About World Vision
About World Vision
As a WV Campus Leader, you have an opportunity to represent the work of World Vision. As such, you will receive questions about our work at times. We have provided you with details about our work so that you can familiarize yourself with what we do and increase your level of confidence in representing us.
Here are some things we ask you to keep in mind when you are asked questions:
• Invite all questions. Recognize that when people ask questions, they are often trying to remove any barrier keeping them from a deeper involvement with World Vision.
• We encourage you to answer questions in a forthright manner.
• If you do not know the answer, don’t be afraid to say so. Take down contact information and get in touch with World Vision to find the appropriate answer; always remember to follow up with the questioner.
Here’s what you can find in this section:
World Vision’s Beginnings World Vision International
Our Mission Our Core Values Our Identity Statement Our Vision Statement World Vision Canada
How We Serve
How Our Donations Are Spent Where We Work
Frequently Asked Questions
World Vision’s Beginnings:
World Vision began in China with an American missionary, Dr. Bob Pierce.
In 1947 Pierce met Tena Hoelkedoer, a teacher, while on a trip to China. She introduced him to a battered and abandoned child named White Jade. Unable to care for the child herself, she asked Pierce, "What are you going to do about her?" Pierce gave the woman his last five dollars
and agreed to send the same amount each month to help the woman care for White Jade.
This encounter was a turning point for Pierce. He began building an organization dedicated to helping the world's children and World Vision was officially formed in 1950 to handle the funds.
The first child sponsorship program began a few years later in response to the needs of hundreds of thousands of orphans at the end of the Korean War.
Through the decades, World Vision has become a leader in the field of relief and development.
Today, some 31,000 staff members implement programs of emergency relief, education, health care, economic development, and promotion of justice in more than 90 countries. Trusted by governments, corporations and individuals, World Vision is committed to working with communities to break the cycle of poverty that traps generation after generation in the developing world. World Vision is a living tribute to Pierce's work.
World Vision International:
The World Vision organization worldwide is referred to as the World Vision Partnership.
The partnership members are held together through shared agreements, values, and commitments rather than legal contracts or a controlling corporate centre.
We work together under a Covenant of Partnership with the same Mission Statement and Core Values.
Our Mission:
To be an organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. As followers of Jesus, we are motivated by God’s love to serve all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
Our Core Values:
As a partnership we have identified values that lie at the centre of World Vision’s work. These Core Values are the fundamental principles that determine our commitment to each other and the poor. As representatives of World Vision, Campus Leaders must be familiar with and able to articulate our core values. We recognize that values cannot be legislated; they must be lived.
No document can substitute for the attitudes, decisions and actions that make up the fabric of our life and work.
1. We are Christian:
We are motivated by our belief in Jesus to follow His example in serving the poor and the desolate.
2. We are committed to the poor:
We are devoted to relieving their suffering and promoting the transformation of their condition of life.
3. We value people:
We regard all people as created and loved by God. We give priority to people before money, structure and systems.
4. We are stewards:
We are ever aware of the purpose for which those resources are given and manage them in a manner that brings maximum benefit to the poor.
5. We are partners:
We are members of an international World Vision Partnership that transcends legal, structural and cultural boundaries.
6. We are responsive:
We are responsive to the life-threatening emergencies where our involvement is needed and appropriate.
Our Identity Statement:
World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.
What does it mean when World Vision says it is “a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization”?
Christian- World Vision is a founded on Christian/Biblical principles and follows Jesus’
example in helping the poor and oppressed. It is important to understand that World Vision assists people regardless of their creed, colour, religion, culture, etc. We do not require them to be Christians in order to receive aid.
Relief- World Vision is non-governmental organization (NGO) that responds to natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. We go into desperate situations to make sure that people receive immediate assistance for basic needs such as food and shelter.
Development- World Vision’s philosophy is to provide a hand-up, not a hand-out. We want communities to have long-term, self sustainable development.
Advocacy- World Vision Canada works for justice for all children- both in Canada and around the world. We strive to remove barriers, allowing each child to enjoy fullness of life. We work to create public policies to protect and support children. We challenge governments to make and fulfill commitments that address the rights of children.
Our Vision Statement:
Recently the World Vision Partnership created a Vision Statement that would represent and tie together the Core Values and the Mission Statement of the organization. Our Vision Statement is as follows:
“Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness;
Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.”
World Vision Canada:
Canada has been part of the World Vision family since the early days. In 1950, Dr. Pierce held the first meetings in Canada to discuss what he had seen and learned in Asia. In 1957, Canada’s first World Vision office opened in Toronto. Today the new national headquarters, overseen by President Dave Toycen, is one of World Vision’s busiest offices.
