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Charles Proesel

250 profile views
1 reviews

Review for Unbound, Kansas City, KS, USA

Rating: 5 stars  

I have been sponsoring through CFCA for about fifteen years. Currently my wife and I sponsor six children and one aged person.

There are several areas that, in my mind, set CFCA apart from other nonprofit organizations. The first is the percentage of each dollar contributed that goes into programs rather than administrative costs. CFCA has one of the lowest overhead percentages of any nonprofit.

Another area that sets CFCA apart is that it is a sponsorship organization. The money I contribute goes to support the people I sponsor. I get letters and pictures from my sponsored children. The letters are individual letters, handwritten by those I sponsor and translated for me by CFCA. We also write to our sponsored friends. We get to know them and they get to know us. We know each other as individuals and families.

Another thing that sets CFCA apart is that the sponsored child, if of school age, must be in school to receive benefits. A core belief of CFCA is that education is essential to help lift people out of poverty. Part of the benefits for many children is tuition, uniforms, a new pair of shoes each year and school supplies. If the child drops out of school, they are dropped from the program. That is a very strong incentive to stay in school.

The final aspect of CFCA that really impresses me is that CFCA has MATs (Mission Awareness Trips). These MATs allow you to go to many of the countries that CFCA works in. While on these trips you get to learn about the culture of the country along with the conditions that many of the poor live in. But best of all, you get to meet your sponsored friend. I just got back last week, October 2013, from a MAT to El Salvador. While there I met with the three children I sponsor there along with their mothers and siblings and the elderly woman I sponsor. I have seen them and listened to their mothers express to my wife and I how having a child sponsored has made a difference in the lives of everyone in the family.

If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...

I would like more people to know about CFCA, but advertising to the public often costs money, and that drives up administrative costs.

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?

2013

Role:  Donor