FAQ

The Kickstart Project Sponsorship FAQ

What does my sponsorship cover?

The Kickstart Project Sponsorship covers school and boarding fees at a good quality boarding secondary school, ongoing mentoring and support, three nutritious meals per day, books, bags, uniforms, school fees, shoes, toothpaste, deodorant, calculators – you name it!

Can I do a half sponsorship?

Of course!

If you’d like to sponsor half or part of a student’s secondary or tertiary education, we can organise this! We are happy to work around your budget and will gratefully receive any contribution that you can make towards a child’s education in Kenya.

How does the sponsorship work?

If you decide that you’d like to make the life changing commitment to sponsor a student in Kenya, we ask that you fill out the sponsorship application form and await a response from us via email. You are welcome to email us with any questions that you have regarding your sponsorship.

You will either be allocated a sponsored student immediately, or, if all our students have already been allocated with sponsors for that year, we will inform you that your student will be allocated to you in January, when the next group of students enter the sponsorship program.

Once a student is allocated you, you can look forward to receiving regular updates, letters and report cards from your sponsored student throughout the next 4 years of their sponsorship!

Your sponsorship payments can be made in full, annually, quarterly or monthly – whatever suits you best

When will I be allocated a student to sponsor?

The number of students that we can sponsor each year is directly determined by how many people, schools or businesses have pledged to sponsor a child through The Kickstart Project that year. Basically, if we find 10 sponsors, we can take 10 students.

Because we take on students into the sponsorship program every year in January, there is a possibility that you may be asked to wait until January to be allocated a student. If all our students have been allocated a sponsor, you will be gratefully welcomed as a sponsor to our next group of bright and passionate young sponsorship recipients in January, the following year.

We fundraise throughout the year in order to raise as much money as possible to allow us to sponsor more students in the sponsorship program. The students that we sponsor via fundraised dollars will be allocated sponsors, as they become available, so there is a good chance that whatever time of year you apply to become a sponsor, there will be a student waiting to be allocated to you immediately.

Can I communicate with my sponsored student?

Yes! You are more than welcome to send us messages or letters for your sponsored student(s) via email.

Any letters you send us will be printed off and given to your sponsored student. Our students love hearing from their sponsors!

Our students will have the opportunity to write to you once a term, but we will also be in contact with any news and updates concerning their progress at school. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

What is expected of me as a sponsor?

We kindly request that sponsors to commit to a minimum of 4 years of sponsorship. This ensures stability for our students as their secondary education lasts for a total of four years.

As a sponsor you can communicate with your sponsored student as often or as little as you would like, however we do encourage sponsors to write to their students in order to establish a connection for both the student and the sponsor.

You are permitted to communicate with your sponsored student through the Kickstart Project ONLY. As a sponsor you may not exchange personal contact information with your sponsored student. We ask that you do not accept or extend social media invitations or befriend any student and do not offer money directly to a sponsored student or their family member. If your sponsored student attempts to contact you through a channel other than the Kickstart Project please contact us.

If you have further questions about sponsor expectations please send us an email.

What can I expect to receive as a sponsor?

As a sponsor you will receive a detailed profile full of information about your sponsored student when you sign up. Additionally, you will receive regular updates regarding your student throughout their schooling. Each term you will receive your student’s school reports, a letter from your sponsored student, as well as notifications on special achievements they may attain throughout the year.

What important school information should I know about?

In Kenya the academic year runs from January to December. There are 3 terms each year, each approximately 3 months long. In the Kenyan National Curriculum there is required standardized testing at the end of each academic year. Students must pass these tests to continue onto the next year of their education. All students in the sponsorship program will attend boarding schools in Kenya.

What if I need to cancel my sponsorship prior to the end of the sponsorship commitment?

If, for any reason, you are no longer able to continue your sponsorship throughout the full 4 years of your child's secondary school education, we ask that you provide a written notification (in the form of an email), a minimum of 3 months before the end of the year.

Can I receive a tax deductible receipt for my donations/sponsorship?

Yes! We can provide tax deductible receipts for all donations and sponsorships. Simply select the tax deductible receipt option when you make your donation or sponsorship commitment online and we will provide you with your receipt prior to the end of the financial year.

Please note: We can not provide tax deductible receipts for online purchases such as artwork, greeting cards or other physical goods.

Can I pay by cheque or direct deposit?

Yes you can! Cheques should be written out to The Kickstart Project Inc and sent to 150 Old Healesville Road, Yarra Gen Vic 3775. Please provide us with your name, address and phone number and let us know whether a tax receipt is required. For direct deposits into our bank account please email us at thekickstartteam@gmail.com and we will provide you with our bankdetails.