World Vision is Canada’s largest private relief and development agency. Child sponsorship helps fund World Vision Canada’s international long-term development projects. World Vision
Canada has a history of partnering with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and other government bodies in overseas development and in addressing global issues, such as child rights, hunger and health.
How we serve:
Health, water and sanitation- World Vision works with communities to provide access to health care so children can have longer, healthier lives. We build and repair clinics, support vaccination campaigns, and more. Because waterborne diseases claim the lives of millions of children each year, World Vision provides access to safe water by constructing water systems and teaching communities how to effectively manage local water sources.
Education- Education is the foundation for a child’s future. World Vision helps to build and repair schools, provide school fees, learning supplies and uniforms, and train teachers to improve the quality of education.
Food and nutrition- To ensure that children are strong and healthy, World Vision distributes food in crises situations and teaches families about proper nutrition. Through community awareness programs and training sessions, we provide information about breastfeeding, infant- feeding practices and child-growth monitoring.
Sustainable livelihoods- We help families create a better future for their children by helping them develop sustainable livelihoods. Agricultural training increases crop yields and secures food supplies, and small business loans create jobs and increase household income.
Monitoring and communicating progress- To ensure children’s lives are changing for the better, we monitor things like their health and education progress. We provide donors with regular updates, including annual progress reports and emergency and project updates.
Emergency and disaster relief- World Vision responds to dozens of disasters and
humanitarian crises each year. With staff members in nearly 100 countries, we can be on the ground immediately, providing supplies such as food, water, shelter and medicine. We also distribute tents, blankets, tarps, cooking sets, hygiene kits and clothes as needed.
Community empowerment and child rights- World Vision advocates on behalf of children to ensure they have access to services such as education and healthcare. Because so
many children are affected by conflict, we promote peace and reconciliation through relationship-building and conflict prevention and resolution.
Global and technical expertise- Staff members in our international partnership office help design global strategies, provide technical expertise and skills in areas such as children’s health, and coordinate worldwide campaigns, including initiatives to combat HIV and AIDS. This cost- effective partnership increases the scope and impact of our programs for children and
communities in all the countries where we work.
Investing in future community development- When World Vision begins to work in a new area, we partner with the community to identify needs and resources. We build
relationships with members of the community and, together, we develop a project plan to provide long-term solutions to poverty.
Public awareness, advocacy and education- World Vision educates Canadians about the causes of poverty and unjust policies that keep people poor. We engage with the Canadian government and key decision makers to influence policies on issues such as child protection and mother-to-child transmission of HIV and AIDS.
Christian partnership- We partner with church leaders and equip them to be agents of change for their communities. We serve all people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender.
Programs that help Canadians in need- We partner closely with other organizations to help children in poverty in Canada, particularly the urban poor.
How Our Donations Are Spent:
For a breakdown of our donations and how they are spent, please visit www.worldvision.ca/annualreport.
Where We Work:
*Countries with projects funded by Canadian donors
North America Canada*
United States
Latin America Bolivia * Brazil * Chile * Colombia * Costa Rica * Dominican Republic * Ecuador *
El Salvador * Guatemala * Haiti * Honduras * Mexico * Nicaragua * Peru *
Western Europe Austria
Belgium Finland France Germany Ireland Italy Netherlands Spain Switzerland United Kingdom
Eastern Europe Albania
Armenia * Azerbaijan
Bosnia-Herzegovina * Georgia *
Kosovo * Montenegro Romania * Russian Federation Serbia
Middle East Cyprus Iran Israel * Jordan Lebanon *
Palestinian Territories * United Arab Emirates
Africa Angola * Burundi * Chad *
Democratic Republic of Congo *
Ethiopia * Ghana * Kenya * Lesotho * Malawi * Mali * Mauritania * Mozambique * Niger * Rwanda * Senegal * Sierra Leone * Somalia * South Africa * Sudan * Swaziland * Tanzania * Uganda * Zambia * Zimbabwe *
Asia Afghanistan * Bangladesh * Cambodia * China*
East Timor India * Indonesia * Japan Laos * Malaysia Mongolia * Myanmar * Nepal * North Korea * Pakistan*
Philippines * Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka * Taiwan*
Thailand * Vietnam Oceania Australia New Zealand Papau New Guinea Soloman Islands Vanuata
Frequently Asked Questions:
Here are the questions we most often receive in our Customer Service Centre.
Please read these to help you answer questions from others or some of your own!
1. From what sources does World Vision receive its funding?
World Vision receives funds from:
• Donations from the public (donors)
• Government grants
• Donated goods (Gift-in-Kind)
The majority of our funds come from our donors. An in-depth breakdown can be found in our Annual Report located on our website at www.worldvision.ca.
