Frequently Asked Questions

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About

Where are Covenant Mercies offices located?

Covenant Mercies’ headquarters are located in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. We also have offices in each of our five program areas.

What are your core values and beliefs?
You can learn more about our Mission, Vision, and Values here, or read our full Statement of Faith here.
How can I keep up to date with ministry happenings?

You can subscribe to our email list here, visit our blog, or follow us @covenantmercies on Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, or YouTube.

Does Covenant Mercies host mission trips?
We occasionally host short-term mission trips with our church partners when appropriate projects are available. You can read more about Covenant Mercies partnership opportunities here.

Programs

How many children does Covenant Mercies serve?

We currently serve over 1,600 orphans in the developing world.

Where are your program areas?

We have five program areas in four African nations: eastern Uganda; western Uganda; Ndola, Zambia; and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Liberia. You can a view a map of these locations here.

What are the benefits of the Orphan Sponsorship Program?
Covenant Mercies sponsors provide their children with:

  • Education through the completion of secondary or vocational school
  • Personalized learning plans, career counseling, and life skills training
  • Essential living supplies such as bedding, clothing, shoes, and hygienic materials
  • Healthcare, wellness education, and nutritional support
  • Christian teaching and gospel outreach through indigenous local church partners and Covenant Mercies staff
  • Personal mentorship from our caseworkers for spiritual and character development
How much of my sponsorship gift goes to my child?

Your sponsorship gift of $39/month provides your child with an education, nutrition, healthcare, essential living supplies, mentorship, and Christian teaching. 90% of your monthly sponsorship gift is directly invested into this care for your assigned child. Only $3.90/month supports overhead.

Am I the only person who will sponsor my child?
Yes, each child only has one sponsor family.
Can I communicate with my sponsored child?
If you would like to send a letter to your child, you are welcome to do so by mailing it to us at our Glen Mills office. Please include your child’s name and reference number on all correspondence. We deliver all our letters in person, so that you can be confident your child will receive your letter, and that the content will be interpreted to them in their language if necessary. Due to luggage restrictions, envelopes must be letter or greeting card size (i.e. not exceeding dimensions of 6×9 inches). Please be advised that we are not able to guarantee a quick response to every letter, and that correspondence of this nature may take several months to reach Africa.
How do you determine if a child is eligible for the Sponsorship Program?

Children are enrolled in the program regardless of race, ethnicity, religious creed, tribe, family background, or medical history. A child may enroll in the Sponsorship Program if the following points are true:

  • The child is between the ages of 0 and 12
  • The child is vulnerable to extreme poverty
  • The child has lost a father or both parents due to death or abandonment, or the child’s father cannot provide adequate care due to disability or illness
Where do sponsored children live?
We believe the family is a gift of God’s grace, so we strive to keep families together. Our sponsored children live with their mothers or extended family guardians, such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles. The health and safety of our children are of utmost importance, so our caseworkers regularly visit children in their homes to ensure positive living environments.
What are common vocational tracks for sponsored children?
Common vocational tracks include mechanics, cosmetology, tailoring, culinary arts, carpentry, and masonry.
When does my sponsorship begin?
Your child’s sponsorship will begin on the first of the month, after receipt of an EFT form or your first sponsorship gift. If you have chosen to make your contributions on a monthly basis by check, please remit future gifts by the first of each month.  Your faithfulness to do this will allow us to execute our fund transfers to Africa on a regular schedule, ensuring steady provision for your child’s needs.
How long does a child’s sponsorship last?
A child typically graduates from the Orphan Sponsorship Program between the ages of 18 and 22, corresponding with his or her graduation from secondary or vocational school.
What if I need to discontinue my sponsorship?

If you need to discontinue your sponsorship for any reason, we ask that you give us two to three months of notice so we will have ample time to find a new sponsor for your child.  While we want no sponsor to feel an undue burden toward their child, we also want no child to whom we have committed our support to go without a sponsor.  Please note that your child will not experience any interruption in his or her care.

If at any point your giving should drop below the required sponsorship amount, your child may be reassigned to another sponsor to ensure the full coverage of sponsorship costs.  If such a situation should occur, we will notify you and provide ample opportunity to increase your giving to the current sponsorship level before reassignment of your child.  If we are unable to reach you, we will apply subsequent sponsorship gifts toward the Sponsorship Continuity Fund, which exists to ensure uninterrupted care for children who are temporarily without sponsors.

Does Covenant Mercies do any work outside the Orphan Sponsorship Program?
The Orphan Sponsorship Program will always be at the heart of our work. Sometimes we need to make more direct investments in infrastructure in order to continue providing our sponsored children with the best services possible. You can read more about our Special Initiatives here.
How can I pray for Covenant Mercies?

Thank you for your prayers! Please pray that each sponsored child would respond to the gospel and be saved. Pray that the children would embrace the opportunities God has provided for them through Covenant Mercies, and that the cycle of poverty would be broken in their lives. Pray that the Lord would provide sponsors for the children awaiting sponsorship. Pray for grace and wisdom for our staff teams in the USA and sub-Saharan Africa.

Giving

Are my gifts tax-deductible?
Covenant Mercies is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Gifts in support of the ministry are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
What giving methods are available?

We offer a variety of donation methods: Electronic Fund Transfers/ACH, credit cards, and checks payable to Covenant Mercies. Click here to complete our ACH form, or click here to make a gift online. Please make checks payable to “Covenant Mercies” and mail to:
Covenant Mercies | Orphan Sponsorship Program | One Fellowship Drive | Glen Mills, PA 19342

Did you know that you can also name Covenant Mercies as a beneficiary on your 401K and IRA retirement plans as part of your estate planning strategy? There are significant tax advantages to donating portions of your retirement plans to a charity since 100% of your donation is exempt from federal income and estate taxes. Covenant Mercies also accepts donations of appreciated assets such as publicly traded stock, closely held stock, bonds, mutual fund shares and real estate. If you have any questions, please contact Catherine Gin, Director of Development at development@covenantmercies.org or 610.361.0606.

I have a question related to employer matching gifts or gifts of stock. What do I do?

Please contact Emily Evans, Director of Development with your questions at development@covenantmercies.org or 610.361.0606.

Can I Set-up Recurring Giving Using ACH?

Thank you for your support! To set up recurring gifts via ACH, please complete this online form, or call our office at 610.361.0606.

I am a recurring credit card donor and I need to update my card information. How do I do that?

To update your card information, please fill out the secure form here or call us at 610.361.0606.

Can I sponsor a child if I live in the UK?
Certainly! We have many sponsors from the UK. Click here to access our UK sponsor sign up form, or visit https://covenantmercies.org/uksponsor.
How do I give via cheque if I live in the UK?

UK donors, please make cheques payable to Grace Trust (Bristol) with Covenant Mercies written on the back. Our UK mailing address is Covenant Mercies, c/o Grace Church Bristol, Unit 2, Knightsbridge Court, North Street, Downend, Bristol Bs16 5SF.

Additional Questions or Comments? Contact Us. We love to hear from you!