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Who is Compassion International?
Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.
Founded by the Reverend Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than one million children in 25 countries.
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What is OurCompassion?
OurCompassion is a cause-driven global social network designed by Compassion International. It’s a place for all of us to come together and get organized on behalf of children living in poverty. You may see OurCompassion referred to as “OC” in other places around the site.
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Why did Compassion launch OurCompassion?
Today, Compassion serves over 800,000 supporters who are sponsoring more than one million children worldwide! Compassion believes there is huge potential for supporters to share, organize and speak up on behalf of children living in poverty. OurCompassion provides a venue for this social interaction so more children can be helped.
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How do I register on OurCompassion?
- Go to www.ourcompassion.org
- Click on the Create New Account button
- Create your profile by entering a username (your email), a password and some additional information.
When choosing your username/email, if you use the email address that matches the email you already have on file with Compassion ("Compassion preferred email") you'll receive additional features on OurCompassion such as the ability to import your sponsored child information.
- Click Submit
- A confirmation email will be sent to the email address you provided
- Click on the link in the confirmation email and you will be redirected back to OurCompassion
- Fill in the requested details and click Submit
You are now registered on OurCompassion. Have fun exploring the site!
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Why didn't I receive a confirmation email during registration?
- Look
for an email from support@ourcompassion.org in your email program.
- If you
don’t see an email from support@ourcompassion.org in your inbox, please check your junk/spam folder. Don’t forget to add
ourcompassion.org to your list of safe email addresses so you don’t miss
any OC notifications.
- Click
on the link in the email to confirm your email address and activate your
account.
- If you
still don’t see a confirmation email, please contact your Compassion
office for further help.
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During enrollment I was asked to supply my “Compassion preferred email.” What is that?
This is the email address you have previously given to Compassion as part of your contact information (e.g., name, mailing address, phone number, etc.) If you do not yet have a relationship with Compassion, choose your own preferred email address.
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Why aren't my sponsored children and students showing in my profile?
OurCompassion uses your email address (username) to import your sponsorships. Sponsorship information can be managed in the "edit profile settings" area through the "sponsorships" tab. You may have entered a different email address than the one Compassion has on file. To confirm the email address Compassion has on file, please contact your Compassion Office.
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Can I update my profile with my latest sponsored child information?
Yes. Sponsorship information can be updated in the "edit profile settings" area through the "sponsorships" tab. Click the "update all" button to import new sponsorships or to update your child photos based on Compassion's records.
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My spouse and I sponsor children together but want to create separate profiles on OurCompassion. Can we both show our sponsored children on our OC profiles?
Yes. You can import your sponsorships based on your
username/email address or a secondary email address. Usernames must be unique
across OurCompassion, however, family members can have separate profiles and
enter a common secondary email in order to import the same sponsorships. Your secondary
email must match the email you have on file at your Compassion office. Visit
the "edit your profile" area and enter the "sponsorships" tab to manage your
sponsorship imports.
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What is a Compassion Office?
Over the years, Compassion’s vision has spread to other countries that have expressed a strong desire to come alongside us and partner in releasing children from poverty. Today, Compassion serves more than one million impoverished children through the caring support of strong global partners with central offices in the following countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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How do I change my profile picture?
Click on the profile picture (or
standard silhouette picture after registration) on your personal profile page and
you will be given the opportunity to browse for a picture to upload. Click the submit button and your new profile picture will appear.
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My wall posts aren't saving correctly. What's wrong?
This is usually caused from copying and pasting content from another application (like Microsoft Word) into the wall area. It happens frequently when content from another application has a "hard return" or "carriage return" at the end of the last sentence. Remove the hard return and try pasting the content back to the wall or write directly in the wall area.
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How do I connect with people and make friends on OurCompassion?
Go to the Find Friends page and search by name, town or country. Send a friend request by clicking on Add as a Friend.
You can also become friends with other members who sponsor children in the same area as you. Simply enter a search by project name or project country and you can quickly connect with other members who sponsor in these areas.
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If I change my profile information on OurCompassion, will that update my information for future mailings, billing statements, etc.?
Not at present. Changes to your OurCompassion profile only update your profile on the site. Contact your Compassion Office directly to update your Compassion file.
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How can I sponsor a child on OurCompassion?
Click on the Sponsor a Child link on the top right of the site. This will direct you to your country’s Compassion website. You can then view children who are currently available for sponsorship and fill in an online form to sponsor them.
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What does Compassion International do to assure child protection and safety on OurCompassion?
Compassion believes it is critical to protect children not only from abuse but also from exposure that could make them more susceptible to abuse. Many children living in poverty experience health and family issues that are personal and sensitive. We are committed to protecting each family's privacy and preserving the child's dignity. Likewise, we expect our sponsors to handle child information and child photos in a respectful, sensitive manner.
OurCompassion is designed to elevate and promote positive action on behalf of children living in poverty. Members are required to agree to the OurCompassion Terms of Use which outlines the norms and guidelines for content and participation on the site. For further information on how Compassion International upholds the security and safety of children please refer to the Terms of Use.
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Can I communicate directly with my sponsored child on OurCompassion?
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How can I use OurCompassion to help more children who are suffering in poverty?
We believe your ideas, stories and photos are important tools for speaking up on behalf of children in poverty. So invite your friends and family to join OurCompassion and become involved in helping children. Use the Invite Friends button on the right hand side of the site.
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Is it a good idea to just give 'cash' when I visit a project, or send money directly to a project or a church pastor?
Compassion's model of long-term holistic child development is grounded in the basic principle that sustainable long-term development and a lasting release from poverty cannot be accomplished through short-term or one-time solutions. To that end, Compassion has a number of interventions that are designed to complement and strengthen our long-term child development model. For more information about these possible ways to further meet the needs of projects around the world (including yours, perhaps), please contact your Compassion office.
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What if I see something on OurCompassion that is rude or simply inappropriate?
We expect OurCompassion members to participate along with Compassion staff to ensure the content throughout the community is positive and helpful for advocating on behalf of children. If you see any offensive content, please use the Inappropriate button to send a message to the OurCompassion team. Complete this report fully and click the Send Report button, and the OurCompassion team will address the issue.