Because of customs restrictions, Compassion can only send flat paper items with your letters. You can enclose small gifts such as postcards, bookmarks, photos, stamps, stickers or pages from colouring books.

While these gifts may not seem like much, they often thrill the children who receive them. Postcards of Canadian animals and nature are great favourites.

Special Gifts for Your Sponsored Child

Compassion is delighted to help you send special gifts to your sponsored child. We do not mail packages, however, because parcel delivery in developing countries is unreliable and expensive. Instead, we encourage you to send a monetary gift to your child to purchase an appropriate gift locally. You can also send monetary gifts for a specific family or project.

Gifts for your child can mark special occasions such as birthdays and graduation. Most children write to thank their sponsors and say what they have purchased. Compassion Canada will forward 100 per cent of the sum you donate to the child, family or project you designate. If you have a specific gift in mind, you can mention it to us and we will pass your suggestion along. Local project staff will assist children and their families to ensure that funds are used appropriately.

How much should I give?

To help you make positive gifts that will meet needs, Compassion has set the following guidelines:

• Child gifts: A gift of $15 to $40 CDN, for a maximum of two times per year (including a birthday gift). Child gifts over $40 will be considered a family gift, unless specifically designated as a final graduation gift.
• Family gift: A gift of $40 to $450 CDN one time per year, to help your child’s family.
• Project Gift: A gift that goes towards assisting your sponsored child’s project.
• Graduation gift: A one-time gift of $15 to $450 CDN.
• Christmas Gift Fund: At Christmas time, we do not forward gifts to designated children. Instead, we pool all monies received into our Christmas Gift Fund, to ensure that all children in our programs worldwide receive a gift and feel valued. We recommend a gift of $25 per sponsored child.

Other Gifts

Compassion will direct undesignated gifts under $15 to our Partners in Development Fund. We will place monies received for special medical needs in our Medical Fund, and administer the gift to a designated child according to our Medical Fund Guidelines.