We work in 138 countries and territories and reach more than 1.2 million people each year. 

Learn more about what SOS Children’s Villages does here. 


WHERE IS SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES?
SOS Children’s Villages works in 138 countries and territories around the world. Centered on our global mission, our model is locally adapted to the needs of individual communities. In fact, with over 99% of our global workforce hired locally, we empower communities to solve problems and build brighter futures. 

Learn more about where SOS Children’s Villages is here. 

The SOS Children’s Villages USA office is based in Washington, DC.


WHO FOUNDED SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES?
Hermann Gmeiner founded the first SOS Children’s Villages location in Austria in 1949, following World War II. Hermann was committed to providing orphaned and abandoned children with a loving family, home and community in which to grow. 

Learn more about the history of SOS Children’s Villages here.


WHAT DOES “SOS” STAND FOR?
SOS stands for "Societas Socialis," which is Latin for "socially responsible society." SOS Children’s Villages founder Hermann Gmeiner and his friends only used the name Societas Socialis for a year before changing it to SOS Children's Villages!

WHAT IS THE SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES MODEL?
SOS Children’s Villages utilizes a comprehensive approach of helping children, families and communities succeed long-term. Our innovative model helps children today and alters the course of their future: creating systemic change with lasting impacts for this generation and beyond. With over 99% of our global workforce hired locally, SOS Children’s Villages is uniquely positioned to tailor programs to the diverse needs and contexts of each community, country and region in which we work.


HOW DOES SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES?
SOS Children’s Villages partners with families who are at risk of losing their children and develops a personalized care plan to improve conditions for the entire household, with a focus on vocational training, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Our work stabilizes childhoods, increases school attendance, raises household income and improves health outcomes for whole families—ultimately benefiting entire communities for generations to come. 


HOW DOES SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES PROVIDE LONG-TERM CARE FOR CHILDREN?
We offer a variety of long-term homes for children who lack parental care:
•    Family-based care: Children are cared for by a dedicated caregiver in small family-like groups in a home setting within a children’s village. Siblings are kept together whenever possible. Each child receives individualized support, education and training until they are ready to transition to adulthood and support themselves. 
•    Foster care: Children are formally placed in the care of one or two adults acting as foster parent(s). Foster families either live in their own homes or in a home provided by SOS Children’s Villages.
•    Small group homes: Small groups of children are cared for by youth care workers, professional child care workers, or dedicated caregivers on a rotational basis. In small group homes, there is a focus on reintegration with the child’s family of origin or preparation for older children to transition to adulthood.


WHY DO CHILDREN LIVE AT SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES?
We believe that every child deserves a loving home. When a child can’t stay with their family, or has no family, we offer them a permanent home in one of our children’s villages. Our villages provide a family-like setting where children grow up alongside their siblings in a stable, nurturing environment.


WHO TAKES CARE OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR VILLAGES?
Each SOS Children’s Villages family is headed by at least one “parent”: a dedicated caregiver who devotes their career to raising children. All of our caregivers are specially trained to help children heal and thrive and give the children in their care the love and support they need to become their strongest selves. 


HOW DOES SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES PROVIDE EDUCATION AND EMPOWER YOUTH?
We educate and empower children to reach their full potential and provide coaching and vocational training to youth entering the workforce. Every child and young adult supported by SOS Children’s Villages receives a quality education, either at an SOS Children’s Villages school or a local school in their community. By enabling access to education and training, and encouraging individual achievement, SOS Children’s Villages provides life-changing opportunities for the world’s most vulnerable children.  


HOW DOES SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS?
Children who have lost or are at risk of losing parental care are among the most vulnerable to violations of their human rights. We advocate for children’s rights in a variety of ways at the local, national and international levels—and encourage children to advocate for themselves.


HOW DOES SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES PROVIDE CARE TO CHILDREN IN EMERGENCY AND CRISIS SITUATIONS?
Our programs support children and families in crisis through initiatives like emergency response, preventing violence against children, ending child trafficking, empowering women and girls and healing childhood trauma.

Because SOS Children’s Villages is rooted in local communities in 138 countries and territories, we are there when disasters strike or conflicts unfold, and we remain there long-term to help communities rebuild and become more resilient.

 
HOW DOES SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES ENSURE AND PROVIDE GENDER EQUALITY? 
SOS Children’s Villages targets the specific needs of women and girls in communities around the world. We provide women of all ages with education, market-relevant skills and the self-confidence to become independent role models and leaders in their communities. At SOS Children’s Villages, our work with women and girls focuses on the areas of prevention of domestic violence, education, gender equality and economic empowerment.

HOW DOES SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES HANDLE CHILD SAFEGUARDING?
SOS Children’s Villages does not tolerate any form of child abuse, exploitation, neglect or violation of a child’s privacy and rights. We work in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.


Our Child Protection Policy focuses on four key action areas: awareness, prevention, reporting and responding. We place special emphasis on awareness and prevention to safeguard children and improve the quality of the care they receive. In the case of a reported child safeguarding concern, it is taken seriously and addressed without delay. This means that:

  • We build the capacities of co-workers, children, young people and families to recognize signs of abuse and how to prevent it.
  • We teach the use of techniques such as positive discipline.
  • We work to eliminate harmful cultural practices.

Any reported child safeguarding incident or concern is carefully assessed, and based on the results of the assessment, concrete actions are decided and put in place.


As the key stakeholders, children are also attending trainings to understand their rights to participate in the decisions that concern their lives and to be a stronger voice in safeguarding.


HOW DOES SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES PROTECT CHILD PRIVACY?
Protecting the rights, dignity and privacy of the children in our care is of paramount importance. In our communications, we change children’s names to protect their privacy or, when it is appropriate, identify them by their first names only. We do not provide sensitive information about the ethnic or religious backgrounds of children in our care. We comply with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation law, which went into effect in 2018. 


WHAT ARE SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES’ POLICIES FOR FINANCIAL REPORTING AND TRANSPARENCY?
At SOS Children’s Villages, transparency and accountability underlie everything we do. We are committed to using all of our funds and resources wisely, ensuring that they are being utilized and accounted for appropriately.


Click here to view our most recent financial statements and annual updates.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES – USA?
We have year-round internship opportunities available on the careers section of our website. Click here to learn more about interning with SOS Children’s Villages – USA and to view our open positions. To start your application, click “Apply Now” under the job that interests you.


HOW DO I APPLY FOR EMPLOYMENT AT SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES – USA?
All open positions are listed on the careers page of our website. To start your application, click “Apply Now” under the role that interests you.


HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER AT SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES?
All volunteer opportunities are exclusively allocated by the national SOS Children’s Villages associations. Please contact the office of the SOS Children’s Villages program you wish to volunteer at if it is outside of the United States. 

To learn more about opportunities to volunteer in our children’s villages in Illinois and Florida, please contact their offices directly: 


DO YOU HAVE ANY INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS OR JOB/VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?
Please visit our international careers page to view find all available positions at our international offices or villages. Each of our villages and offices are independently operated. If you have further questions about any open positions, please contact the SOS Children’s Villages International office here.

Additional Questions?

Please contact our team at info@sos-usa.org or (202)-347-7920