FAQ
Our sponsors become cosponsors and donations will be used to purchase food to your sponsored child.
Our goal is two cosponsors for each child in Iran to ensure a stable system of support that is more independent of government turbulance. One sponsor, through our Iran partner, provides a stipend from inside Iran or another country unencumbered by US sanctions on Iran. You can be or are already the second cosponsor who, through Child Foundation, provides food. Your support will fill your sponsored child’s Child Foundation-issued student food card each month.
This card is functionally a grocery store gift card used to claim the food imported for that child.
Sponsorship dollars go to providing food for the intended child’s family. Imported food will be distributed throughout Iran via a large, independent chain grocery store. This means, each month, families can collect the food at their convenience and with complete dignity.
Child Foundation promised that the new sponsorship program would genuintely benefit children and their families, operate efficiently, withstand political turbulence, and abide by regulations in both countries. These are our commitments.
Together, we can ensure the wellbeing of our thousands of young students will be independent of government politics as food is not sanctioned and is needed more than ever.
We love it when our sponsors show extra generosity for a child’s birthday or the holidays that matter the most to them like the Iranian New Year (Nowruz). Any extra gift will be assigned to your child’s Child Foundation-issues student food card as early as possible so that they can receive extra food for their family.
Even if you want to send extra support “just because”, we welcome the gesture and your sponsored child will know you were thinking of them. Please consider sending a birthday note as well by emailing our office ( [email protected] ) with the message you want to send.
We are excited that food is not sanctioned by the US government because grocery costs are a significant burden for the average Iranian household and even more so for our sponsored students’ families as need and academic motivation are the two most important qualifications for Child Foundation scholarships. Reports from our Iran partner office indicate food insecurity is an even more urgent need now for low-income families. We can help put food in front of our sponsored children and so we will.
We have seen the Iran program’s impact in students’ reports that the financial and emotional support over the years helped them excel. We are confident that the program’s impact will continue because food is a basic need that families must meet for their young scholars to stay in school. We know that hungry students struggle to learn.
We have hundreds of children today who want to learn and qualify for sponsorship. Their families are in need. Sponsoring a child today gets food on the way to their family in the next shipment.
Keep in mind that the economic conditions in Iran have worsened. Food prices have risen alarmingly, and the problematic economy has also resulted in some food and employment shortages. These young scholars need their education and our support to get it.
Our Iran partner will issue your sponsored child’s student food card and fill it each month with credit for the food Child Foundation imported. The third party grocery store will report the food claimed to our Iran office to ensure that families struggling with the process get support. We designed a smart and agile system.
Our social workers are regularly in contact with the children and want to assure each family gets the food it needs.
Further, sponsors are welcome to reach out to their sponsored children by letter. Video and phone chats will be available again after the pandemic subsides.
The food imported may differ from month to month. As of 2020, the Iranian government allows the import of the following four types of food:
- Meat (frozen)
- Legumes (beans and lentils)
- Rice
- Tea
At different harvest times of the year, the Iranian government shifts import allowances and we expect to be able to import sugar and other items in the future.
Child Foundation is concerned for the sponsored children in Iran and wants to provide stable support. The food package program is demonstrating to be both helpful and reliable for our students. For the foreseeable future, we expect to continue this program even after our new OFAC application (currently in process with the US government) is approved as this type of license’s renewal process is resource intensive and not transparent.
Given OFAC’s recent delays, we expect the review of our new application to take many months.
Sponsorship support sent to Child Foundation during the OFAC pending period are in our restricted funds. Child Foundation sent a request to the US Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control for their authorization to send donations as cash. However we can purchase food at anytime and gradually disburse it if OFAC does not respond to our request in the next few months.
US sanctions on Iran are among the strictest in the world and make working with our partner office in Iran extremely challenging. For 26 years we have supported children in Iran to the extent that US law allowed. For many years, we were able to send funds to families in Iran but that changed in 2019 when US OFAC decided in November of 2019 not to renew the license we used to do that work. We are now importing food into the country to support the thousands of young students in our program so that they can focus on their studies.
Our other programs do not have the same limitations and, as a result, we are able to support children differently in countries like Afghanistan, India or Indonesia.
