FREQUENT QUESTIONS
General FAQ
What is Half the Sky’s mission?
Why is the Foundation called Half the Sky?
Are boys as well as girls enrolled in your programs?
What about medical care for these children?
Where are Half the Sky centers located?
How does Half the Sky choose its sites?
What happens during Half the Sky’s “builds”?
Do you work with other China-focused organizations?
We are planning a trip to China—can we visit a Half the Sky center?
How can I send clothing or toys to Half the Sky orphanages?
FAQ about Half the Sky Programs
Which children are chosen to participate in Half the Sky’s programs?
Once Half the Sky the builds are over, how do you know the programs are working?
Wouldn’t foster care be a better alternative for the children now living in institutions?
What can you tell us about Half the Sky’s early childhood curriculum?
How are the results of your programs documented?
FAQ about Adoption and Half the Sky
We are planning to adopt from China. How can we adopt a child from a Half the Sky program?
I know you are not an adoption agency, but can you send me a list of recommended agencies?
I am adopting a child from a welfare institution where you have a center. Do you have any information about her?
FAQ for Donors
Where does Half the Sky receive its funding?
How can I support a specific orphanage?
What if I want to help the orphanage where my child is from and Half the Sky does not have a center there?
When you open a center, how long do you guarantee funding?
How much does a Half the Sky center cost?
What percentage of your total budget goes toward administrative costs?
Why doesn’t the Chinese government or the institutions pay for the programs?
Are donations to Half the Sky tax deductible?
Are the products we buy at your online “Shop to Help” tax deductible?
How can I sign up for one of your sponsorship programs or make a donation?
Can Canadian and Hong Kong donors make a tax-deductible donation online?
Can I make a donation or set up a sponsorship in honor of a friend or family member?
FAQ for Sponsors
I have received a referral for a child in a social welfare institution where Half the Sky has a center. Can I sponsor this child?
I learned online that a child I am sponsoring has been referred for adoption. Can I share the child’s progress reports/photos with the parents who will be adopting her?
Can I request that the child I sponsor be from a specific orphanage?
How often will I receive reports about my sponsored child?
How quickly do I start receiving the reports?
How will I receive the reports/photos?
Can I request to sponsor a child of a specific age?
Can I continue to sponsor the same child when I renew my sponsorship?
Can I sponsor one Big Sister?
FAQ for Volunteers
I would like to volunteer to help Half the Sky. Where do I start?
Do you have volunteer opportunities other than fundraising?
My children want to help Half the Sky. How can children help?
Are all crew applicants able to travel to China to work on your builds?
I will be in China for three months this summer. Can I volunteer at one of your centers?
FAQ about Half the Sky's new China Care Program
How can I adopt a child in the China Care Program at Half the Sky?
Will Half the Sky’s five established programs change as a result of its partnership with China Care?
Will Half the Sky’s plan to open a Blue Sky Model/Training center in every province and municipality in China change as a result of its partnership with China Care?
How can Half the Sky afford to take on a fifth program during these uncertain economic times?
Will all of the children in Half the Sky’s programs who need medical intervention receive it through The China Care Program at Half the Sky?
Who will pay for the medical treatment?
FREQUENT QUESTIONS...THE ANSWERS
Q: What is Half the Sky’s mission?
A: Half the Sky was created in order to enrich the lives and enhance the prospects for orphaned children in China. We establish and operate infant nurture and preschool programs, provide personalized learning for older children and establish loving permanent family care and guidance for children with disabilities. It is our goal to ensure that every orphaned child has a caring adult in her life and a chance at a bright future.
Q: Why is the Foundation called Half the Sky?
A: Half the Sky is named for the Chinese adage “Women hold up half the sky,” that some scholars attribute to the Confucius era. 95% of the healthy children living in China’s welfare institutions are girls. Because the phrase was popularized by Mao ZeDong, the Chinese people recognize it right away and realize that we are committed to helping orphaned children hold up their “half of the sky.”
Q: Are boys as well as girls enrolled in your programs?
A: Half the Sky takes care of both boys and girls in its programs. We are committed to helping both girls and boys hold up their half of the sky.
Q: What about medical care for these children?
