* What is Support A Child?

Support A Child is a program in which Asha Canada partners with it's projects in India to provide for an underprivileged child's education/total living expense. However SAC is more than funding a child in need. It is an opportunity for you as a sponsor to have a direct impact on the welfare of one special child.

* What benefits will the child I sponsor receive?

Depending on the project the child may be supported either for education or for all living expenses including food, shelter, healthcare and nutrition. Please look at the projects page for details.

* Will I be the only sponsor for the child?

No. To cover the cost of education and living expenses of one child ($1500/year), we need the commitment of at least 5 sponsors at $25/month/sponsor.

* How long should my sponsorship last?

We ask that you commit to at least 1 year of support but we would prefer your continued support for many more years.

* If I must discontinue my sponsorship, what happens to the child I'm helping?

We immediately look for another sponsor. Meanwhile Asha Canada will try to continue supporting the child through our general funds.

* How long is a child in the sponsorship program?

It is expected that the child will remain part of the sponsorship program until he/she needs our support OR until she/he completes his schooling/training in the project, whichever comes first.

* How are children chosen for sponsorship?

We work closely with our project partners to identify children in need of support through the sponsorship program.

* How does Asha Canada start a SAC project?

Asha only starts a SAC project with organizations it has been closely working with and who have gone through our rigorous project evaluation process. This includes an Asha volunteer visiting the project at least once a year, frequent communications with the project and an analysis of the project's finances, practices and credibility. For more information, please look at our projects page.

* When or how often will I receive a progress report on my sponsored child?

You will receive progress reports of the child once a year.

* Will I receive photographs of my sponsored child?

We will email you the photograph of the child as soon as it is available.

* How will most of the correspondence be carried out?

We hope to carry out most of the correspondence over email.

* Why are most of the correspondence over email?

Our registration for the program is on-line and most of our donors have net access. From previous experience with other Asha support a child programs we have found that the overhead costs of this kind of program on the partner organizations is high. In an effort to reduce this overhead we are trying to have all documentation available in softcopy and mail the information to you. We shall try to scan information that cannot be typed, e.g., pictures made by children. Some information will also be made available on the Gallery page of this website.

* Can I send money directly to my sponsored child?

No. Funds can be sent only by donating to Asha Canada's SAC program, through cheque or online credit payments.

* Can I adopt a child through the SAC program ?

No. SAC is meant only to help sponsors provide financial support to the needy children being educated and housed by our partner organizations in India. Asha Canada is not an adoption agency and does not provide any such services.

* What about visiting my sponsored child in India?

You are definitely encouraged to visit the project in India where your sponsored child is being supported. The address of the project will be listed on the projects website. Please contact us if you intend to visit any of our SAC projects.

* How does Asha ensure that my support actually benefits the child I sponsor?

We only work with trusted non-government organizations (our projects) with which at least one of our volunteers has developed a sense of partnership and the rest of the group is always in the process of monitoring the progress of the project. Asha Canada signs an agency agreement with the project which clearly states the purpose for which the funds are to be used by the projects. Asha Canada then receives regular financial reports and expense receipts from the projects.

* How are my contributions used?

All contributions are used for the children in the project and 100% of your contributions go towards supporting the child. We strive to work with almost zero overheads, which are covered by other funds, by keeping most of the communication via email.

* I would like to support a child. What should I do?

Please complete this signup form and proceed to donate on the Donations page.

* What are the payment options?

You can donate online by credit card or by cheques. Donations can be made monthly (recurring, credit card only), half-yearly or yearly (credit card or cheque). See Donations page for more detailed payment options and donation instructions.

* Can I pay by credit card?

Yes, click here for details.

* Is the contribution tax-deductible?

Yes, all contributions are tax-deductible in Canada. You will receive a tax-receipt by e-mail (for online credit card) or regular post (for cheques).

* Will I receive a reminder to send my sponsorship amount?

If you are paying semi-annually or annually, yes, you will. We request sponsors to send their payments on time, without waiting for the reminder.

* Can I send post-dated cheques to pre-pay for future payments ?

Yes, we strongly encourage you to send upto a year's worth of post-dated cheques to cover the annual expense of your sponsored child.

* How can I help raise funds for Asha?

You can help by spreading the word of our SAC program to all your friends, family members and colleagues, and encouraging them to sign up and become a sponsor. You can also make donations to our general funds which support other worthy projects in India providing education and basic amenities to under-privileged children. To do this please visit Asha Canada and donate to our general fund (via our online donation portal). You can also become an Asha Canada volunteer and help through fund-raising activities. Please visit our website for more details.

* How do I get in touch with SAC coordinators ?

Please click here for contact details.