Support education. Bring a smile to a child!

Copyright 2008 Give a Kid a Backpack. All Rights Reserved

Where do we get our financial support?
We receive our financial support from individuals, followed by corporation and other non-profit organizations. Also we fundraise throughout the year to support the projects.

Why help in foreign countries?
In much of the world, education is only technically free. Children may attend school for free but they need to pay registration fees and supply their own uniforms and school supplies. These modest requirements are simply beyond the reach of most poor children in these countries. Give a Kid a Backpack targets children who live in severe conditions of poverty who are eager to go to school but don't have the funds to fulfill these requirements.

Does GKB help underpriviledge children in the United States?
Yes. We work in partnership with other nonprofits that serve children in need and coordinate a once a year  back to school project.

What percentage of donations go to backpacks and school supplies?
Almost 100% of donations go directly to the backpacks and school supplies. No-one in our organization draws a salary and we have no office overhead. Volunteers who go on distribution trips pay their own way. Occasionally, we will expense postage for mailings, paper or ink, but we spend very little donated money on anything other than what we are giving to these children.

How do you determine who gets the backpacks?
We receive many requests from non-profit organizations throughout the world. We look into the organization history, reliability, and accountability. Once we decide to fill an organization's request, we prepare 3 months in advance of a distribution. We ask for a list with all the children's names, genders, ages, and grade levels. The partnering organization provides us with lodging.

How much does each filled backpack cost?
Each backpack filled with school supplies cost us an average of $20. The backpacks contain erasers, pencils, pens, notebooks, folders, scissors, rulers, a sharpener, a geometric set, color pencils, crayons, and a pencil pouch.

What impact do the kits and school supplies make in a child's life?
The United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF) has shown that just 3 years of basic education makes a significant difference in family planning, health care knowledge, and in a family's income. In many countries throughout the world, if a child appears at the school's doorstep without basic educational supplies, he or she is turned away. Sadly, this forces them into a life of illiteracy and perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Education has been found to have the greatest impact on health indicators, including the rates of infant mortality, life expectancy at birth and total fertility. Thus, a school or health kit can make a positive difference and forever change the life of a child!

FAQs