Media Frequently Asked Questions

For general media inquiries, please contact Tim Glenn (email or 719-272-5377) or Allison Wilburn (email or (219) 384-8177).

To request an interview with an expert source from Compassion, please contact Tim Glenn (email or 719-272-5377) or Allison Wilburn (email or (219) 384-8177).

An op-ed can be reprinted in its entirety with the correct attribution noted. If you would like to reprint an excerpt or quote, please contact Tim Glenn (email or 719-272-5377) or Allison Wilburn (email or (219) 384-8177).

Thank you for your interest in Compassion International. We encourage you to link to our website. Please refer to and use the following guidelines when setting up a link to the Compassion International website.

1. Please refrain from suggesting the endorsement or recommendation of the advertisers, partners, products, opinions or services associated with your media outlet when linking to compassion.com without the express written consent of Compassion International.
2. No website linked to compassion.com shall contain content that could be construed as distasteful, offensive or controversial, such as content or advertising for alcoholic beverages, tobacco, firearms, gambling or of a sexually explicit nature or involving multilevel marketing.
3. You may not frame or utilize framing techniques to enclose any Marks, photographs, content or other proprietary information (including images, text, page layout, or form) of Compassion International’s web site without express written consent of Compassion International.
4. You may not use any Meta tags or any other "hidden text" utilizing Compassion International’s without the express written consent of Compassion International.
5. You may use this lead-in sentence with your approved hyperlink to the Compassion International website:
   
   Compassion successfully tackles global poverty one child at a time, serving more than 2.2 million babies, children and young adults in 27 of the world’s poorest countries. 
   
   
6. Compassion International reserves the right to terminate a link relationship at any time.
7. Please view our full statement on privacy and conditions of use.

All content included on this site, such as text, graphics, logos, photographs, button icons, images, audio clips, digital downloads, data compilations, and software, is the sole and exclusive property of Compassion International, Inc. or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. The compilation of all content on this site is the exclusive property of Compassion International, Inc. and protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. To request permission to use any of our copyrighted materials, please contact our call center at 800-336-7676.

Please visit our media resources gallery for high-resolution images and b-roll footage for media use. If you need high-resolution images and/or b-roll footage that are not available in our media resource gallery, please contact Tim Glenn (email or 719-272-5377) or Allison Wilburn (email or (219) 384-8177).

Compassion International uses a variety of resources for statistics on global poverty including but not limited to UNICEF, World Health Organization, and The World Factbook.

The approved boilerplate for Compassion International is listed below:

Founded in 1952, Compassion International is a Christian child development organization that works to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. Compassion revolutionized the fight against global poverty by working exclusively with the Church to lift children out of spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty. Compassion partners with more than 8,500 churches in 27 countries to deliver its holistic child development program to over 2.2 million babies, children and young adults. Its child sponsorship program has been validated through independent, empirical research.

As a Christian ministry, Compassion International asks that the following brand guidelines be followed when printing articles, advertisements, or mentions of Compassion International in your publication or on your website.

1. When possible, please include our approved logo under the printed article with a link to compassion.com for more information on our ministry.
2. No website linked to compassion.com shall contain content that could be construed as distasteful, offensive or controversial, such as content or advertising for alcoholic beverages, tobacco, firearms, gambling or of a sexually explicit nature or involving multilevel marketing.
3. A Compassion International link to another website does not imply a relationship, endorsement or affiliation with the linked website, its products, services or philosophy unless Compassion International has provided an official written endorsement.
4. Compassion International believes it is critical to protect children not only from abuse but also from exposure that could make them more susceptible to abuse. Many children living in poverty experience health and family issues that are personal and sensitive. We are committed to protecting each family's privacy and preserving the child's dignity. Likewise, we expect our media partners to handle child information and child photos in a respectful, sensitive manner maintaining the dignity of each child.

If you are a member of the media and are interested in receiving press releases and news stories from Compassion International, please fill out our online form. You will be added to our distribution list within 48 hours of submission. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed for press releases.

