4 tips for writing your first sponsorship letter

So, you’ve become a sponsor? Welcome to the World Help family!

You may be wondering what’s next. You’ve given your first financial gifts for your sponsored child and you’re ready to begin a relationship with him or her. The next step is to get to know your sponsored child and you can do that by writing letters.

But maybe you don’t know what to say for your first letter. So, here are four tips for writing your sponsored child:

1. Introduce yourself

As much as you want to know about your sponsored child, he or she wants to know about you, too! So, in your first letter, introduce yourself like you would if you were making a new friend. It may feel self-centered at first, but it’s OK to talk about yourself. In fact, your sponsored child will love to learn anything about you.

Share your name and what you do for a living. Whether you’re still a student, a lawyer, a stay-at-home parent, or retired, explain your daily life in a way that your sponsored child will understand.

If you’re married and have children or grandchildren, share their names, their ages, and what they like to do. Your sponsored child will want to know your family and the people you love in your life.

2. Show your interests

If I was writing to my sponsored child, I’d tell them how I love to listen to music, cook new meals, and play board games with my husband and friends.

This may sound mundane, but to your sponsored child, he or she will want to know what you enjoy. Maybe they love music and dancing, too. They also love playing games with their friends.

Already your sponsored child will feel close to you from your very first letter.

Even if it seems like a small detail, like you have a couple of potted plants instead of garden or you do the crosswords every morning, your sponsored child will love getting to know more about you.

3. Include photos

When you write your sponsored child, you can also include photos in the envelope.

Send photos of your family, your pet, your flower garden, your hobbies, your favorite meal, or something else you love. Just be mindful not to include photos of houses, cars, or other large purchases because these are most likely things your sponsored child doesn’t have.

Your sponsored child will want to see your smiling face. And sharing photos is a great way to bond with your child.

4. Ask questions

Be sure to include questions for your sponsored child in your letter. Ask about his school, his best friend, his family, and what he likes to do after school.

Sometimes sponsored children don’t know what to say when they write back to their sponsor. It can be intimidating, especially if English isn’t their first language. But, if they have a list of questions to answer, sponsored children are more likely to write back to their sponsors.

Just be sure to keep writing to your child no matter how much they answer or respond. And, if you ever run out of ideas for what to send your sponsored child, subscribe to our blog so you can stay up to date on writing prompts and sponsorship crafts.

After you’ve written your first letter, it’s time to stick it in the mail.

The best way to ensure your letter gets to your child as quickly as possible is to include his or her name and ID number on each piece of your mailing. Start by writing this information at the top of your letter. Then when you’re done, address your envelope like this:

[Sponsored Child’s name and ID #]
c/o World Help Child Sponsorship Program
P.O. Box 501
Forest, VA 24551

So break out the pen and paper and write your first letter to your sponsored child. Or, if you prefer, you can send an email by clicking the button below.

No matter how you choose to communicate, your sponsored child can’t to hear from you! You’re about to begin the journey of a lifetime while transforming the life of a child forever.

Email your sponsored child