All these bloggers in Uganda with Compassion International got Rose and I thinking about our ability to sponsor a child. As we’ve thought about it, I saw two relatively similar Christian organizations working around the world. This would be World Vision and Compassion International. I didn’t just want to choose Compassion simply because they were all over the blogosphere right now. I’m not trying to choose which one is best for you, I just want to compare them. I realize that by comparing just these two I am leaving out many others. I just see these two as the most well known and recognized within the Christian community.
- They both equally emphasize the importance of teaching a sponsored child and the region about Jesus.
- % of donated money that goes directly to program uses…World Vision (86%) Compassion (83%).
- World Vision’s yearly budget is four times as large as Compassion’s.
- Salary given to organizational Presidents…World Vision ($351k) Compassion ($187k).
- Both organizations are worldwide. World Vision is in 97 countries, Compassion is in 24.
- Compassion focuses almost exclusively on child sponsorship and working with children. World Vision has most of its focus on children but also offers family sponsorship.
- Here’s the biggest difference: While child sponsorship is the gateway for most of the raising of $ for both, World Vision spreads the money raised throughout a community, trying to raise the overall community to a new standard of living. Compassion, however, focuses the money raised exclusively on the child.
- Compassion offers sponsorship for $32/month and World Vision has sponsorship for $30,$35, or $40 a month depending on what where the child lives or whether you want to sponsor a family.
- Compassion uses the majority of the sponsorship money to go directly to that child. Whereas, World Vision uses the money to help the sponsored child but also the child’s family and the community they live in.
My decision: We are going to go with World Vision. We came to this decision because I see World Vision having a broad focus and the desire to meet the needs of families beyond just feeding and educating one child. I really don’t see a big difference in them other than World Vision being quite a bit bigger, so there is no wrong decision in this.
Do you have a preference between the two?
(Update 3/25/14: World Vision recently announced that their US division is allowing for the hiring of gay individuals who are in same-sex marriages. This is obviously caused quite a reaction from WV donors. Here’s some great thoughts from Matthew Lee Anderson on how to move forward in light of their decision. I’ll also add this has caused an incredible debate among Christians and my message on unity from this past Sunday seems to be of particular interest in light of that. And finally I’ll include Jen Hatmaker’s post that is also helpful.)
(Update 3/26/14: World Vision has announced the reversal of their decision earlier in the week. Full statement here.)
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