Orphan Care Awareness Month
It’s November. And in the world of #nonprofits, that means it’s Orphan Care Awareness Month. This is a charge among global organizations led by CAFO which culminated on November 10th with #orphansunday in churches all across America.
Here’s why this is important to me (I’m getting personal, here):
I traveled to India in 2007 and my eyes were opened and my heart was stirred. I had to do something.
I transitioned out of a successful corporate career and joined a nonprofit who was caring for orphans and vulnerable children in India.
I harnessed every skill I had and applied them to my new position and goal – to help navigate the path of growing a small nonprofit into something as big as the work I left and loved.
Three years later I started my own business after realizing I could help more nonprofits grow by using the same methodology I used to help triple their funding in 18 months.
And today, twelve years after this initial trip, I am the mom of two amazing, adopted daughters from India.
I work with lots of amazing organizations all over the world but my personal passion is giving young girls a path to their dreams and God-given potential. What started on the other side of the world and now sits at my dining room table every night. How lucky am I?
Understanding the Global Orphan Crisis
The statistics about the global orphan crisis are hard to read, but they’re near and dear to my heart. UNICEF and global partners define an orphan as: “A child under 18 years of age who has lost one or both parents to any cause of death. By this definition, there were nearly 140 million orphans globally in 2015:
🌎 61 million in Asia
🌎 52 million in Africa
🌎 10 million in Latin America and the Caribbean
🌎 7.3 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
This figure includes children who have lost both parents and those who have lost one parent. However, of the nearly 140 million children classified as orphans, 15.1 million have lost both parents. 95% of all orphans are over the age of five.
That last sentence is important, and why I advocate for and participated in the adoption of older children.
Vulnerable Children in the US
Of course, there are children in need of families in the United States, too. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
"On any given day, over 442,000 children are living in the U.S. foster care system and the number has been rising. Over 123,000 of these children are eligible for adoption and they will wait, on average, four years for an adoptive family.”
More than 69,000 youth in U.S. foster care live in institutions, group homes, and other environments, instead of with a family. In 2017, 8% of the youth in foster care aged out of the system, the majority entering adulthood without the emotional and financial support that other children can receive within a family.
Understanding Adoption
When you contrast the previous numbers of children in need with the following numbers on children who are adopted, you begin to understand why we call it an orphan “crisis.”
According to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues, between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018:
There were 4,059 intercountry adoptions to the United States, a decline of 655 from the prior year. The majority of this decrease (430) occurred in China, which has seen a multi-year decrease in intercountry adoptions as the result of an improvement in economic circumstances and the sustained development of domestic permanency options for children.
Within the US, over 58,000 children and youth were adopted in 2017.
At home and abroad, vulnerable children need families. The nonprofit organizations that serve them are dedicated and resourceful, but too often, struggle to raise all the money they truly need.
A Fundraising Challenge
“It’s easier for nonprofits who serve ‘cute kids’ to secure donations.”
Have you ever heard that one?
It’s an interesting comment I hear from nonprofit leaders who don’t work in the orphan care/vulnerable children space. I understand their assumptions--we’ve all felt compelled to act when presented with these needs. But I see things a bit differently. Here’s why:
There are thousands of nonprofits serving vulnerable kids as the need both domestically and overseas is great. Therefore, individual organizations have to do all sorts of things to stand out and be unique.
A lot of the monies are sent overseas. For some donors, overseas giving creates all sorts of suspicion, some of it valid, some not. There are typically more questions in a donor's mind before they’ll give their best gift.
When 100% of your program work is performed overseas, it’s nearly impossible to use masses of volunteers. This also means the majority of your donors will never touch/see/interact with the kids you serve. So, heart ties need to be created in other ways. Not as easy as it seems.
Given all that, I think you can see why fundraising for orphan care and vulnerable children isn’t easy, no matter how many “cute kid” pictures are on their appeal envelopes.
A Challenge With Churches
Recently an Executive Director was telling me the challenge he faces trying to secure larger donations and more donors for his nonprofit. It’s a worthy cause - educating kids in South America. His problem? The organization started out of his church - and at one time it was providing the majority of the funding. This scenario is a blessing and a curse for growth. Here’s why it’s challenging:
You see, the donors in the community assume they don't NEED the money. Sounds crazy but I see this a lot.
People assume they're fully funded by the church. I also see this when donors assume the nonprofit is funded by the government, program income, or a wealthy founder...but that’s not always the case!
People also assume the church will fund it for the long-haul.
A significant amount of start-up funding is a huge blessing. But when an org doesn’t have a step-by-step plan in place to diversify funding beyond the seed gift? That’s risky and it's hard to grow.
What To Do
What to do? You must become an educator. It’s your job to convey the NEED of the organization. A donor will not give their best gift until you educate them on your true NEED. In my next post, I’ll tackle fundraising strategies specifically for orphan care organizations.
Thankful
I’m glad I stepped outside my comfort zone years ago and hopped on a plane to learn about work on the other side of the globe - it changed my life. I’m thankful I get to be the mom of two girls sitting at my Thanksgiving table who are still learning all these American traditions of turkey and pumpkin pie.
I’m honored that 12 years later I’m still helping leaders of nonprofits secure the funding to serve some of the most vulnerable (yet, most amazing) children on the planet. Want to learn more about how can help you fully fund your mission? Let’s talk.
PS--If you’ve ever wanted to ask questions to someone who’s adopted older children internationally, please feel free to message me with #adoption in the first line and I’ll respond back to you.
P.S.
When you’re ready . . .
Download my Whitepaper and learn how to create an annual funding model that secures the unrestricted money you need to grow (especially for overhead). Click here to get it.
- Sherry
