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ANSWER - NONE!
This is because NO Sponsorship MONEY is ever given "directly" to a child or their parents - which is also in line with Government policy to encourage community development on a sustainable basis for the future.

• Sponsorship donations are 'pooled together' and sent 'in bulk' each month to the various countries for all children in a ‘specific’ Child Assistance Programme.
  
• Being assured of a regular monthly amount enables the Co-ordinators of each Child Assistance Programme to pre-plan and adequately provide the needs of all children under their supervision in that particular programme. It also enables them to give the practical care each child requires without bias between children, or being handicapped by the timing of when a sponsor pays their support. (You will realise that some sponsors can get behind with their donations while others may wish to pay well in advance.)
  
• Receiving a "reliable" monthly sum helps Programme Leaders in the field to meet the general requirements of sponsorship: nutritious food, healthcare, clothing, shoes, education supplies, school uniforms & fees, etc.

There are some variations in what sponsorship actually “provides the children” in the different countries where International Needs operate, for example –

• In the Philippines an umbrella may be supplied for each child because of heavy seasonal rains.
• In Uganda many children go barefoot so the provision of shoes may not be a high priority. Similarly, dates of birth are not always known so the giving of birthday gifts can be inappropriate.
• Some of our Bangladesh programmes also offer full-time accommodation for children who would otherwise have no safe place to live (which is usually due to the severe poverty of their parents). Children in these programmes require ‘double’ the normal support rate to cover “live-in” costs which are in addition to the usual provisions of sponsorship.
• In Sri Lanka children receive a ‘practical’ gift-parcel at Christmas and Easter. This may include rice for the family, soap & towel, shoes for the child and a personal present for the child.

The provision of Education for the children also varies between countries and specific programmes. In some countries International Needs owns and operates the schools. In others, International Needs has to pay the school fees for the children to attend the local government schools.

We trust this explanation is helpful and assists your understanding of the complexity of answering categorically the “actual amount” of “how much” of a sponsor’s donations goes to any particular child. This is simply because of the many variables in the ways International Needs provides very needy children, throughout many countries of the world, with the vital support they require.

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• 10% is used for General Administration Expenses: Australian Office Overheads: rent, phone, postage, etc.
• 15% is used in Australia for Programme Management of International Needs Child Assistance Programmes:
  Sponsorship Liaison, Report reading, Programme Design, meeting Australian Government requirements, Audit Reviews, etc.
• 5% is used by our Global International Needs Headquarters: for general oversight of all International Needs Supply-Line Countries and Support-Receiving Countries to ensure maximum efficiency in the field.
• 70% is used in the Field Countries for the direct costs of operating the Child Assistance Programmes: which includes all aspects of Child Supervision and Sponsorship Provision requirements.

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There is some variation between countries, but basically your donations cover a child’s education, school supplies, uniform, nourishing food and medical care. All children are involved in Christian education and learning God's Word.

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You may pay your support of $35 per month / $105 quarterly / $210 half-yearly / $420 annually using these options -

• CREDIT CARD (Visa / Bankcard / Mastercard / Diners / Amex) – simply provide us with your card details and our accountant will arrange a direct debit as instructed by you. He will also advise you when your card is close to expiry date. We will send a tax-deductible receipt for your donations six-monthly at the end of June and December each year. ( Note: Some sponsors donate an optional $1 to cover the Card Merchant Fees we are charged for every $30 donated.)
• CHEQUE or MONEY ORDER – mailed to our Australian office. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt within 14-21 days which includes a tear off section for you to return to us with each payment. Kindly note we do not send monthly reminders for your donations but will contact you if your support gets behind to ascertain your wishes.
• NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK DEPOSIT VOUCHER BOOK – we will mail this to you with a letter of explanation and you may pay over the counter at the National Bank. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt for your donations six-monthly at the end of June and December each year.
• PERIODIC PAYMENT – we will send you a letter with details for your bank to make a direct transfer to our National Australia Bank account. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt for your donations six-monthly at the end of June and December each year. Note: Most banks make a significant charge to your account for this service.
• INTERNET BANKING TRANSFER – can be arranged by contacting our accountant.

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YES, Please do! The children love to receive letters and an appropriate Photo of their Sponsor.

Keep in mind … short simple letters about the ‘ordinary things of life’ are best. Language differences may require translation. Avoid telling about the new car or new house, etc, which is beyond their understanding in the circumstances of their own life.

It is not necessary to send your letters to our Australian office (which takes longer as we bulk mail to save postage costs). Simply mail your letters (with adequate stamps) to the address on the bottom of your child’s photo profile (remembering to include your child’s name and identification number on the letter inside the envelope).

IMPORTANT: Please don't put your private return address on your letter or envelope … This is to protect you!
It is most important that all letters from your child come to you through the processing of our Australian office. This is for recording and monitoring purposes. You may of course use our I.N. address as above.

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Your sponsorship money includes a Christmas present for your child. Birthday gifts are also given, except in Africa where birthdays are not usually celebrated. If you wish to include something very small when you are writing that is acceptable ie. stickers, a bookmark etc. There are good Australian stickers and bookmarks with Australian animals on them available from the Post Office and other places - Christian bookshops also have nice stickers and bookmarks.

Please do not send other gifts to your sponsored child. There are a number of reasons for this including ... the fact that the parcel will probably not reach its destination, or it will be pilfered on the way ... our national staff can be charged customs duty at the other end ... gifts differentiate between children, some would receive gifts while others would not.