6 people found this review helpful
Review from CharityNavigator Children International
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July 5, 2011
6 people found this review helpful
We know Children International is doing a great job in providing support to thousands of children across the world. And, we are proud to be associated with CI as its staff.
We regret, though, to mention that Regional Director for Asia, Appu is very unprofessional person. He is harassing everyone in Asia Region. Personally, if he doesnt like someone, he harasses him so that the person resigns from CI. How do you want to run a company? An organization is a team and not an individual. CI can not support over 100 thousand children across Asia with just one person. We dont know what is the design in his mind. He thinks that organization is run like a small store and he thinks he can run it on his own.
He is a two faced man. He is very nice with everybody at Kansas City and acts like a dictator with every one in Asia region. Is that how Children International work in other regions?
He is a glorified peon who is just not doing anything in Asia. His only job is to keep Kansas City happy and the field goes through hell where unnecessary pressures are created on field staff, unnecessary demands are made on them to deliver results that are not practical. And, when you ask him for direction, there is a total SILENCE.
He demotivates the staff. There are some points that we would like you to know:-
1. He is indecisive (lots of issues take a long time for its resolution). It requires continuous follow up with Appu for his decision.
2. He is biased. He is good with some people and provide them extra protection.
3, He takes things personally and not professionally.
4. He usually doesnt respond to any phone calls. He acts in a very strange manner.
5. He is not a director who can be looked up to for direction, advice, help and support to resolve issues. It always appears as if he is only trying to save his own skin. Everybody else remain in miserable condition.
He is smart in one thing - to keep CI Kansas City EXECUTIVES in good humor all the time.
How do we work with such unprofessional person? A man with no direction, no conviction, no integrity, no trust. Nobody is happy working in the region. All want to resign from their job. Unfortunately, they cant afford to due to global recession.
There have been some resignations from some people who havent been able to cope with him.
How would you want to run the organization to support thousands of children in Asia? Do you think Ramdas Pai alone can assist CI in helping these children? It requires a serious change in the management in Asia before Appu destroys all the SOAs in Asia.
We work for upliftment of poor children. We need your help and intervention in helping the company to do the good cause.
Please help.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
India
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
change
May 20, 2011
I have been a sponsor since June 2010 and am currently sponsoring 11 children. This is a wonderful organization where the money goes to the children. You get an updated photo each year, plus AT LEAST 2 letters a year from your child. If you correspond with your child, you can get a new letter from your child every 90 days! You can send extra money gifts for your child, you can send them packages, you can even visit them!
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
sponsoring 11 children!
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I would add child's current grade to the family reports, and I would bring back parent's ages, also add siblings birthdates on then report as well.
May 20, 2011
I have been part of this organization for over 9 years, and I find that like most things in life the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. And I don't mean money. For the uninvolved sponsors it can still be satisfying with 2 guaranteed letters a year, and an annual photo. For people who want to be more involved liked my, the sky is the limit. I get more letters from my children because I write them back (CI has a policy that if the child hasn't written in the past 90 and gets a new letter then they're requested to write back). The children receive many privileges from program such as tutoring, medical and dental checkups, after school programs, nutrition edcation, emergency feeding programs, etc. But I can also choose to do more for my kids. The key is to really learn about the program. Someone else on here mentioned that they give money to the general distribution and not to the kids - that is incorrect, they do both. If you contribute to the christmas, easter, birthday, special hug funds, those are general funds and say so in the handbook they give in the beginning. But if you have enough to hit a certain minimum (currently $50) you can have it sent specifically to your child...that's a special gift, not a contribution to one of their quarterly celebrations. You can also ask about specific things you notice on the child's report and fix. Some of the items I've bought for my children are: a floor(there's was mud), a latrine, tutoring money, a bed, an addition on to the house. The sky really is the limit with how much you can help. How do you know it's real? Well, with each of these larger gifts I got pictures! I also have several friends who have gotten to visit their children (there's an open invitation for this) and they can promise every bit of it is real. I also love Children International because it's got an extremely high percentage of funds that goes directly to the children. You can also see by the number of volunteers in each community center, that the communities really love the program as well. CI has an individual approach to poverty - "one child at a time" where other groups tend to do more of a community approach (neither I think is better in general, but I really wanted to form bonds with the children and this afforded me the opportunity). I have even mailed packages to my children, which once again come with a thank you letter and photos - genuine as can be! They also have a great community for members on the site Liftone.org. It's for sponsors to talk to each other and learn more about the program. Lots of newer sponsors find out things through the site that they didn't even know they wanted to know. Overall I'm extremely pleased with this organization and the many other sponsors I've run into contact with.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I've been a sponsor since 2002. My first sponsored child is already about to graduate from the program this year (2011) and I've seen her grow into lovely young woman and have seen how this organization has helped her.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Make sure all of the phone operators had more experience. There are a few who are new and seem to get confused by a few things which in turn confuses some of the newer volunteers. I say if you're new make sure to ask for a "senior representative" to avoid any confusion although most of them are good anyway.
