Your Questions Answered
How much does sponsorship cost?
Sponsorship costs a minimum of €23 a month - that is less than 76c a day. 80% of this money is spent directly overseas. The remaining 20% is spent on priority activities such as responding to emergencies, campaigning on behalf of poor people, finding new sponsors and raising additional funds.
In addition, thanks to the government's tax scheme, if you are an Irish taxpayer, ActionAid can reclaim the tax on your donations - increasing their value by about a third at no extra cost to you. Any funds received from tax claims are spent on priority activities where the need is greatest.
As a sponsor, you give a monthly gift. To ensure that your donation is spent as effectively as possible, it funds work in the community where the child you sponsor lives. So you help not only the child you are sponsoring but their family and their whole community.
How long will sponsorship last?
Sometimes, sponsorship ends when we complete our work with a community. On other occasions, sponsorship comes to an end when children finish school. This means that the duration of your support can vary a great deal, although three years is usually the minimum commitment.
What happens after sponsorship?
When sponsorship ends, we will contact you to let you know how you can continue to help the community where the child you are sponsoring lives, as well as other poor people in need.
What happens if I cannot continue as a sponsor?
If your circumstances change and you can no longer sponsor a child, we will understand. We will, however, need to find another sponsor for the child as soon as we can. So the only thing that we ask is that you let us know if you decide to end your support.
Can I decide on the gender, nationality and age of my child?
Unless you make a specific request, we will send you the details of the child and community in greatest need of your support. So if you would prefer to sponsor a child of a specific gender, age or nationality, please call 00 353 (0)1 878 7911 and we'll do our best to help.
Can I send letters and gifts to the child I sponsor?
You are welcome to send messages to the child you are sponsoring. But please do not send them gifts. In a poor community, it would be unfair to single out a child with a gift - which may prove inappropriate in a different culture. Also, in some areas, when they receive your parcel some families may be asked to pay customs charges which they would not be able to afford.