Child Foundation takes US laws and regulations seriously. We also operate each program as per the laws and regulations in each country receiving our sponsors’ donations or aid. US sanctions do not prohibit the import of food. In years past, Child Foundation legally sent money to Iran for our sponsored children as per our previous OFAC license (granted by the US Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control). In January of 2020, we applied for a new OFAC license and in the meantime will only be importing food for our sponsored children.
Yes, Child Foundation still has access to the General License E from OFAC which allows us to raise and send funds for humanitarian and disaster relief efforts. This license allows us to send up to $500,000 to Iran every 12 months. We used the license to send aid after the Kermenshah earthquake and several major floodings. Our current fundraiser for Iran care packages is addressing urgent food insecurity in Iran due to the coronavirus and you are welcome to donate as this money will be sent to our Iran partner to help our most vulnerable children.
You are welcome to contact our office by email at [email protected] and by phone at (503) 224-0409. We would appreciate a personal conversation with you about these details.
The child will receive your support roughly 1-2 months after a sponsor has initiated sponsorship and paid the first month’s support. It is possible for support to take a bit longer for Iranian children as food shipment arrivals may not be aligned well with the beginning of your sponsorship. However, the support will be passed on as soon as is possible to help the child focus on studies and remain in school.
Often, you are not. Sometimes a child’s scholarship is around $60 per month. If you sponsored the child for $30 per month, we will be searching for a second sponsor to meet the child’s needs completely. In that case, you are a cosponsor alongside another sponsor living in your community.
Your sponsorship of a child in Iran is a different kind of cosponsorship. Our Iran program is carefully designed and implemented to meet the complex legal requirements of US sanctions on Iran. The Iran partner office finds a sponsor to provide a stipend while our office finds a sponsor to fill the child’s family’s Student Food Card (a grocery store gift card to claim food imported for the child and issued by the Child Foundation partner in Iran) each month. Reports from the Iran partner office indicate food insecurity is an urgent need for low-income families. A significant portion of a family’s meager income is budgeted for food. Cosponsored families can buy specific food items we import and have delivered to a nearby grocery store. Together, we can ensure the wellbeing of our thousands of young students in Iran will be independent of government politics as food is not sanctioned and is needed more than ever.
All communication between sponsors and sponsored children is supervised by the Child Foundation USA office and the local office in the child’s country. There are three ways you can reach out to the child. The most common means is by writing a letter. Please write your letter either in English or the child’s native language and send it to the Child Foundation office mailing address or email. Sponsors can also request a translated and supervised call or video chat by contacting Child Foundation at [email protected] or (503) 224-0409. Due to COVID-19, a call or video chat may not be possible at this time and we encourage sponsors to write letters.
As initial support can take roughly 1-2 months to reach the child, we suggest sponsors send their first letter or request their first phone or video chat 2-3 months after first filling out the sponsorship application. Please see the “How can I communicate with my sponsored child?” question for more.
Roughly every six months, sponsors will receive a progress report prepared by the child’s social workers. New sponsors may not receive a progress report for up to nine months. Usually, the child’s grades, social worker’s report, new photos, and a letter from the student are included. The social worker will mention urgent needs the family faces so that sponsors can choose to send extra one-time support if they would like to.
Additionally, Child Foundation will notify sponsors two months prior to each child’s birthday and important holidays that impact the child so that sponsors can celebrate the child with a letter or gift.
Sponsors can donate an extra amount in a one-time donation for a child’s birthday, holiday, or at any time the sponsor desires. Sponsors are also more than welcome to send extra support as a one-time donation based on a child’s urgent needs as explained in a progress report or otherwise.
Sponsors can always inquire about their child’s wellbeing by calling ((503) 224-0409) or emailing our office ([email protected]). We will reach out to the partner office in the child’s country to learn from the social worker if the child needs extra support at this time. Unfortunately, sometimes family members become ill or unemployed. In natural disasters, homes may be damaged. Sponsors can send extra money for food, rent, clothing, or heat to be used as the family sees fit. The sponsor may also request that a specific item is purchased for the family (i.e., refrigerator, laptop, bicycle, etc.) which the partner office will purchase and deliver on the sponsor’s behalf. Child Foundation will receive a receipt and/or other evidence the child received the gift. Due to sanctions placed on Iran by the US government, Child Foundation is unable to provide extra support to children outside of additional food. If a sponsor gives a one-time donation to their sponsored child in Iran, the child’s family will receive extra food to further offset the family’s food costs and nourish the child.
