Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! Please email us at info@compassion.ca or call us at 1-800-563-5437. Tax receipts are also available for you to download in your My Compassion account. Tax receipts are issued each year no later than February 28th of the following year.

Tax receipts are issued each year no later than February 28th of the following year. Tax receipts are also available for you to download in your My Compassion account.

Yes, Gifts of Compassion are eligible for a charitable tax credit. A charitable tax receipt for all donations made will be issued no later than February 28th of the following year.

All contributions of $10 or more to Compassion Canada are tax deductible in Canada. To be eligible for a receipt, all year end gifts and donations to Compassion must be received by December 31st. Compassion receipts for income tax purposes are issued by February 28th of the following year. The receipt will be mailed to donors as well as be available for download at my.compassion.ca. Receipts must be retained for tax purposes.

Our CRA Business number is 11887-1516 RR0001

No less than 80 percent of your monthly support benefits your child, either directly or indirectly. Compassion-assisted children and their families receive no cash. Benefits are in the form of goods and services, carefully designed, delivered and purchased according to each child’s individual needs.

As a general rule, 20 percent of these funds are invested in the development, oversight, and auditing of Compassion’s programs in which every assisted-child participates. These investments ensure that each child receives the best care possible, rather than becoming the recipient of a handout.

The remaining funds are used to meet the day-to-day needs of each child. This can include:

• nutritional meals and the provision of clean drinking water;
• medical and dental check-ups, care and education;
• educational supplies and tuition fees;
• clothing including school uniforms;
• non-formal educational and life-skills training such as participation in excursions and camps;
• extra-curricular activities such as drama, dance, music and art etc.; and
• biblical training and discipleship

Our local church partners also invest considerable resources in the development of each child, allowing Compassion and the church to help bring an eternal solution to poverty in the life of a child.

Yes! We have a Gifts of Compassion catalogue. All items in our gift catalogue are available through our online store. We would be happy to provide you with paper copies of the catalogue if you wish. Please email us at store@compassion.ca or call 1-800-563-5437.

Click here to go to our online store.

For each gift you order, you will receive a gift card for you to personalize for your friends and loved ones that explains how the gift you have purchased will benefit an individual or family living in poverty.

You can easily donate to Compassion Canada through internet banking. Just like adding a payee for paying bills, search for Compassion Canada and use your supporter number as the account number. Your supporter number will start with an “8-,” and be followed by 8 digits.

Depending on the bank you may need to omit the “8” or the dash. If your donation is for anything other than sponsorship—such as Urgent Needs, Christmas Gift Fund, etc.—please provide instructions in the notes section.

Presently, we work with Royal Bank, Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust, Bank of Montreal, CIBC, Canadian Western Bank, Citizens Bank and Credit Unions located in the provinces of British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Alternatively, you can make a donation by credit card through our secure website.

The gifts shown in the Gifts of Compassion catalogue are linked to specific initiatives being supported through our Respond with Compassion programs. While we will not be able to name the individual or family that benefits from your donation, we will be reporting on all these initiatives as they are completed at the field.

Donations can be made by pre-authorized withdrawal (bank account or credit card), internet banking, telephone banking, Interac online, cheque or money order. These withdrawals can be made monthly or annually. Pre-authorized donations are safe, easy and convenient. Pre-authorized withdrawal from your bank account is our preferred method of payment, as it saves Compassion hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in transaction fees. Automatic withdrawals can be setup through our website by completing the Update Your Information form or by calling our office. Cheques made out to Compassion Canada will be accepted, as will money orders. Unfortunately deposits can not be made directly into Compassion’s bank account.

Click here to go to the Update Payment Details form. 

Yes, it is possible for a group to sponsor one child. We have a few options to make donations simpler.

For a group of up to five people, we can set up separate accounts for each sponsor and connect them to the same child. Each person is responsible for their own donations and can choose the withdrawal option (credit card, bank withdrawal, check, online banking, etc.) that best suits them.

If the group consists of more than five people and individual tax receipts are required, please submit the names, contact information and donation amounts for each contributor to our office. We assign one person to be the main contact. That person is responsible for coordinating donations based on the group’s preference. Alternatively, anyone in the group is welcome to send donations using the group’s supporter number.

Follow the link to search for a child your group can sponsor.

Yes, donations can be made by pre-authorized withdrawal from your Visa or MasterCard. You can also call our office to charge your credit card with a lump sum for your sponsorship.

Click here to setup a monthly pre-authorized withdrawal from your credit card.

Please contact our office and we would be happy to check this for you.

You can also create an online account at My Compassion  to see when you sent your most recent donation.

You can easily donate to Compassion Canada through your financial institution’s phone banking service. The payee is Compassion Canada and you can use your supporter number as the account number. Your supporter number will start with an “8-,” and be followed by 8 digits.

Depending on the bank you may need to omit the “8” or the dash. If your donation is for anything other than sponsorship—such as Urgent Needs, Christmas Gift Fund, etc.—please instruct the bank to include a note.

Presently, we work with Royal Bank, Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust, Bank of Montreal, CIBC, Canadian Western Bank, Citizens Bank and Credit Unions located in the provinces of British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Alternatively, you can make a donation by credit card by calling our Contact Centre at 1-800-563-5437 or through our secure website.

No. The Canada Revenue Agency states that we must receipt the person that gave the donation.

You can change your credit card information through the Update Your Information form on our website or by calling our office. Thank you for supporting Compassion.

Click here to go to the Update Payment Details form.

While gifts can be ordered year-round, if you require gift cards for Christmas, we recommend you make your order by December 10th. Electronic cards are available at any time for download through the website. Please allow at least 10 business days for your card to arrive.

Funds raised from the Gifts of Compassion catalogue are used to support Compassion’s Response Programs. Should excess funds be raised in a particular area, we will meet other urgent needs as they arise.

Your gift amount will not be included on the card.

Yes, we can make this happen for you. We would need the contact information for the friend or family member so that we can give them the picture and profile of the child they are starting to sponsor. If the friend or family member was willing, we could still have the letters from the sponsored child come to you and you could continue to write to this child. Please contact our office by phone or by email so that we can make this change for you.