Q: How can I be sure that my gift is actually benefiting my child?

Although you are sponsoring one child that you “adopt,” your monthly gift actually benefits an entire orphanage so that in each orphanage, sponsored children are not given preferential treatment over unsponsored children. Our prayerful goal is to find sponsors for every child at every orphanage that we assist (and we hope that you might even help us find sponsors by sharing about your child with others). In any case, your monthly gift directly benefits your child and other children in the same orphanage.

Soul Saver Ministries is committed to using no more than 10% of all funds received for administrative and fund-raising purposes. So each month, at least 90% of your gift directly benefits orphans. This percentage is very commendable among nonprofit organizations.

Soul Saver Ministries will only work with orphanages that we have personally visited and with orphanage directors whom we have met (with the exception of the orphanages in India, which we will hope to visit in 2007). Every orphanage we assist is required to have a board of trustees consisting of respected Christian leaders within the community who are not the director’s family members or orphanage employees. We require an annual accounting from every board of each orphanage.

Soul Saver Ministries is also overseen by a similar board of directors. Annual financial statements are available upon request. We are committed to financial integrity.

Q: Are my contributions tax-deductible?

In Australia yes Soul Saver Ministries is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization recognized by the Australia Tax Office. We are also hoping to obtain tax-exempt charity status in other countries where our sponsors live. If you would like to help us in that regard, please contact us at admin@soulsaverministries.org.

Q: Can I write a cheque for an entire year of sponsorship?

Yes. You can contribute monthly, quarterly, yearly, or whatever way is best for you. We would prefer, however, that you do this online at our page CONTACT US as this reduces our administration expenses. Click Paymate.

Q: I live outside the Australia. Can funds be automatically withdrawn from my bank account?

Unfortunately no, however, we can accept chegues from foreign banks. Please make certain that the amount of your contribution is equivalent to $25 U.S. dollars, and add 5% for our bank's currency exchange fee. Please write to admin@soulsaverministries.org with your request to pay by cheque, then we will forward you with our personal address details. Another way to contribute from any country is through your credit card via our website, CONTACT US simply click on the "Paymate" link which is located at the bottom of this page. Thais will connect you to the Paymate where you can follow their simple instructions.

Q: Can I make a “one-time” contribution?

Yes! Practically every orphanage with which we work with has need for capital improvements. Orphanages are in need of dorm buildings, water wells, toilets and kitchen facilities and so on. Your single gift can have a lasting impact on the quality of life for many orphans.

Q: Can these children be adopted? Wouldn’t that be a better way to help them?

There is no doubt that adoption would be a better way to help orphans. International adoption is possible in many countries (click here to see the list). Even if children could be adopted from any and every country in the world, there are over 100 million orphans in the world, and there just aren’t enough people who want to and who can afford to adopt them. So child sponsorship is the best alternative we presently have.
  
Q: Can I correspond with my child?

Administrating a correspondence program adds considerable expense to child sponsorship programs, such as international postage and the employment of translators. We want to keep our sponsorship costs as low as possible. Additionally, children whose sponsors don’t write as frequently as other children’s sponsors can be wrongly led to believe that they are less loved. Sponsors are often burdened with enough neglected responsibilities that they don’t need even more nagging guilt regarding neglected correspondence with their orphan. Finally, because some sponsors adopt numerous orphans, for them, correspondence with all their children would be impossible. Although it is not possible to correspond with your child, it is possible to visit your child at his or her orphanage in a group tour. (For information, please contact us by e-mail at orphan@soulsaverministries.org.

Q: Can $30 a month really provide what an orphan needs?

Keep in mind that all of the orphanages that are assisted by Soul Saver Ministries will already be in operation when we began our partnerships. All of them will already be receiving limited assistance from Christians or churches in their own countries, but they are struggling. With your help, we are able to significantly improve the quality of the lives of the children. The idea is to help existing orphanages with supplemental support that already exists. That way we aren’t robbing indigenous Christians of the blessing of obeying the Lord’s commandments to care for orphans, nor are we creating a market for orphans or promoting unhealthy dependencies. And we are glad to provide a means whereby any Christian in the world can find the joy of obeying God’s commandment to care for orphans.