Gifts

Yes, you can! Giving a gift to your child's family will bless them. It could help provide income-generating opportunities the family can use to help support themselves and ultimately be released from poverty. It may be used to purchase livestock and household equipment or to establish a small business. Programme staff will work with the family to assess their needs at the time of your gift, and allocate the money in the most effective way to meet these needs.

We understand many supporters would like to be able to choose a larger gift for their sponsored child, but unfortunately we can’t send parcels overseas because of possible theft, high customs charges for our country offices, and delivery costs.  

We can deliver paper-based items that are flat, up to an A4 size and up to 6mm in thickness, such as bookmarks or very thin calendars without metal spirals. Items like postcards and photos will be scanned by Tearfund and sent digitally. Please ensure you write your sponsored child’s number and your supporter number on any items you send us. Please also note we send items overseas twice a year – in February and in August.

We can’t deliver non-paper based items such as balloons, magnets, ribbons, teddy bears, dolls, sporting goods, books or anything made of metal or fabric.  

Our recommendation is to give a financial gift. That way the local staff in your sponsored child’s community will be able to purchase a gift locally, buying something they know your sponsored child would appreciate. This ensures the gift matches your child’s needs, is culturally appropriate and helps to support the local economy. 

It is likely that the next time your child writes to you, they will thank you for the gift they have received, and let you know more information about what it is or how it is being used. If your child doesn’t indicate what was received, please contact us and we can find out for you.

No, you do not have to give gifts to your child or his family. A gift is truly that — a gift. But if you choose to do so, it will be:

•     a memorable experience for the child and his or her family;
•     a tangible expression of your love;
•     a way to strengthen your relationship with the child; and
•     a way to meet a need in the family's life.

Contact our Supporter Relations team by emailing enquiries@tearfund.org.nz or calling 0800 800 777 and they would be happy to assist you in setting this up.

Generally speaking, we advise that a gift will take up to six or eight weeks to reach your sponsored child. This is a conservative estimate; some centres will process their gifts quicker than this, but we use eight weeks as our standard guideline to avoid creating an expectation we can't meet.

The gift process depends largely on the infrastructure in your sponsored child's community. Compassion International records and monitors the process to ensure transparency and accountability, and this is a significant reason for our eight-week guideline.

Don't worry, your sponsored child will still receive a Christmas gift even if you are unable to donate this year. Because all gifts to the Christmas Gift Fund are pooled internationally and distributed to purchase a gift for every Compassion International assisted child, your sponsored child will be unaware that you were unable to pay personally for the gift. Please do not be surprised if your sponsored child writes and thanks you for their gift and tells you what they received.

Even if you cannot send a gift, you can still show your sponsored child they are loved by signing and returning the Christmas card enclosed with the Christmas Gift Fund email letter. These cards are appreciated by Compassion International assisted children just as much as the gifts they receive.

In many cases, the siblings and other family members are included in the child development centre's Christmas celebrations. However, you are most welcome to send a family gift in addition to your Christmas donation. You can state that you would like gifts to be purchased for the other members of your sponsored child's family, and this will be communicated to the centre staff who help choose the gifts according to their needs.

Many of the children and families Compassion International works with live on less than $3 NZD a day. We restrict the size of monetary gifts to avoid creating opportunities for dependence, and to avoid fostering jealousy within the community, which could place a child and his or her family at risk. If you would like to give a financial gift, please contact us by emailing enquiries@tearfund.org.nz or call 0800 800 777. You can also donate a birthday or Christmas gift via the link in the email you receive.

Gift type	Recommended gift range ($ minimum - $ maximum)
Birthday gift	$15 - $150
Christmas gift	No restrictions
Special child gift	$15 - $150
Family gift	$40 - $1500
Project gift	$150 - $3000
Graduation gift*	$15 - $3000

*Graduation gifts can only be donated within the year leading up to your sponsored child’s planned completion date, and up to 90 days after that date.

You may give a gift at any time. Birthdays and Christmas are frequent gift-giving occasions, but you may also give family or special child gifts on other occasions. A graduation gift may be given during the child's final year of sponsorship.

For many families living in abject poverty, receiving a gift from their child's sponsor has the potential to radically change their circumstances. Once you communicate your intention to give a gift, particularly a family or a final gift, we strongly recommended you follow through on your commitment to avoid severe disappointment for the family. You can be assured that their greatest need will be determined through personal consultations between our child development staff and the sponsored child's family.

Please note birthday and Christmas gifts will be sent at the appropriate time. For example, if you donate money in January for your sponsor child’s birthday, which is in July, the money will be sent closer to the actual time so the child/family receives it in July.