A: The children receive medical care provided by the government and, thanks to the Tomorrow Plan, many of the surgeries that the children need have become routine. In cases where children in our programs have special medical needs that are not being adequately addressed we contact existing medical aid organizations to help facilitate treatment.
Q: Where are Half the Sky centers located?
A: Half the Sky works wherever orphaned children become wards of the Chinese government. This website has a map which shows current Half the Sky sites.
Q: How does Half the Sky choose its sites?
A: While hope one day to reach every orphaned child with our nurturing programs, Half the Sky has limited resources and therefore must select its sites carefully. There are many factors that determine where Half the Sky centers are established: numbers of children served, whether the site might serve as a regional training facility, cooperation of administrative staff, etc.
Q: What happens during Half the Sky’s “builds”?
A: During HTS builds, volunteer crews or teams of local workers transform existing rooms in welfare institutions into bright, happy, well-equipped places where children are free to explore. Other workers renovate buildings, transforming them into housing for our Family Villages. At the same time, our new nannies, preschool teachers and parents are trained by HTS child development experts to provide high-quality, nurturing care according to specially developed curricula.
Q: Do you work with other China-focused organizations?
A: Many Families with Children from China chapters have helped raise funds and awareness for Half the Sky’s programs as have a number of adoption agencies, expat groups and schools. We maintain contact with other nonprofit organizations working in China to see where we can cooperate and to be sure our efforts do not overlap.
Q: We are planning a trip to China—can we visit a Half the Sky center?
A: We are unable to arrange for visits to our centers. Some of our supporters do visit orphanages, but they arrange those visits through their homeland tour travel agents or by contacting the orphanages themselves.
Q. How can I send clothing or toys to Half the Sky orphanages?
A: Half the Sky does not collect toys or clothing for orphanages except for dress-up clothes, which always need replenishing at our preschools. Our centers are well stocked with toys and music carefully chosen by our child development experts. A portion of the donations we receive goes to buying those materials and replenishing them periodically. But the focus on our programs is one-on-one, nurturing care; most of the funds we collect for our Baby Sisters and Little Sisters centers go to paying the salaries and training for our nannies, preschool teachers, and their supervisors.
FAQ about Half the Sky Programs
Q: Which children are chosen to participate in Half the Sky’s programs?
A: All children in the institution where we have centers who are not ill or profoundly developmentally disabled are included in our programs. Children who are blind, deaf, physically challenged or developmentally delayed tend to thrive in Half the Sky programs. Often these children show a remarkable improvement when they are integrated into activities with other children.
Q: Once Half the Sky the builds are over, how do you know the programs are working?
A: The builds are an exciting new beginning for each of our centers, but they are only the beginning. All of the new nannies, teachers and parents become HTS employees. In addition, HTS employs full-time supervisors on site at each institution, and also a team of traveling field supervisors. These staffers work with HTS program directors to address questions, challenges, and concerns, and to provide ongoing support to the staff. HTS teachers, nannies and parents prepare regular reports for each child in our programs so we can track how individual children are doing.
Q: Wouldn’t foster care be a better alternative for the children now living in institutions?
A: There is nothing as good for a child as growing up in a permanent loving family. But when that is not an option, Half the Sky’s nannies and teachers do their best to provide family-style nurturing in an institutional setting. For children whose special needs preclude them from being eligible for adoption, Half the Sky’s Family Villages provide permanent, nurturing care. Our Family Villages are located adjacent to the orphanages so the children have access to all Half the Sky and government-provided services. Our parents make a commitment to raise the children in their care (usually 4-5) until adulthood.
Q: What can you tell us about Half the Sky’s early childhood curriculum?
A: Half the Sky developed its unique curriculum by drawing from the Reggio Emilia approach, which originated in Italy, and then incorporating traditional Chinese methods to best prepare children for success in local community schools. Half the Sky’s child development approach is a child-centered one; nannies and teachers are trained to respond to the children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs. Together, Half the Sky’s staff and the children in their care explore short and long-term projects that are tailored to the children’s natural curiosity and interests.
Q: How are the results of your programs documented?
