questions, answers, action.
You've asked the questions, and we've got the answers. Read through these FAQs to get the full scoop on Free The Children, how our international programs work, where your fundraising goes, how to personalize your campaigns, and much more!
Take a look, and if you still have questions, shoot us an e-mail or call one of our offices. We look forward to hearing from you.
General FAQs | Everything you need to know about Free The Children...
Your support goes a long way in providing much needed education, health care and economic assistance to children and their families in developing countries.
Not finding what you're looking for? No problem - just head over here to check out our most current efforts in projects. Perhaps maybe you'd like to go back to get involved?
0. What is Free The Children's mission?
Free The Children's mission is to free children from poverty and exploitation, and to empower young people to take action to improve the lives of their peers in developing countries.
1. Is Free The Children religiously affiliated?
Free The Children is not affiliated with any religion. However, many religious and spiritual groups support Free The Children's work to improve the lives of children.
2. Does Free The Children work with school boards?
Free The Children works with school boards in Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia to educate students on global issues and empower them to take action. Many school boards have incorporated Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship by Craig and Marc Kielburger into their curricula.
3. Does Free The Children work with corporations?
Free The Children works with socially-minded corporations to help them support development projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Corporations play an important role, but youth are the driving force of Free The Children, raising 63 per cent of all funds received compared to 6 per cent from corporations.
4. Will Free The Children partner with my organization?
Free The Children recognizes the importance of working with other established organizations to further our common cause of creating a better world. We work with select organizations that have an established track record of social responsibility and whose mission is in line with Free The Children's mission.
Formal partnerships will be considered when significant benefit would be created for Free The Children as well as the potential partner.
5. Can I visit your office?
Yes! We look forward to meeting you. The main Free The Children office is a three-story building located at 233 Carlton Street in Cabbagetown, Toronto, Canada. Historically, Cabbagetown was an area of the city said to smell of cabbages, a popular and inexpensive vegetable to eat. That's how it got its name.
Give us a call first at 1.416.925.5894, or drop by if you're in the neighbourhood.
6. How did Free The Children start?
Free The Children was founded by 12-year-old Craig Kielburger in 1995.
One morning before school, Craig was looking for the comics section in the Toronto Star newspaper, an article on the front page caught his eye. The headline read, "Battled child labour, boy, 12, murdered." The article told the story of Iqbal Masih, a young boy from Pakistan who had been sold into child labour at the age of four. He managed to escape and quickly became an international activist against child labour. At only 12 years old, Iqbal was murdered for speaking out.
Craig was outraged. He gathered 11 of his school friends to continue Iqbal's fight against the exploitation of children. Together, they started Free The Children. Today, Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education, having impacted more than one million young people in 45 countries.
8. What work does Free The Children do locally in North America?
In North America, Free The Children programs strengthen the leadership skills of young people so they can become catalysts of global change. Young people research and raise awareness on global issues such as poverty, child labour and lack of education. Then, with Free The Children's youth coordinators to support them along the way, they lead their peers in taking action.
Free The Children public speakers visit schools, conferences and community groups to inspire young people to recognize the power they have to change the world. Many youth choose to continue developing their skills through workshops offered by our partner organization Me to We, receiving training in public speaking, issues research, action planning, event planning and more.
9. What's the best way for me to get involved?
The best way to get involved with Free The Children is by getting your friends and classmates together to help, just like Craig did. Free The Children Youth in Action Groups raise awareness about global issues and work to improve the lives of children. Start one today!
Once you have a Youth in Action Group, take action together through one of Free The Children's campaigns: Adopt a Village, Vow of Silence, Halloween for Hunger or Celebrate for Change.
10. Is Free The Children a registered charity?
Yes we are! Free The Children is registered in Canada, the United States, Japan, China, Mexico, Kenya, Sri Lanka and other countries around the world. As a registered charity, Free The Children can provide a receipt for all donations 10 dollars or greater, allowing you or your donors to claim a tax deduction.
Our tax identification number in Canada is 88657 8095 RR0001 and our tax identification number in the United States is 501 (c)(3)-16-1533544.
11. My school doesn't really have a lot of money. Can I participate without fundraising?
Yes! Raising awareness is the most important part of taking action to change the world-and it doesn't have to cost a penny.
Every time you research child labour in the library, tell a friend about poverty at lunch or share a statistic with your family at dinner, you're raising awareness. Or take it to the next level with actions to reach a wider audience, such as making a speech to your class or designing a school-wide poster campaign.
