Existing Sponsors

Girls making heart shape with their hands in Vietnam

My Sponsorship

As a sponsor, you're part of an amazing community supporting children growing up around the world. The connection you have with your sponsored child is unique and we hope you enjoy it.

As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic continues, your sponsorship experience may be different than usual. You can find the latest details, including information about sending letters, receiving updates and visiting your sponsored child in our COVID-19 FAQs for sponsors.

We'll keep you updated about the impact your sponsorship is having around the world and should you need to change your contact details at any time, just let us know.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Luz Clarita washes her hands while wearing a mask at her home in Cuzco, Peru
Luz Clarita washes her hands while wearing a mask at her home in Cuzco, Peru. Photo credits: Plan International / Fiorella Ramos

Coronavirus

Information for Sponsors

We want to reassure sponsors of the steps we’re taking to protect children and communities against the coronavirus pandemic. Please read our CEO Rose Caldwell’s message on our response.

Communications are currently taking longer than usual as we ensure the safety of the communities where we work. We are closely monitoring the situation to make sure we can respond quickly if any sponsored children are impacted by the virus. If a sponsored child has been affected, if possible we will share any information we can with their sponsor.

We continue to support hygiene practices and ensure the communities we work with have the materials and training they need to prevent the spread of diseases and to help children stay healthy.

Read more in our blog posts or find out more in our coronavirus FAQs:

Read the FAQs

Write to your sponsored child

Writing to your sponsored child is a great way to learn more about them and build a friendship. They’d love to learn more about you as well! Find out more about the journey of your letter by watching this short video.

You can write a letter by hand and post it to our London office or click the button below to send a letter via our online postbox.

Communications are currently facing severe delays due to the pandemic, but please rest assured we will get your letters delivered as soon as we can.

Send a letter

The impact of your letter

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Children love hearing from their sponsor

We regularly hear wonderful stories of how children have gone on to become doctors or teachers because of the encouragement they received from their sponsor
For every child sponsored, 55 additional children will benifit

Send your letter on an amazing journey

Our staff deliver your letters to your sponsored child and make sure they’re translated

Sponsored children love writing letters

On average, they send over 50,000 a year!
Girl writing sponsored child

Gift a sponsorship to a loved one

Whether it’s a birthday or another special occasion, sponsorship makes a unique and wonderful gift that, now more than ever, will be truly appreciated by a child living through the toughest circumstances.

Your loved one can exchange letters and photos with their sponsored child and see the amazing difference sponsorship is making.

Give someone an incredibly special experience with the gift of sponsorship.

Find out more
12-year-old Layza is a sponsored child in Brazil

Your role in keeping children safe

Safeguarding children and young people is at the heart of what we do – and our child sponsors have a unique role to play in keeping the children we work with safe.

That's why we ask all our sponsors to follow some key guidelines when they write to, visit, or share information about their sponsored child.

Read more
Tort was a sponsored child in Cambodia
Tort is a graduate from our child sponsorship programme in Cambodia. Photo credit: Plan International / Stephan Rumpf

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER CHILD SPONSORSHIP?

There are a few reasons why child sponsorship may end: when a child reaches 18 they will graduate from sponsorship, we may achieve our goals in the community where the child lives, or a child and their family may move out of the community where we are working.

Many of our sponsors continue to support their sponsored child right up until they turn 18. But what happens after a child leaves our sponsorship programme?

We spoke to four inspiring graduates - Evelyn, Elizabeth, Tort and Ronald – to discover how sponsorship changed what happened next in their lives.

Read their stories
Coby Viergever reads 6th birthday card to her sponsored child Esteyedí at her home
Coby Viergever reads 6th birthday card to her sponsored child Esteyedí at her home. Photo credit: Marieke Viergever

Visit your sponsored child

Some of our sponsors visit their sponsored child to see for themselves how Plan International’s work is raising the community out of poverty. Children are at the heart of everything we do, and we adhere to safeguarding principles throughout all visits. Before a visit is organised sponsors will have to undertake appropriate checks and will be accompanied by a member of our team throughout their time in the community.

Visiting your sponsored child will leave you both with treasured memories and a closer bond, and give you an insight into another culture.

Please note that due to coronavirus, sponsor visits are currently paused.

Find Out More

Frequently answered questions

What can I say in my letters?

You can ask about their school, their favourite subjects and games, their family or what they want to be when they grow up.

When will I hear back?

You should receive a welcome letter from your sponsored child within 2-3 months after you start sponsoring them, but feel free to write before then.
More FAQs

How long do I sponsor a child?

You can continue to sponsor a child until they are 18 years old. In some cases, if we achieve our goals in the community or the child moves home your sponsorship may end before then.

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