A: Documentation is a key element of Half the Sky’s approach. Teachers, nannies and parents create a Memory Book for each child that includes her drawings, snippets of conversations, descriptions of activities, and video and audio documentation as well. Older children keep journals, documenting their own discoveries and developments. Our staff also writes regular progress reports for each child, and each local supervisor, field supervisor and program director prepares regular reports that track the progress of the programs.
FAQ about Adoption and Half the Sky
Q: We are planning to adopt from China. How can we adopt a child from a Half the Sky program?
A: It is not possible to request a child from a Half the Sky program. The Chinese adoption system administered by the China Center for Adoption Affairs does not allow pre-identification of children; prospective adoptive parents cannot “pick out” the child they want to adopt. The only exception is the waiting child program for older or special needs children, which is administered by a limited number of adoption agencies.
Q: I know you are not an adoption agency, but can you send me a list of recommended agencies?
A: No. Half the Sky has a strict agreement with the Chinese government that allows us to open our centers in state-run welfare institutions but also requires us to stay completely out of the adoption process. Because we are removed from the adoption process we have no adoption agency recommendations
Q: I am adopting a child from a welfare institution where you have a center. Do you have any information about her?
A: We will be happy to check to see if we have any progress reports/photos on file after the adoption is complete. We are unable to release information before you bring your child home. Doing so would violate our agreement with the Chinese government and could undermine our ability to help the children still waiting in Chinese institutions. You are welcome to download a progress report request form and send it to us after you return from China.
FAQ for Donors
Q: Where does Half the Sky receive its funding?
A: Half the Sky receives its funding from a mix of individuals, foundations and corporations. The vast majority of support comes from individual contributors who, in addition to giving support through sponsorships and general donations, also help in every area of fundraising, including grassroots efforts in their communities (yard sales, walks/runs, school events, angel trees, etc.), major group efforts (such as parties to raise funds for a specific center), and introductions to corporate funders.
Q. How can I support a specific orphanage?
A: If Half the Sky has a center at your child’s orphanage you can target a donation of any size to that orphanage. If Half the Sky is opening a center at your child’s orphanage you can spread the word about the new center. You can also sponsor a child, which helps us raise funds to open and continue the operations or our centers.
Q: What if I want to help the orphanage where my child is from and Half the Sky does not have a center there?
A: Many of our supporters target their donations to the province or center closest to the orphanage where their child came from. We also encourage people to think beyond a specific institution to the needs of the entire population of orphaned Chinese children.
Q: When you open a center, how long do you guarantee funding?
A: At the start, HTS guarantees two years of operation, in addition to startup costs. Continued operation of the program is funded largely through child sponsorships for $300 or $600 a year. We are also working with individuals, foundations, and corporations to establish center sponsorships as well as slowly building an endowment, through our HTS Guardian funds, in hopes that HTS will never have to close its doors at a center once they’ve been opened.
Q: How much does a Half the Sky center cost?
A: The costs vary based on the size of the population and the number of programs offered. Per center start-up costs range from US$50,000-$100,000 for training, renovation and equipping a new Children's Center and the annual operating expenses fall between a low of US$20,000 and a high of US$125,000. These costs do not include Half the Sky Family Villages, which have a separate budget.
Q: What percentage of your total budget goes toward administrative costs?
A: We strive to keep our combined administrative and fundraising costs below 15% of our operating budget.
Based on our 2007 financial reports, Charity Navigator gave Half the Sky Four Stars, the best rating they offer. This is the third year in a row that Half the Sky has received the top honor from America’s largest independent evaluator of charities. In announcing our rating, they wrote: “Charity Navigator salutes your charitable efforts. Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that your organization excels, as compared to other charities in America, in successfully managing the finances of your organization in an efficient and effective manner. This rise in your rating is an exceptional feat, especially given the economic challenges many charities have had to face in the last year.”
If you want to check the finances of Half the Sky or any other organization, here are two websites that provide financial information about non-profits: Guidestar.org and CharityNavigator.org.
Q: Why doesn’t the Chinese government or the institutions pay for the programs?
A: The Chinese government pays for food, shelter, clothing, basic education and medical care for the large numbers of orphaned children in its care. In some cases, government-run orphanages and/or local governments also contribute funds toward the costs of our projects, contributing to salaries in areas where the cost of living is particularly high and paying one-half the costs of construction and maintenance of HTS Family Villages.