Child Foundation works closely with an accountant with extensive experience in nonprofit accounting and financial management to ensure funds are spent in accordance with our donors’ intentions. Each year, we voluntarily perform an audit through Hoffman, Stewart and Schmidt, an independent licensed auditing company. The audit complies with the Internal Revenue Service’s regulations. The results and full financial statements are available here.
Additionally, gifts above and beyond the monthly sponsorship for children living in countries like Afghanistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Tajikistan will mean that sponsors receive a thank you letter and evidence the gift was received. For example, if you pay for a bicycle for your sponsored child in Afghanistan, you will soon receive a thank you letter and photo of the child with the gift once it has been delivered.
Child Foundation commits to facilitating the support of a sponsored child until they are finished with their education. This means that a child may choose not to go to college after high school and they will have “graduated” from our program. If they choose to go to college, we hope you will be their sponsor until they have finished their program. We are proud to have medical doctors and researchers among our graduates who received support into masters and doctoral programs.
Child can otherwise leave the program or become “inactive” if they no longer qualify based on their family’s improved economic stance, repeatedly poor performance in school even after tutoring and extra classes, unwillingness to cooperate with social workers’ reporting, or other various reasons. As the sponsor, you would receive a notification of the child’s inactivation with a written rationale and final letter (if possible). At that point, our office will coordinate with you to match you with a new child in need of support.
You may cancel your sponsorship at any time as there is no contractual obligation to support the student for a specific amount of time. We appreciate your notice and reason for cancelation with one month’s notice via email to [email protected]. Your advanced notice will help us find another sponsor for the child so that their success is not disrupted.
We do our best to honor your request for sponsorship payments. If you want to pay by credit card, you may pay on our website or setup a recurring payment through our office. If you want to pay by check, you can write and send the check to our office using the statement and return envelop Child Foundation sends. Otherwise, you can set up online bill pay through your bank.
To update your address, contact or credit card information, please call our office at 503-224-0409 ext.34 or visit our secure website to fill the Update Your Information form here.
Established in 1994, Child Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in the state of Oregon. Child Foundation is currently supporting children in Iran, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, and the United States.
Our Sponsorship Program provides ongoing economic stability for children in need, enabling them to remain in school. Sponsorship creates a unique relationship between an individual donor and a sponsored child. By pairing up a child with one or more sponsors, this child is able to obtain the necessary relief that they need. Generally, children sponsored through Child Foundation's programs are supported for their entire academic career. For some children, this is until high school, for others, it may include college. Sponsor a child now!
Our mission and purpose as a public charity is to help gifted and talented children who are economically disadvantaged remain in school. Child Foundation supports children and their respective families to overcome the burdens of poverty so that they can become healthy, educated, self-sustaining and contributing members of society.
Child Foundation is supervised by a Board of Directors, who are all serving as volunteers. Their names and information can be found here.
The US sanctions concerning Iran are complicated but we have excellent experience legally navigating them to benefit the Iranian people.
We have secured a General License E from OFAC which allows us to raise and send funds for humanitarian efforts. This is the kind of aid you helped us send when the recent earthquake and flood caused so much destruction.
For several years, we had permission to transfer cash stipends in our Iranian student sponsorship program. In November 2019, we are denied a third renewal of that original OFAC license and are in the process of returning the program to a food package sponsorship system. Food is not subject of sanctions. Given the increase of good prices in Iran, such packages will relieve some of the burden felt by vulnerable families and help children focus on their education.
Child Foundation works closely with an accountant experienced in nonprofit accounting and financial management to ensure funds are spent in accordance with our donors’ intention. We voluntarily perform an annual audit each year that complies with the Internal Revenue Service’s regulations. Full financial statements are available on our website.
There are many ways that you can check Child Foundation's financial history and operations. As a public charity we are registered with the following organizations. You can check their website to see how they've rated us.
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Charity Navigator: America's premier charity evaluator has given Child Foundation their highest rating (Four Stars)
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GuideStar: The national database of nonprofit organizations operating in the U.S. has given Child Foundation its gold rating (The Gold Participant)
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Independent Charities of America: ICA has provided Child Foundation with their highest seal of approval (Best). Out of over a million charities in America, fewer than 2,500 have been awarded this seal, and Child Foundation is one of them.
