SPONSOR A CHILD

What does it mean to “Sponsor a Child”?

Sponsoring a child at the orphanage is a way to help strengthen the personal bond between the children and people who want to provide for them. In most cases, our sponsors have been to Fond Blanc and gotten to know the children personally. That connection lit a spark which inspires the donor to want to make a personal difference in the life of a particular child.

The Foundation has calculated all of the component costs associated with raising a child, so that a sponsor may know specifically how their contributions are making a difference in a life

How are children sponsorship funds managed and dispersed?

All sponsorship funds are collected into a single account. Funds are not attached to a specific child, but instead are used for the benefit of all children at the orphanage. Funds are used to cover the costs of the children’s food, health, hygiene and education, as well as logistical costs like gasoline for the truck that transports the food and gas for the generator, which provides electricity for the orphanage. Lastly, the sponsorship funds help covers the costs of the children’s caregivers. For a more detailed breakdown, please visit the COST BREAKDOWN section.

Can more than one person sponsor a single child?

Yes. While this might not be the norm for most child sponsorship programs, we’ve decided that in our unique situation it works the best. Here are three reasons why:

1) Unlike most child sponsorship programs, we are raising the funds to cover 100% of each child’s living costs. When added up, this is roughly $150 per month per child. This is too high for most people to afford on a monthly basis.

2) We must provide for all children at the orphanage. We couldn’t have one child going to school while another waits for someone to sponsor them. Allowing for multiple sponsors per child without funds being attached to that specific child, allows us to better care for all the children.

3) We have many missionary visitors who spend time at the Fond Blanc Orphanage and develop relationships with a specific child. We want to foster those relationships and find ways to keep them connected after they leave. If we limited who could sponsor who, we would be depriving others of the opportunity to maintain that friendship through our sponsorship program.

We want to maintain full transparency around our sponsorship process to prevent any confusion about who is helping whom. So if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at sponsorships@fondblanc.org.

Can I sponsor more than one child?

Yes. In order to do this, you have to go through the sponsorship process for each child you want to sponsor. Simply choose a child to sponsor, fill out the required sponsorship and payment information, and submit. Repeat the process for additional children you wish to sponsor.

What about a child who is not sponsored?

We are a community that takes care of one another before we take care of ourselves. We can’t feed one child and let another go hungry. We strive to treat all the children equally. And to that end, sponsorship funds are shared between all the children. If there is not enough to go around, everyone makes do with less.

What do I receive when I sponsor a child?

Everyone who sponsors receives:

1) a postcard from the specific child

2) a beautiful Fond Blanc Foundation t-shirt

3) quarterly newsletter

4) bi-annual letters from the child

5) the ability to write the child

Why are there different giving levels?

We want everyone to be able to establish and maintain a connection with the children at the Fond Blanc Orphanage. We also realize people have different financial means and giving ability. We structured our 5 giving levels to allow for people to give in the way they feel most comfortable. Anyone from a student to a large youth group can get involved and sponsor a child.

When can I expect my postcard and t-shirt?

We do our best to ship out the postcard and t-shirt as soon as possible. However, the postcards come from Haiti and transportation is inconsistent at best. Usually we are able to deliver postcards within 90 days from your sponsorship, but at times this delay will be longer if we do not have a Fond Blanc Foundation representative traveling to Haiti. We are not able to mail anything to Haiti – we only hand deliver. Thank you for your understanding and patience. Your t-shirt should arrive within 3 week from the date of sponsorship.

How can I write my sponsored child?

Please send all written communication to:

Fond Blanc Foundation
C/O Tia Bunz
1119 Boundary Road
Middleton, WI 53562

We will make sure that your correspondence is hand delivered at the earliest possible convenience. This may take up to 90 days. We don’t mail anything directly to Haiti due to the unreliability of their mail system.

Can I give sponsorship as a gift?

Yes. When you choose to sponsor a child, we give you the option of giving the sponsorship as a gift to someone else. Simply choose a child to sponsor and then when you are filling out the form, choose the option “I want to gift this sponsorship to someone else.” You can then enter in their name, address, phone and email (so make sure to have this information on hand). When you submit, the gift recipient will receive an email letting them know about the sponsorship gift. We will also send you a confirmation email of the sponsorship.

Is it safe to use my credit card on your website?

Yes. Our website is secure and all payment information is encrypted before being transferred to our payment processor (https://stripe.com). Our website servers do not retain any of your credit card information. We only retain your name, address, phone number and email to process your sponsorship communication. This information is never given or sold to a third-party.

Is it possible to sponsor a child via check payment?

Yes. First, send us an email at sponsorships@fondblanc.com and let us know what child you would like to sponsor and at what giving level. Please leave us your full name, address, phone number and email. We will send you an email with further instructions and a unique sponsorship ID.

All check payments can be sent to:

Fond Blanc Foundation
C/O Tia Bunz
1119 Boundary Road
Middleton, WI 53562

In the memo, please write your unique sponsorship ID. Checks should be sent on a reoccurring, monthly basis. Please notify us if you wish to stop your sponsorship.

Is my sponsorship payment reoccurring?

Yes. All sponsorship payments are reoccurring until cancelled. You can cancel by emailing sponsorships@fondblanc.com and requesting immediate cancellation. Your account will be cancelled within 24 hours and you will receive a cancellation confirmation.

What happens if the child I am sponsoring leaves the orphanage?

From time to time, children at the Fond Blanc Orphanage leave the orphanage. They might grow out of the orphanage or return to living with their families. While this is uncommon, it does happen. And if their family or guardians develop the means to provide for them, we encourage the child’s reintroduction into their original family unit. The Fond Blanc Orphanage only exists to provide for children who would otherwise not have access to consistent food, shelter and education. In the situation that your sponsored child leave the orphanage, we will alert you immediately and give you the opportunity to sponsor another child or cancel your sponsorship.

Is my donation tax exempt?

Yes. All donations to the Fond Blanc Foundation are tax-exempt. Our Tax ID number is: 47-2243333. When you choose to sponsor a child, you will receive an email asking you to save the email, and all future payment receipts (which are sent monthly via email), for your end of the year tax filings.

I want a more detailed breakdown of your finances.

Our organization has just started and we only have a few months of financial history. Within a few months, we will add a finances section to the about us tab at the top of our website. Here we will post our annual report, tax exemption documentation and all 990s. Until then, feel free to contact us with any specific questions.

How do I cancel my child sponsorship?

You can cancel by emailing sponsorships@fondblanc.com and requesting immediate cancellation. Your account will be cancelled within 24 hours and you will receive a cancellation confirmation.

Can I visit my sponsored child?

Yes. We love to have visitors. Through our partnership with Next Step Ministries, we offer dozens of mission trips year round. We would love to get you on one of these trips, or coordinate a special visit just for you. Please visit www.nextstepministries.com to learn more about their mission trips to Fond Blanc.

Can you help me match up with a child?

We are delighted to introduce you to one of the children if you haven’t already met them. Please contact sponsorships@fondblanc.org to tell us more about yourself and how you would like to help. We will respond promptly to tell you more.

I have a question. How can I contact you?

Feel free to send us a message via the CONTACT US section of our website, or email us directly at sponsorships@fondblanc.com and someone will promptly respond. Or you can reach Andrew Atwell (Director of Strategy and Communications) via phone at 608.516.0764.