14. Can I link to the Free The Children website from my personal or group website?
Yes! As long as the content of your website is appropriate and consistent with the message of Free The Children, we would be honoured for you to link to our website.
15. Should I have my press releases approved by Free The Children?
We are excited to support your media efforts by reviewing your press releases. Our goal is to help you ensure accuracy and effectiveness. Prior to contacting the media, please e-mail your press releases to your youth coordinator.
16. What will I get when I register for the Adopt a Village campaign?
When you register for one of the three projects of the Adopt a Village campaign-the Brick by Brick: Schoolbuilding project, Alternative Income project or Clean Water project-you will receive a giant poster and stickers or paper bricks in the mail to track your fundraising progress.
17. What will I get when I register for the Adopt a Village campaign?
When you register for one of the three projects of the Adopt a Village campaign-the Brick by Brick: Schoolbuilding project, Alternative Income project or Clean Water project-you will receive a giant poster and stickers or paper bricks in the mail to track your fundraising progress.
18. Can I choose which project and which country my funds will support?
Yes. You can choose which type of Free The Children project you would like your funds to support. We will also link you with a community in the country you would like to support.
If possible, however, we encourage you to support the area of most need. This enables Free The Children to direct your funds to the country and project that need your help the most.
19. Can I support an Adopt a Village project in a country other than Kenya, Sierra Leone, China or Sri Lanka?
Not at this time. We are committed to ensuring quality projects by focusing on our work with partner communities in Kenya, Sierra Leone, China and Sri Lanka.
20. Can we collect in-kind donations-such as construction tools, medical supplies and school supplies instead of money?
We value all support, but it is most effective for Free The Children to receive funds as opposed to material donations.
This is due to the large expense and difficulty of transporting supplies, especially heavy items such as tools and textbooks, and because donated items may not be practical in all communities. With funds, Free The Children is able to purchase needed tools and supplies overseas, supporting local economies and ensuring that each item is used.
21. What's the actual cost of a school? Does the price include things such as teacher wages, desks and books?
On average, it costs $8,500 to build a one-classroom school. Items such as teacher wages, desks and books are not included in the cost.
22. Can I name the school I build?
To ensure that community members have a full sense of ownership of the school, donors are not able to name the schools they help to build. Communities feel a sense of pride when they name their own school in their local language.
If you'd like to help build a school in the name of a loved one, we'll work with you to find the best way to honour them.
23. Are the teachers in Free The Children schools local or from North America?
Teachers in Free The Children schools are trained and qualified members of the local community. The schools provide quality education in accordance with each country's local and national standards.
24. In which countries does Free The Children work? Do you have staff on the ground in each of these countries?
Free The Children works in Kenya, Sierra Leone, China and Sri Lanka. We have field offices and staff in Kenya, China and Sri Lanka, and we work with trusted local partners in Sierra Leone.
25. How does Free The Children choose which countries and communities to work in?
Free The Children chooses to work in countries and communities where a need exists and where we can work effectively. We develop relationships with local leaders and conduct needs assessments to ensure each community is a good fit and to direct future projects.
26. How does Free The Children ensure its projects most benefit the community?
We conduct needs assessments and build relationships with local leaders to determine which projects will most benefit the community and how best to implement them.
27. Does Free The Children work with governments? How do you deal with the issue of corruption?
Free The Children works with local governments on a regular basis. In certain situations, we simply let them know what we're up to. In other situations, we arrange ways for the government to help out, such as paying teacher salaries at a school built by Free The Children.
Free The Children avoids government corruption by implementing projects directly at the community level, which means no money passes through government hands.
30. Why do other organizations have different project prices than Free The Children?
The project prices of various organizations over time are influenced by a variety of factors, including the location and accessibility of projects, political situations, currency fluctuation and extreme weather conditions.
The administrative cost of the organization also contributes to project prices. Free The Children is able to keep prices low because an average of 91 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to our development projects.
31. Can I do a letter or art exchange with the school I build?
Letter or art exchanges are usually not feasible due to language barriers, logistics and the rural nature of our projects.
32. What work do you do with HIV/AIDS?
Free The Children's primary weapon against HIV/AIDS is education. We run HIV/AIDS education programs to educate adults and children on HIV/AIDS and how to prevent it. Our mobile health clinic in Kenya is focused on combating this pandemic, providing one-on-one consultations and medication.
33. Can I take the Vow of Silence on a different day than March 1?
On March 1, thousands of young people around the world will take the Vow of Silence. As a symbol of solidarity, we encourage you to take your Vow of Silence on March 1, too. If you aren't able to, choose another day that works for you.
