Big Family: child sponsorship that is different
 When you decide to partner with Big Family Mission, we will send
you (if you wish) a photo of an individual Russian orphan, for whom
you can provide love and special prayers.  

 However, when you become a Big Family Friend (our term for
"sponsor"), you are becoming a friend and supporter for an entire
orphanage.  We treat all children in an orphanage equally, those who
have sponsors and those who do not.  Your donations are used to
help all the children in the orphanages where our volunteers minister,
as well as to fund initiatives to help place orphans in families.

 Why is Big Family so different from the typical child sponsorship
program?  Below we compare Big Family with the typical
large-organization child sponsorship program.
CRITERIA
BIG FAMILY MISSION
 TYPICAL CHILD
SPONSORSHIP
AMOUNT OF
DONATION REQUIRED
 Suggested donation of $15 per month; however,
some donate more and some Family Friends
donate less.
 Typical required donation of $30 per month.
% OF FUNDS THAT
GOES TO CHILDREN
 100% of donations go to help orphans.  All
administrative, fund-raising,  and travel expenses
donated by founders of Big Family Mission.
 About 1/2 of funds donated go to directly help
children.  Other 1/2 goes to pay for fund-raising,
salaries, travel, and administrative expenses.
SALARY EXPENSE
 One employee (in Russia) with total salary expense
of approximately $6,000 per year.
 Millions of dollars paid in salary, with top
executives paid $100,000 or more per year.

ORPHANS?
 All children in the program are orphans.
 In most child sponsorship programs, the
children have families and live at home with
their parents.
NUMBER OF
CHILDREN
 120 orphans are ministered to by Big Family.  
Children are known and treated as individuals.
 Many thousands of children in the typical
program.  Children become like numbers in a
huge organization.
KEEPING IN TOUCH
WITH THE CHILDREN
 Big Family Friends may write letters to children,
send cards, and communicate with chlldren.  We
do not force children to write return letters to
their Family Friends.
 Sponsors may write letters to children.  Children
are usually required to write form letters to their
sponsors.
FOCUS OF THE
PROGRAM
 Focus on getting the children out of the
orphanage system and into families.
 Focus on helping under-privileged children,
along with their families.
COMMUNICATION
ABOUT DAILY LIVING
 Monthly updates on the orphanages and the
children of Big Family Mission.  You get involved
with your Big Family and all of their challenges!
 Yearly or semi-annual form letters from children.
 Annual reports about world-wide programs.
ORGANIZATION AND
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
 Organized as a mission society:  a Christian
mission to Russian orphans.  Contributions are tax
deductible.  Current annual donations, excluding
donations from founders:  about $20,000.
 Most are organized as 501(c)(3) non-profit,
charitable organizations.  Many have annual
income exceeding $100 million.  (You can
request a Form 990 or find it on-line to get
detailed information about income and
expenses.)
NUMBER OF
SPONSORS
 Currently about 80 Family Friends.
 Many thousands of sponsors.