In recent years the Chinese government has also made a stunning commitment to dramatically improve orphan care across the country under its “Blue Sky” initiative, which emphasizes the importance of nurture and education for institutionalized children. At 300 sites across all 31 provinces and municipalities of China, new facilities will be built or old facilities will be renovated; the buildings will be designed specifically for the needs of the children.
Half the Sky has been invited to introduce its life-changing programs to all of these newly designed centers, which will bring us much closer to our goal of bringing caring adults into the lives of more and more orphaned children.
Q: Are donations to Half the Sky tax deductible?
A: Donations to Half the Sky are fully deductible in countries where Half the Sky is registered as a tax-exempt organization: the United States, Canada, the UK (tax exempt status pending), the Netherlands, and Hong Kong.
Q: Are the products we buy at your online “Shop to Help” tax deductible?
A: Because all proceeds from the sale of merchandise goes to support our programs, a portion of their purchase price tax-deductible. Please visit our online “Shop to Help” for specifics.
Q: How can I sign up for one of your sponsorship programs or make a donation?
A: You can visit our online donation site, download (then fax or mail) a donation form or call our Berkeley office at 1-510/525-3377.
Q: Can Canadian and Hong Kong donors donate online?
A: Yes. For more information, please visit our special international giving pages.
Q: Can I make a donation or set up a sponsorship in honor of a friend or family member?
A: Yes. Please provide the honoree's name and let us know the mailing address where acknowledgement card and/or sponsorship package should be sent. If you want to receive the card and/or sponsorship package at your home address so that you can deliver the gift in person, please let us know.
FAQ for Sponsors
Q I have received a referral for a child in a social welfare institution where Half the Sky has a center. Can I sponsor this child?
A: No. Half the Sky assigns children to sponsors randomly. Assigning children to prospective adoptive parents—no matter how well-meaning those prospective parents are—would be a violation of our agreement with the Chinese government that requires us to stay completely out of the adoption process.
Q: I learned online that a child I am sponsoring has been referred for adoption. Can I share the child’s progress reports/photos with the parents who will be adopting her?
A: No. Doing so would be a violation of our agreement with the Chinese government, which allows us to send out progress reports and photos to our sponsors but does not allow us to send the information to adoptive parents before the adoption is finalized. After adoptive parents bring their child home they can contact us (see above) and we will happily search our files for photos and progress reports and send what we find to adoptive parents.
Q: Can I request that the child I sponsor be from a specific orphanage?
A: Provided HTS operates programs there, you can request that your sponsored child be from a specific orphanage and if there is a child available we will assign her to you. If a child is not available right away from the institution you request we will assign you to a child from a different institution for a quarter and then reassign you to a child from the orphanage you request the next quarter unless you note in the special instructions section of our donation form that you wish to wait until a child from a specific orphanage becomes available.
Q: How often will I receive reports about my sponsored child?
A: You will receive a report and a photo periodically.
Q: How quickly do I start receiving the reports?
A: That depends on the child. If the child is new to our programs or is from one of our newly established centers, her nanny/preschool teacher needs three months to observe the child before writing a first report. Then the reports are translated, edited and sent to you.
Q: How will I receive the reports/photos?
A: You will receive the reports and photos via e-mail unless you specifically request that they be mailed. By agreeing to receive e-mailed reports you help HTS save postage and copying costs and to direct more of your donation toward benefiting your sponsored child. Please let us know when your e-mail address changes and make sure Half the Sky is in your e-mail address book so the reports/photos will not be treated as SPAM.
Q: Can I request to sponsor a child of a specific age?
A: You can request that your sponsored child be a Baby Sister (infant) or a Little Sister (preschooler) and we will do our best to accommodate your request. You cannot specify a specific age.
Q: Can I continue to sponsor the same child when I renew my sponsorship?
A: Yes, sponsors continue to sponsor the same child unless the child leaves our program. When a child leaves our program, most often because she/he has been adopted or moved on to primary school or other studies, sponsors are reassigned to another child. If you requested that the child you sponsor be from a specific orphanage, you will be reassigned to a child from the same orphanage.
Q: Can I sponsor one Big Sister?