If you are a member of the media and are interested in visiting our Global Ministry Center in Colorado Springs or a Compassion-assisted project in one of the 27 countries where our programs are implemented, please contact Tim Glenn (email or 719-272-5377) or Allison Wilburn (email or (219) 384-8177) for more information on the guided tours that are available to our media partners.

Compassion International is a Christian child development organization dedicated to releasing children from poverty. Our ministry is twofold: We partner with local churches to provide child development programs that deliver children from economic, physical, social and spiritual poverty, enabling them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults. And we speak up for children in poverty – informing, motivating and equipping others to become advocates for children.

Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name.

The hallmark of Compassion's work is one-to-one child sponsorship. A sponsor is someone who has made the decision to personally invest in the life of a child in need. Through sponsorship, children are able to participate in a church-based program that offers life-changing benefits that range from educational opportunities to health care.

Compassion began in the heart of one man moved by Korean War orphans in 1952. The Rev. Everett Swanson was on a successful preaching tour in South Korea when he encountered the bitter poverty of Korea's unwanted children. He knew he had to do something. Upon his return to the United States, Rev. Swanson established a program that allowed caring people to provide food, shelter, education, medical care and Christian training for Korean orphans. That program was, and remains, the foundation and core of Compassion International.

Today Compassion works in 27 countries. In Africa, we work in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Malawi and Uganda. In Central America, we work in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. In South America, we work in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In Asia, we work in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.

Compassion follows an in-depth process of investigation, analysis and research and seeks God's direction before expanding into new countries and communities. Compassion's criteria for opening a new country include, but are not limited to:

• God's leading. Each decision about a new country is wrapped in prayer. No country is selected unless the responsible staff are convinced of God's leading and blessing.
• Need. Compassion works in some of the world's poorest communities. Local church partners select the children in their communities who have the greatest needs to participate in our programs.
• Strong local church partners. Christian leaders and churches must be willing to invite our ministry into their country and competent Christians to staff country offices and lead projects.
• Risk management and legal issues. A country must not have legal barriers that will significantly hinder our ministry. There must be a provision for international banking. Our work with the local church to encourage long-term Christian child development also must be understood and accepted.

During Compassion's 65-plus years of development work, we've seen various approaches to breaking the cycle of poverty in children's lives. We've discovered that changed circumstances rarely change people's lives, while changed people inevitably change their circumstances. Community development is important work that addresses the external circumstances of poverty and is an important complement to our work. However, our primary focus is individual child development—an inside-out, bottom-up approach that recognizes the God-given value and potential of each individual child. Many of these children grow up to become positive influences in their own communities.

No. Children are welcome to participate in a Compassion-assisted child development center regardless of their faith. Compassion's program, however, is unapologetically Christian and every Compassion center is connected to a Christian church or ministry. We want children to have the opportunity to see living faith in action, hear the gospel and be discipled in the ways of Christ. But neither they nor their families are under any compulsion to become Christians.

The children Compassion serves receive, among other things: the opportunity to hear the gospel and learn about Jesus; regular Christian training; educational opportunities and help; health care, hygiene training and supplementary food if necessary; a caring and safe Christian environment to grow in self-confidence and social skills; personal attention, guidance and love.

Yes. Each child has only one sponsor, which is why the sponsor's prayers, letters and support mean so much to a child. We believe that the relationship that develops between sponsors and children is instrumental in a child's growth and development. In addition, this one-to-one relationship provides children with the message that they matter, that they are valuable and that someone outside of their family cares about them and their future.

Compassion’s holistic child development model has three key distinctives, commonly referred to as “The 3 C’s.” These distinctives describe our unique ministry approach that sets us apart from other major child sponsorship organizations. They are:

• Christ-centered. Each child has an opportunity to hear the Gospel in an age-appropriate and culturally relevant way.
• Child-focused. Engaging each child as a complete person, we treat children like we’d want our own children treated.
• Church-based. We partner with churches, parents and communities — to ensure each child is known, loved and protected.