2. Does a World Vision project create dependence on outside resources?
Community development projects are specifically designed to be sustainable through locally available resources, technology, materials, and leadership. Community members provide project leadership, take responsibility, and own activities from the start. They are well equipped to continue in these roles when World Vision departs.
3. What does “child-focused development” mean?
Child-focused development starts with the recognition that children are the future of any family, community and nation. It means improving the lives of the children by dealing with the causes of their suffering, not just the symptoms. World Vision recognizes that children do not live in a vacuum. In the larger context of family and community, our work impacts their lives significantly.
Children are the most vulnerable members of any community, and it is World Vision’s priority to ensure that programs and activities benefit the lives of individual children and improve their overall well-being.
4. How is World Vision certain that individual children’s lives will be improved by partnering with a Canadian sponsor?
Over the last 50 years, World Vision has learned that the best way to help children is to help the community in which they live to become better places in which to grow up. Because World Vision is child-focused, there is a special concern for children. Each World Vision project is designed to meet the most pressing needs of children, like immunization, access to healthcare, and education. In implementing these programs and regularly measuring and evaluating their progress, World Vision ensures that every effort is taken to improve a sponsored child’s life.
5. Is child sponsorship an expensive program to administer and is it the best way of assisting the poor?
Child sponsors typically continue supporting World Vision longer than donors who do not have a connection with a specific child. This means that World Vision can commit to assisting
communities over the long term to enable lasting change, and thus increase the effectiveness of child sponsors’ contributions.
There are costs associated with maintaining the link between a sponsor and his/her sponsor child’s community. However, because of this link, sponsors remain committed to the child they are sponsoring for long periods of time.
6. Does donated money get lost to the “black market” or to corrupt governments?
There are stringent processes to ensure that donations are not lost to corrupt governments or racketeers. World Vision obtains permission from governments to work in their countries. We do not pay or accept bribes to carry out our work. All projects are directly administered by World Vision. As far as possible, supplies are purchased in the country where they are to be used. This avoids customs duties and reduces transportation costs.
7. Do the funds in the child sponsorship program go directly to the child?
The funds do not go directly to the child. Donations from the Canadian child sponsors are combined to make a difference for all the children and their families. This way, the entire area benefits from access to things such as schools, healthcare, and clean water wells, which directly help the sponsored child and his/her family and community.
8. Why doesn’t World Vision just give the children or families cash?
Child sponsorship is not about handouts. It is about transforming the lives of children and giving them a future full of hope and opportunity. To bring lasting change into a child’s life, we must address the root causes of poverty and suffering, not only their symptoms. Hand-outs create dependency and do not produce lasting change.
9. How are children chosen for sponsorship?
Local World Vision staff and/or community volunteers work with community members to identify the children (and their families) who could benefit from being a part of sponsorship.
These children represent the rest of the children in the community. Therefore, both boys and girls, children with special needs, etc are chosen. Having the sponsored children represent the children of the community ensures that the development activities done in the community are reaching the lives of individual children.
10. Are donations eligible for tax benefits?
World Vision will issue one receipt for all of a donor’s contributions early in the New Year so that it can be used for tax purposes.
11. How does World Vision start to work with a community?
First, World Vision is invited by the community members into the community because many people lack food, healthcare or access to clean water. Before child sponsorship begins, World Vision builds relationships with the area’s people and learns about the area’s challenges.
Together, with the community, we develop project plans to provide long-term solutions. Local staff who specialize in health, engineering, agriculture and education share their knowledge to ensure the project plans are sustainable.
12. Is being or becoming a Christian a pre-requisite for receiving help?
No. World Vision provides assistance to those in need regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin or religious conviction. World Vision’s help is unconditional.
13. Do people living in project communities pay to participate in World Vision projects?
Communities contribute to development projects so that they take ownership of the changes in their communities. The community members see this as their project and eagerly contribute whatever they can, such as the labour and funds toward the materials, wherever possible.
Although they may be able to provide only a small portion of the total amount of the material cost, this allows the community to “own” the project. They are willing to make sacrifices for long-term improvements. It is a source of great joy and promotes dignity. This two-way
partnership ensures that the community will be self-sufficient after World Vision’s involvement is completed.
14. Are World Vision’s employees nationals to the country?
More than 95% of World Vision staff is recruited from the country in which the work is being done. By enlisting help from the local community, World Vision not only helps build new skills, but also gains greater insight into the area’s specificneeds.
15. Is World Vision formally tied to or a subsidiary of any other entity?
World Vision is an independent, private, Christian organization and is not formally affiliated with any government, denomination, foundation or corporation, although they maintain positive working relationships with all of these groups.
