FAQ’s

World Help is a Christian humanitarian organization serving the physical and spiritual needs of impoverished communities around the world. We are dedicated to providing help for today and hope for tomorrow.

World Help was born out of a sincere desire to help those in need, both physically and spiritually. Founded in 1991 by Vernon Brewer, World Help began providing God’s Word to the spiritually starved nations of Eastern Europe. We soon began providing medical equipment and other aid as well and eventually grew into an organization that has impacted more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.

See more of World Help’s founding story here.

Financial responsibility is a key facet of World Help, and the trust of our supporters is critical to everything we do. Because of this, we submit ourselves to annual review by an independent auditor, as well as several independent, nonprofit financial watch groups. We have the highest star-ratings from Charity Navigator and accreditation from the ECFA.

Read more about our financials here.

Since inception, World Help has worked with national partners in 70 countries. Below is a list of the countries we currently work in:

• Afghanistan
• Belize
• Brazil
• Burundi
• Central African Republic
• China
• Colombia
• Cuba
• El Salvador
• Ethiopia
• Guatemala
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Hungary
• India
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Lithuania
• Malawi
• Moldova
• Morocco
• Myanmar
• Nepal
• Nicaragua
• Nigeria
• North Korea
• Palestine
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Romania
• Russia
• Rwanda
• Somalia
• South Korea
• Sri Lanka
• Syria
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• USA
• Venezuela
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

We believe . . .

• The Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.

• That there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

• That for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

• In the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

• In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

• In the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

To sponsor a child online, go to worldhelp.net/sponsor.

If you attended a World Help event and received a printed biography of a child you would like to support, you can click the Search by Child ID button and enter that child’s unique ID number printed on the biography to locate them and start sponsoring.

Otherwise, you can search for a child to sponsor using the Country, Gender, and Age filters on the page. Once you have chosen a child, click the Sponsor Me button. You will then need to click the Cart button in the top right corner of your screen and complete the checkout process to finalize your sponsorship.

If you need any help, please feel free to call or email us.

Absolutely! We highly encourage our sponsors to write to their sponsored children. The letters you send to your child are an opportunity to mentor, encourage, and stand alongside a child in need. Even if they do not write back right away, your letters are a continuous reminder to your child that he or she is loved, prayed for, and supported. Photos are also a great addition to your letter!

Please be sure to write your sponsored child’s name and ID number at the top of your letter and include your donor account number with your return address on the outside of your envelope. All letters and packages are to be sent to:

You can also submit a letter to your child online or by emailing childsponsorship@worldhelp.net.

We ship correspondence to our programs at least every other month. Some programs may receive correspondence more often as we have teams traveling periodically to those locations, or during the holidays to accommodate the large amount of correspondence we tend to receive at those times. Sending mail internationally presents its own set of challenges, taking an estimated 6 to 10 weeks from when it leaves your home to reach your sponsored child. We also track each shipment to ensure safe arrival at its final destination.

Sometimes the letters you receive from your sponsored child may seem impersonal, or they may not directly address the questions you asked in your most recent letter. There are a few reasons for this.

Many children are still learning to read, write, and speak in English. To help with this, their teachers may give them a letter prompt or template to follow. Younger children who are not able to write may opt to draw a picture instead. Other times, one of our partners at the program may help construct a letter with them or write on their behalf.

We encourage you to keep writing to your child, sharing stories, and asking specific questions. Sponsored children love to hear from their sponsors, often keeping the letters in a special place to read over and over again.

We recognize that your gifts are charitable donations, provided on an at-will basis. Because of this, we do not send bills each month. Each time you make a donation you will be mailed a receipt, along with a reply piece and envelope you may use to send in your next gift.

If you sent a gift but have not received a receipt, there are a few reasons why this might have happened. We may have an old address on file, your receipt may have been lost in the mail, or your receipt preferences may be set to “Email Only” or “No Receipt.” Please email help@worldhelp.net or call us toll free at 800-541-6691 so we can determine the issue and help resolve it.

Since shipping large packages internationally is very difficult due to various taxes and restrictions placed on foreign imports, we ask that any gifts you send to your sponsored child fit inside a 6×9-inch or smaller envelope. Your child greatly appreciates receiving anything from you, so enjoy being creative in what you send!