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Child Foundation's programs have been endorsed by the United Nations and we are currently registered with the Department of Public Information Non-governmental Organizations (DPI.NGO).
Child Foundation's annual and fiscal reports are always available to the general public. You can read our annual reports here and view our financial reports (done by an independent auditor) and our tax returns here.
Yes, in 2012 the audit committee of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) examined all of Child Foundation's accounts for the last five years and concluded that all income, expenses, and credits had been reported accurately. According to the IRS letter, Child Foundation continues to qualify for exemption from Federal Income Tax and will continue to hold a 501(c)(3) status.
Additionally, a 13-month IRS audit came to a close on May 1, 2020. The IRS examined two years' worth of documentation including all governing instruments, contracts, licenses, board and committee meeting minutes, and accounting and financial statements. Specifically, the IRS auditor examined:
Every wire transfer sent by Child Foundation USA over the last two years including those sent to Afghanistan and Iran.
Each memorandum of understandings (MOU) which set out how Child Foundation USA works with each affiliate office around the world.
Each contracted trustee, officer, director, and key employee contract to ensure transparent, reasonable wages.
All donations, tracing their being applied to the intended campaign or child with only reasonable and reported overhead cost reductions.
The criteria for selecting children eligible for programs and how needs were assessed. We explained our internal auditing process which verifies that resources are received by children and used to support their education.
Our independent auditor and their records.
We received a flawless finding from IRS with no changes to our status as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. The successful audit was no surprise to Child Foundation. We are proud to be a top-rated and transparent organization who put the welfare of children at the center of all we do.
Child Foundation maintains low overhead through a myriad of methods: 1. Providing programs to large number of children in concentrated areas, helping us to efficiently and effectively distribute services. 2. Making sure our social workers are trained volunteers who live in that country or region. 3. Actively pursuing donations from corporations and companies. 4. Organizing fundraising events with trained volunteers. 5. Maximizing resources by operating with a small staff who each assume a variety of roles. 6. Utilizing volunteers throughout the United States and other countries who help Child Foundation.
Afghanistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Nepal Sponsorship Programs
Your donated dollars will be sent to the child or children you are sponsoring in the form of a stipend. The stipend supports the child's education by helping with their school-related costs and living expenses so they can focus on learning.
Iran Sponsorship Program
Your donated dollars will purchase and distribute food packages for each student and their family. The food will be shipped to Iran, adhering to US sanction which do not require a license to send food, medicine, and medical equipment. We will prioritize non-perishable and culturally-typical foods like rice, lentils, beans, and oil.
Yes. All contributions made to Child Foundation are deductible from taxable income in the U.S. Every January, Child Foundation sends an official statement to its donors that reflects all of their donations from the previous year. Our tax ID number is 93-1148608.
Many sponsors participate in their company's Matching Gift Program. Matching Gift Programs enable employers to double, triple and sometimes quadruple their employee's charitable contributions. Simply contact your human resources department and ask if your company has a Matching Gift Program for public charities.
Although Child Foundation's main goal is to help children stay in school, we do provide humanitarian aid to help children and their families when there is an urgent need. Child Foundation was very active when deadly earthquakes hit Afghanistan, Haiti, Japan, Pakistan, and Turkey and collected both in-kind and cash donations to help rebuild the countries. Our Afghanistan office regularly organizes blood drives to help children with thalassemia and provides free rides for their blood transfusions. We also fundraise for children who need to undergo expensive surgeries or treatments that they cannot afford.
There are many ways that you can help Child Foundation assist children in need.
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Sponsor a child: Go to our Sponsor page and choose one or more children to help.
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Donate: You can visit our one-time donation page and choose any of our humanitarian projects in which you are interested in, and help launch or continue that program through your generosity.
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Volunteer: Please complete our volunteer application, and we will contact you to see how we can work together to help children in need.
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Spread the Word: Talk to your friends and family about Child Foundation's humanitarian activities and share your own experience with them. If you need additional copies of our annual magazine, annual report, or just a list of our children waiting to be sponsored, please contact us and we will send them to you.
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Follow us: We are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. You can follow us on our social media outlets or just send us your e-mail and we will send you our bi-monthly newsletter.