A: No. Because costs vary greatly depending on each child’s course of study, all Big Sisters sponsorships go into a pool of funds that supports personalized learning for older children growing up in Chinese institutions. Instead of periodic reports about a specific child, you receive a newsletter that features artwork and letters from the Big Sisters themselves. You can specify that your sponsorship funds be targeted to that general Big Sisters Fund or to the University Fund that provides tuition for older children who have defied the odds by being accepted at a college or university.
FAQ for Volunteers
Q: I would like to volunteer to help Half the Sky. Where do I start?
A: Half the Sky is fortunate to have a network of volunteers all over the world who work raising funds for our programs. We have families who collect change in a penny jar at home, volunteers with more time who help us prepare for our annual auction, families who turn their annual Chinese New Year’s party into a fundraising event—and volunteers who coordinate bigger events. All of our volunteers’ efforts are appreciated. If you would like to help, please contact us and check the volunteer resources page on our website.
Q: Do you have volunteer opportunities other than fundraising?
A: Most of our volunteers work as stellar fundraisers, but we also have a few volunteers who provide services like graphic design, copy editing, and office help at our Berkeley and Beijing offices. If you can provide a service Half the Sky may need, please contact us.
Q: My children want to help Half the Sky. How can children help?
A: Children are increasingly some of our most creative fundraisers. Our youngest supporters are running lemonade stands, bake sales, collecting donations instead of presents at their birthdays, etc.…If you would like more information about how your children can help please see our children's website, Give Me Wings.
Q: Are all crew applicants able to travel to China to work on your builds?
A: No. Because so many people want to help, we have more applicants for work crew positions than we have spaces for. We encourage applicants and others who cannot join us in China to help support our builds at home by raising awareness of our new centers, sponsoring children from our new centers, and helping with fundraising to ensure that all of our centers have enough funds to stay open.
Q: I will be in China for three months this summer. Can I volunteer at one of your centers?
A: No. Except for the work crews we bring to China when we renovate rooms for our new centers, we are unable to arrange for volunteers to work in our centers. All of our centers are staffed by Chinese nationals whom we train.
FAQ about Half the Sky's new China Care Program
Q: How can I adopt a child in the China Care Program at Half the Sky?
A: As is the case with all of Half the Sky’s programs, prospective adoptive parents should go through the adoption process set up by the Chinese government. Half the Sky does not recommend adoption agencies or give advice about adoption because our agreement with the Chinese government requires us to stay completely out of that process. Though we do not track the adoption status of the children in our programs, we do find out after the fact that they are adopted. And we are happy to report that every quarter hundreds of the children in our programs are adopted through the process set up by the Chinese government.
Q: Will Half the Sky’s established programs change as a result of its partnership with China Care?
A: No. Half the Sky’s programs will continue to bring nurturing care to orphaned children all over China.
Q: Will Half the Sky’s plan to open a Blue Sky Model/Training center in every province and municipality in China change as a result of its partnership with China Care?
A: No. Half the Sky will continue to open Blue Sky Model/Training centers. If we meet our fundraising goals, our plan is to open a Blue Sky Model/Training center in every province and municipality in China in the next five years.
Q: How can Half the Sky afford to take on a fifth program during these uncertain economic times?
A: The China Care Foundation will continue to cover the operating costs of the China Care Program at Half the Sky. To cut costs and improve efficiency, administrative staffs in China will be integrated.
Q: Will all of the children in Half the Sky’s programs who need medical intervention receive it through The China Care Program at Half the Sky?
A: Not necessarily. As for all Half the Sky’s programs, each child’s needs will be individually evaluated. Some may be assisted locally through the Chinese Government's Tomorrow Plan. After a thorough screening, if it is determined that a child needs specialized medical procedure available through The China Care Program at Half the Sky, the child will be brought to Beijing, where the patient will receive expert medical services and doting pre and post treatment care.
Q: Who will pay for the medical treatment?
A. The China Care Program at Half the Sky will partner with other NGOs and the Chinese Government’s Tomorrow Plan to jointly cover the costs of most medical procedures. In cases where complex surgeries require more funding than The China Care Program, the Tomorrow Plan, and/or partner NGOs can provide, China Care will reach out to its many loyal supporters for emergency assistance.