Some popular items include stickers, colored pencils, small coloring books or notepads, hair accessories, handmade crafts or drawings, postcards, and bookmarks.

As a reminder, please do not send cash to your sponsored child since direct financial gifts can cause issues of jealousy among the children and can put the child who receives the monetary gift in danger. If you wish to make an additional cash contribution to your child, please email help@worldhelp.net or call toll free 800-541-6691 about how to do so. You can also make a special, additional financial gift to your child for their birthday, Christmas, and back-to-school season.

In many cases, yes! World Help offers a variety of trip options that may provide you the opportunity to meet your sponsored child. For more details on upcoming trips, please visit our Trips Page.

You may also be able to plan your own trip to visit your sponsored child. Each visit will be handled on a case-by-case basis to determine if the visit will be possible. The information needed from you to determine if a visit is possible includes:
• Trip Dates
• Locations
• Available Days/Times to Visit with Your Child

If we are able to arrange it, you will be required to pay a small processing fee for a mandatory background check.

To find out if you will be able to visit your sponsored child, email help@worldhelp.net or call us toll free at 800-541-6691 today!

We believe that the best way to administer assistance to the children in our sponsorship program and their families is through the work of our in-country partners. Our partners focus on providing the most essential needs in each community, maximizing the impact of sponsors’ financial gifts. When a child is sponsored, the funds go toward the child’s program, which then directly benefits the sponsored child, their family, and the community.

Your sponsorship gifts provide your child with the tools they need to help break the cycle of poverty such as nutritious food, clothing, clean water, medical care, and educational opportunities. Most importantly, your child will have the opportunity to experience God’s love from Christian mentors and teachers.

In many cases, children remain in their sponsorship programs until they complete their high school education. Depending on the pace of their education, most children graduate school sometime between the ages of 17 and 21. Some will seek further education or vocational training, others invest in family businesses or look for other employment, and some get married and start a family.

While sponsorship allows for a close-knit bond between sponsor and sponsored child, we do not want to create a culture of dependence rather than development. For this reason, your sponsorship will end upon your child’s graduation, but you can be assured that you have equipped your child with the tools they need to thrive in adulthood. Our international partners also stay in contact with sponsorship alumni as much as possible, offering advice and assistance as they make this transition.

Some children may leave their program before they graduate if their family moves out of the area and they are no longer close enough for their child to remain in the program. Also, some families may become financially independent and no longer need the help of sponsorship.

Whether your child leaves the program because they have graduated or for another reason, we will notify you by mail with more information.

While you may no longer be able to continue sponsoring that child, you can still make an impact in the life of another boy or girl in need! We will provide you with the biography of another child waiting for a sponsor so you can continue investing in children’s lives around the world. If you should choose not to sponsor the new child we send you, simply let us know, and we can discontinue your sponsorship or help you select another available child.

We partner with some programs in areas that are significantly closed to the Gospel. For a person to be a Christian within these cultures is a risk. We desire to protect our partners as well as our sponsored children, and we ask that you help us in doing so.

If the child you sponsor is part of a sensitive program, you will be notified as well as given guidelines to use when writing letters to them. Although we request you limit your discussion of the Christian faith, we assure you that your sponsored child is hearing the Gospel, as our partners work closely with the children to ensure they know about Christ’s love and His saving grace.

We recognize that sponsorship is on an at-will basis, and sponsors may need to cancel their sponsorships at any time. For this reason, each child may have up to two sponsors at a time. Multiple sponsorships allow financial stability on a monthly basis for our partners’ programs, as well as for the children who receive the benefits of those programs. This also allows the programs to support children that may not yet have a sponsor or are currently between sponsors.

One of World Help’s primary goals for our Child Sponsorship Program is to help train and equip children to become future leaders in their own communities. Because of this, we do not facilitate adoptions. While some of the orphaned children in our programs are blessed by being adopted through programs in their home country, this is not something that we orchestrate.

Simply email help@worldhelp.net or call us toll free at 800-541-6691, and a Donor Support Representative will assist you in updating your recurring gift. For sponsorship, our standard donation is $40 each month or $480 each year. While most of our donors choose to give on a monthly basis, there are also options available to give annually, quarterly, or monthly.