34. What if I want to be silent for more than one day?
Go for it! A great way to take your Vow of Silence to the next level is to be silent for two days, three days or even a week. If you're up the challenge, you'll be sure to raise more awareness and collect more pledges.
No matter how long you're silent, we encourage you to start your Vow of Silence on March 1 along with thousands of young people around the world.
35. What exactly does it mean to be silent?
Not talking is the main form of silence. You may also choose to avoid other forms of communication, such as e-mail, text messages, online messages, gestures and written notes.
36. Can the money I raise go toward my Adopt a Village campaign?
Yes! Taking the Vow of Silence is a great way to raise money for your Adopt a Village campaign. If you plan on taking the Vow of Silence and aren't yet involved in Adopt a Village, register now. We'll send you a giant poster to track your fundraising throughout your Vow of Silence and beyond.
37. If I can't talk, how will people know what I'm doing? Am I allowed to have a piece of paper to give to people?
That's a great idea. Since you won't be able to talk, we recommend creating an information sheet about the Vow of Silence, why you're participating and what people can do to support you.
38. Should we do anything before Halloween to prepare?
Before Halloween, distribute flyers to each house on your planned collection route. This way, people will have their canned food packed and ready for pick-up.
39. Can we pick where to give the food to?
Yes! Choose any food bank near you. Before Halloween, contact the food bank and tell them about your project.
40. Where can I find resources and helpful tips for my Halloween for Hunger campaign?
Download the Halloween for Hunger how-to guide.
41. How should I follow up with Free The Children when I am finished my campaign?
Call or e-mail your youth coordinator to let them know how your campaign went and how many food items you collected.
42. Do you have a poster I can use or do I make one myself?
There is no official Halloween for Hunger poster, so be creative! Poster suggestions can be found in the Halloween for Hunger how-to guide.
43. Do I have to throw my Celebrate for Change party on my birthday?
A Celebrate for Change party is perfect for any celebration during the year, such as graduation, a year-end party, your friend's birthday or any other special day.
44. Where can I find resources to support my campaign?
Register online to receive your Celebrate for Change poster in the mail. Download the how-to guide, party checklist, invitations, thank you cards and more from the Celebrate for Change page.
49. How much do books cost?
The prices of Free The Children's books range from $20.00 to $21.95 plus shipping and handling. Special rates are available for bulk book purchases.
50. How can I make one of your books part of my classroom?
Free The Children's books are a great way to bring global issues into the classroom. Many school boards have incorporated Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship into their curricula. When you purchase the New York Times bestseller, Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World, you'll receive Creating We Schools: A Resource Guide for Educators for free.
51. What is your administration cost? Why is it so much lower than many organizations?
An average of 91 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to Free The Children projects. We keeps our administrative costs low by effectively using our resources, relying on our dedicated volunteer base and receiving valuable in-kind donations, such as advertising.
52. Where does Free The Children's funding come from?
Free The Children's funding comes mainly from youth, who donate more than 60 percent of all funds received. Other sources of funding include foundations, adults, corporations and the government of Canada.
55. Should I send in small amounts of money as I fundraise, or should I wait until I've reached my goal?
We recommend you send in donations as you fundraise. If you'd like to keep saving until you reach your fundraising goal, just include a note letting us know you're still saving. We'll create an account for you and hold your funds until you tell us to put them to work.
56. Can I receive a tax receipt for a donation?
Donations of 10 dollars or more are eligible for tax receipts. When mailing funds to Free The Children, include the name, address, phone number, e-mail address and amount donated for each donor who would like a tax receipt.
57. Can I create my own Free The Children bank account?
Yes, but no bank account may be opened under the names Free The Children or Kids Can Free The Children.
58. Can someone from Free The Children come pick up my check?
It may be possible for a Free The Children representative to pick up your fundraising cheque or attend a cheque acceptance ceremony. Contact your youth coordinator for details.
59. Can someone from Free The Children come speak to my school, community group or conference?
Free The Children speakers have extensive experience in addressing conferences, schools, business groups and gatherings of both youth and adults.
62. How do I become a youth speaker?
Are you passionate about world issues? Do you want to educate your fellow students and motivate them to take action? Then you may want to be a Free The Children youth speaker.
64. What is RSS?
Applications on your computer, such as Firefox and Internet Explorer 7, use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) to periodically check for updates to the sites that you specify. With RSS, you can be notified of new blog posts and media uploads to We Generation.
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