1 person found this review helpful
May 7, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
I have sponsored children through this organization for more than 20 years. I am confident the information I receive on the periodic updates is consistent for the children. Several years ago I needed to contact the agency directly for an error on my part for my donation, and the agency worked with me to correct my error in a very satisfactory fashion.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Through supporting them and when an error I made needed correcting
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Reconsider income level of CEO
April 17, 2011
I sponsor children through this organization and have for many years. The children I currently sponsor I've sponsored since 2006 and contrary to other posts, the pictures I've received are all clearly of the same child and in checking the metadata (I'm a photographer) have all been taken around a year apart. I've sent special gifts and received photos of my child with the gifts also. I receive several letters a year from my children as well. I'm planning to go visit my children and the organization encourages sponsors to visit the children, so I'd say that is all above board. I saw another sponsor upset about how gifts are used. The materials clearly explain that gifts under $25 are accumulated and used for all children and that gifts given for birthday, Christmas, Easter, and Special hugs also go into one pot and all children receive the same items (varies by area is all), so that children with sponsors who can't afford or don't send money for those still get gifts. You can do a special needs or income generating gift and those DO go completely to your child if they exceed $25. It bothers me when people dock an organization for doing something that is clearly outlined in the material they send.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
one of my children didn't attend school the first year he was old enough because his family couldn't afford supplies (it isn't like the US), so when I started sponsoring him, it was the first opportunity he had to attend school. Also, my children in the first few years looked tired, dark circles, not smiling. After a few years in the program with health care and nutrition classes and benefits, they look healthier and happier.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I know the charity gets good ranking on another site for the percent of contributions that actually go to their programs, but I was disappointed to see that Jim Cook makes over $400k a year. I know several CEOs of for profit orgs that don't make that much, let a lone a non-profit. I hope he at least uses a decent portion of that money to sponsor children himself.
April 7, 2011
2 people found this review helpful
I have been a sponsor since 2008 & I chose it because it was the most renowned org. so I assumed legitimate as well & because it was the only org. I could find that offered sponsorship for children in Guatemala, where I preferred. I don't know about several photos being received by sponsor children, but I DO receive 1 a yr. I also receive a letter from her @ 3 times a year. I consulted Charity Navigator because some of my experiences with this org concerned me & motivated me to research further. First, in the beginning of my sponsorship, I was told my child was still unable to write when she was 8, mind you, & that her sister was writing her letters for her that I received, which went on for a couple years, then I started receiving letters that said my sponsor child was now writing them, but the handwriting had not changed 1 BIT & for a child just learning to write: that was something very unexpected. I contacted the org. & they said that it was definitely my child writing the letters & that perhaps she had similar handwriting to her sister because they were related, which sounded really far fetched to me. There was nothing else I could do then. Also, I had an issue a while back where I was sending a sizable amount for special contributions (holidays, etc.) & I was receiving letters that my child only received something so trivial as a backpack or a sweater, etc. while I'm thinking if I can buy tons more of those items in the US w/that amount of $, wouldn't they be able to purchase even more in Guatemala with that same amount? I consulted the org. about this & was told the $ from the contributions was divided amongst the sponsor children to esp. help out the children whose sponsors did not send a special contribution, which I sympathized with, but at the same time: if I'm sending $50 for example, I expect the entire amount to go to my child for gifts that are worth that amount, not to hear she ended up with a sweater worth $5 because other kids didn't have sponsors. I just think your $ is not viewed as much of a gift to your child when they receive something hardly worth anything, esp. when you sent so much more! I still have found no recourse regarding these issues so have just decided for the sake of the child & her family to finish my sponsorship until she's of age (because she shouldn't suffer because of the org.) & find another sponsor child org. And now after seeing the CEO's salary on here: I agree with others that that is DEFINITELY uncalled for. There isn't that much work in the world that a human being should get paid that much PERIOD unless he's moving MOUNTAINS. If anyone can give me advice based on experience with the aforementioned issues with this org., please do & thx.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
being a sponsor since 2008.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
not divide sponsors' contributions amongst all the children just to help the un-sponsored children while our sponsor child gets majorly short-changed on her gift, truthfully inform the sponsors about who's writing the child's letters, & significantly lower the CEO's salary & whoever else in the org. that is receiving several hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
April 7, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
We began sponsoring a child in Guatemala in 2004, and I had the opportunity of visiting him and his family the following year. I saw the Children International center in his village as well as visiting his home. We have been exchanging letters since the sponsorship began.