We are aware that sometimes circumstances arise that prevent you from continuing your sponsorship. We completely understand and hope you will be able to partner with us again in the future. To cancel your sponsorship, simply email help@worldhelp.net or call us toll free at 800-541-6691, and we will take care of the cancellation for you.

We appreciate the prayers, partnership, and support you’ve invested into your child’s life! Please know that your child will remain in the sponsorship program as we seek out another sponsor for them. Through the gifts of other donors in your child’s program and gifts given through special project funds like the Unsponsored Children Fund and the Medical Emergency Fund, you can be assured that your child will continue to receive the care they need until they receive another sponsor.

If you find that you are able to sponsor again in the future, we would be more than happy to check if your child is still available for sponsorship.

1. Click the Donor Portal button in the top right corner of the World Help website.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says “Need an online account?” and click Get Started.
3. Enter your email address and click Submit. (Please note: This needs to be an email address you have used to make an online donation to World Help.)
4. You will receive an email shortly with your username and instructions on how to set your password and access your new account.

If you have any questions, please email help@worldhelp.net or call us toll free at 800-541-6691 as we are more than happy to help!

1. Log in to your Donor Portal account and click your name in the top right corner of the page.
2. From the dropdown menu, choose Profile.
3. Update your information using the form on the page.

If you have any questions, please email help@worldhelp.net or call us toll free at 800-541-6691 as we are more than happy to help!

Your Donor Account Number is the unique, 6-digit number that is assigned to you when you either donate to or create an online account with World Help. Although not always required, having your donor account number on hand can be extremely useful when communicating with us, as it helps us locate your account quickly and accurately. You can locate your Donor Account Number through the following methods:

• Log in to your Donor Portal account and click your name in the top right corner of the page. From the dropdown menu, choose Profile. Your account number will be located directly below your name on the left side of the page.
• If you receive mail from us with a reply piece attached, your account number will be printed on that page.
• Contact us. We would be more than happy to help you find your account number. During business hours, you can connect with us quickly through LiveChat. Simply click the circle with the white conversation bubble in the bottom, right-hand corner of our website. You can also email help@worldhelp.net or call us toll free at 800-541-6691.

We recognize that your gifts are charitable donations, provided on an at-will basis. Because of this, we do not send bills each month. Each time you make a donation you will be mailed a receipt, along with a reply piece and envelope you may use to send in your next gift.

If you sent a gift but have not received a receipt, there are a few reasons why this might have happened. We may have an old address on file, your receipt may have been lost in the mail, or your receipt preferences may be set to “Email Only” or “No Receipt.” Please email help@worldhelp.net or call us toll free at 800-541-6691 so we can determine the issue and help resolve it.

Please call us toll free at 800-541-6691, and we will be happy to get that updated for you!

You can sign up to have your gifts process automatically on any day between the 1st and 28th of each month. To change the date your direct giving processes, simply email help@worldhelp.net or call 800-541-6691 to let us know what day would be most convenient for you. We would be glad to get that switched for you.

You can access your giving statements through your online Donor Portal account by following these steps:
1. Log in to your account and click your name in the top right corner of the page.
2. Select Statements in the dropdown menu.
3. Choose the year you are looking for and click Generate Statement.

You can also contact us by emailing help@worldhelp.net or calling 800-541-6691, and we will be happy to mail you a copy of your statement.

Yes! World Help offers several trips throughout the year for donors to see firsthand the work that they are helping make possible and to learn about other opportunities to get involved. You can check our Trips Page to see what trips, if any, are currently open for registration.

It is each participant’s responsibility to consult with his or her personal physician prior to travel, as well as ensure that he or she has all required immunizations for the specific country of travel. We recommend referencing the Center for Disease Control for full details on recommended and required immunizations by country.

All trip payments made to World Help are tax-deductible, excluding add-ons and safaris.

Each trip participant will have international medical insurance purchased in his or her name through Faith Ventures for the duration of the trip. This is included in the trip cost. It covers medical expenses or procedures that might be incurred while overseas. Please inquire if you would like more details on the specifics of the coverage.

Children must be over 6 years of age and accompanied by a parent until 12 years of age. Children who are 13-18 years of age can travel with a designated adult.

World Help exercises utmost caution when taking groups on international trips and we keep safety as a priority in our choice of partners, lodging, food, and transportation for each group. In spite of this, each participant should be aware that there is always a risk and should consider carefully before committing to a trip.