Sponsorship is the core of our program. It is more than just sending money for the students’ education. You are supporting, encouraging, and holding your student accountable. FoNR is a unique program in that you know exactly who you’re sponsoring and where your money is going. You even have the opportunity to meet your student, and their family and see where they live if you want.
What is a sponsor? A sponsor is someone who commits to pay for one or more of our selected students’ education. We recruit students to the program at about age ten, and they generally are in school for 10 – 12 years. We ask that sponsors continue support from elementary to college years. This way, they have the best chance of being successful. However, we understand that circumstances can change, and if you decide to stop your sponsorship, we will do our best to identify a successor, and the child will stay in our program no matter what.
What is involved in being a sponsor?
One of our highest priorities is to facilitate a relationship between the sponsor and student. Through our Sponsor-Student Portal, you will receive assessments from our Kenyan case managers, school grades, etc. You can send letters to your student and even record and receive brief videos. We encourage the whole family to be involved in writing (or sending videos) to the student. Communicating with each other is a wonderful way to get to know your student, hear how they are doing and provide ongoing encouragement. You will hear from your student on average four times per year.
Tulane University conducted a study on the impact of sponsorship on the students and found that students whose sponsor communicates regularly said that they reread the letters from their sponsor when they were discouraged. They emphasized that they were accountable to this person, and for many, the sponsor was an essential motivation behind the excellent performance. The most significant contribution of the sponsor for students is motivation, encouragement, and mentorship.
What does it cost to be a sponsor, and what does the money cover?
Sponsorships are $100/month and cover the costs of tuition, books, uniforms, materials, meals, and housing (if needed). This is less than $3.5/day for quality education and the opportunity to transform their lives. Sponsorship covers 50% of student support. We know that students need more than just an education to be successful. We fundraise to provide the other 50% of costs, including programs (Life Skills, Sexual and Reproductive Health, etc.), medical care, Saturday Program, and other expenses.
Your sponsorship donation is tax-deductible.
You can sponsor as many students as you like. Sponsorship gifts will be handled separately for each student. Gifts can be made automatically online by credit card, through a Donor Advised Fund, or you can be sent a reminder each year.
Since we are a fully remote organization run mainly by volunteers, your money goes directly to your student’s education.
How to become a sponsor?
You can read about our students waiting for a sponsor here. You will see bios and pictures of the students, which can help in your decision of the kind of student you want to sponsor (gender, age, what they want to be when they grow up, etc. ). You will also see how long a student has been waiting to be sponsored.
What if sponsorship isn’t right for me?
We understand sponsoring is a big commitment, and there are plenty of other ways to get involved. You can also donate to our additional programs, such as Saturday Program or Life Skills Training.