FAQ

The orphans to be sponsored are children or adolescents under the age of 18 who have lost either their father or both parents and are in need.

Absolutely. The names of sponsors are never disclosed to third parties, whether they be the families receiving assistance or partner organisations.

The sponsor has the option of contacting the guardian of the sponsored orphan. The sponsor may also visit the orphan’s family with the agreement of SDO, which will then act as a facilitator for the visit. Please note that SDO sends its members into the field for courtesy and monitoring visits. The sponsor also receives an email report on the orphan’s family situation, material circumstances and school results.

Funds can be sent via the secure PayPal website (click on ‘Donate’) or by cheque to the SDO address or by direct deposit to the SDO account. Regardless of the payment method, it is strongly recommended that you indicate whether the money deposited is intended for a specific orphan or for an unidentified donation. In the case of a direct deposit to SDO’s bank account, please send an email to soleildesorphelins@gmail.com to notify the person in charge of your deposit and update your file.

SDO’s operating costs are covered solely by donations received, which are not earmarked. However, deposits earmarked for sponsorship are sent in full to the orphans. These costs account for no more than 6% of the annual budget.

The sponsor may contact the orphan they are sponsoring by telephone or email after obtaining SDO’s consent. The sponsor will then undertake not to disclose any confidential information they may obtain from the orphan they are sponsoring. To begin the process, please send an email to soleildesorphelins@gmail.com.

The money is sent to the orphan’s guardian via partner organisations that are in direct and continuous contact with the orphans. These partners are located close to where the orphans live. SDO ensures that the money is sent to the right beneficiaries.

SDO carries out direct and indirect monitoring. Partners working in the field continuously monitor the material and moral situation of the orphans and send periodic reports to SDO. SDO also occasionally sends one of its members to the field for monitoring and courtesy visits.

It is desirable that sponsors keep their promise to contribute to their sponsored orphan. Commitments are generally for a minimum of one year. However, if a sponsor has to stop payments for a few months due to financial difficulties or other reasons, they can notify us in advance and SDO will then take care of the orphan during this period until the sponsor resumes payments.

SDO is a charitable organisation recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency under reference number 81865 6514 RR0001. You will receive a tax receipt for each contribution.

In order to keep administrative costs as low as possible, SDO’s executive committee decided in the past not to incur rental expenses. Its meetings were held in community centres or via conference call. Today, SDO’s activities have reached a certain critical mass, and we now have an office at 400 Curé Label, Suite 411, Laval.

The members of the executive committee are all volunteers who receive no material compensation whatsoever.

SDO welcomes anyone who wishes to become an active member or volunteer. Based on the volunteers’ profiles, SDO will select members who could join its management committee.

All members of the association are eligible to vote in elections. However, to stand as a candidate in elections, a minimum of two years’ experience on the management committee is required.