In 2009 my husband and I added a sponsorship for a little girl in Chile, because we were planning a trip there a few months later. We were very impressed with our visit to the Children International office for the area and the small office that served the village where our sponsored child lives. Staff showed us around and answered all of our questions. Then we were taken to the home of our sponsored child, where we met the family before spending the day on an outing with the little girl and her mother. The day's activities were chosen by her, and we also got to visit her pre-kindergarten classroom at her school. It was a wonderful experience, and I was so glad that this time my husband was able to witness Children International in action.
We believe CI is a very worthwhile organization, since they focus on health and education services for sponsored children. We understand that the money we send for gifts for our sponsored children also helps provide for children whose sponsors do not contribute beyond the basic monthly amount. Gifts include needed items for the household as well as for the child. When I visited my sponsored child in Guatemala, we sat on a stools in the kitchen that had been purchased for the family with one of the special contributions that we send for Birthday, Christmas, Easter and Special Hug Day.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
visits to both of our sponsored children and by exchanging letters with them.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
reduce the salary of the CEO.
March 25, 2011
I do not have any particular background information or hard research facts, but I have supported this charity for years (several children at any given time) and have not had any bad experiences. I receive letters from the children, as well as photos and other frequent updates.
Can I vouch for the efficiency of this charity? No. (In fact, I came to CharityNavigator.org to research that aspect...). But as best as I can tell, it seems to be a well run charity.
I also find myself disagreeing with the 1-star reviewers here. Birthday card money not going 100% to the child? Well, first of all, where is the data to back that up. But even if that is the case, I have no major problem with it, as long as the charity's overall funds end up with the children. Sure, dock them a star and move from 5-star to 4-star. But drop to 1-star?!? It seems there are bigger issues at stake.
Also, who cares if the CEO of an organization of this size makes $400k a year?!? That is just naive. $400,000 a year and a company car isn't exactly a stellar top executive salary, and it seems to me that most people who are serious about donating money to charities like this one should probably be aware of that. I would have in fact expected the CEO to make more, especially if he does a good job, which all the facts I have been able to research about this charity lead me to believe.
I rate my experience with this organization 5-star. I am not sure if their financial efficiency is 5-star, but my experience certainly is.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I receive frequent updates about the children I sponsor, as well as letters and pictures from those children.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I am under the impression that the overall organization could improve its financial efficiency, compared to other organizations. But that is probably easier said than done.
More feedback...
Was your donation impactful?
Likely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Likely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
Why did you make your donation at this time?
Years ago I saw a commercial on TV that caught my eye.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
March 14, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
If you look at www.charitynavigator.org it lists how much the head of the organization, Mr Cook is taking out every year. He makes over $400,000 a year and the organization is rated only 3 stars. I will continue to sponsor the child I have there until she is grown up, but then I will sponsor instead at Sarnelli orphanage in Thailand where a priest takes a megar salary. You also receive letters and pictures from the child.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Donating
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Have Mr Cook decrease his extremely high salary
March 7, 2011
I have been a sponsor through Children International for the last six months and I could not be more delighted with this non-profit.
They do so much good for impoverished children and their communities, and all of this is reflected through letters, pictures, and reports. Their representatives answer any questions quickly and efficiently; and there is even an excellent forum that allows one to connect with other sponsors to share stories and photos.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
child sponsorship, which is a personally rewarding experience for both child and sponsor.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
not be able to think of any suggestions. I am very happy with my experience.
More feedback...
Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
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