Plan is a child-centred development charity, and works in 46 countries to provide programs to 1.3 million children and their families. Within 2006, it raised in excess of $540m^[3]. The charity was originally founded by journalist John Langdon-Davies. The organisation has no political or religious affiliations. It is active primarily in developing countries in Central and South America, Africa, and South and Southeast Asia, with a staff of over 6,000 worldwide, and a further volunteer force in excess of 50,000^[4]. Plan operates long-term to address health, education, shelter, and livelihood issues in the communities in which it operates.

Plan operates on the basis of sponsorship of individual children. Benefactors can correspond with the child they sponsor by mail, thus creating a personal bond between donor and child. The sponsorship system ensures that the sponsors can see what their money is going toward, and know that it is properly spent. Sponsorship aims to raise awareness about, as well as funds for, the communities Plan works with.

Internationally, all money that is donated to Plan is split within the 80:20 rule ^[5]: that is, at least 80% goes to Plan's development objectives, and 20% is spent on fundraising (primarily obtaining new sponsors) and administration. Each fundraising office, or National Organisation, operates independently using different fundraising methods within each country of operation, and some are more effective than others in generating funds. National Offices exist within Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the USA.

In the past, controversy occurred as the destination of donated funds was unclear to some sponsors. Donations are used to finance projects that benefit the entire community in which the child lives, and are not given directly to the child. This offers the opportunity of school and health services to the sponsor child, as well as their community.

Further controversy occurred within 1999, as research on 350,000 'adopted' children showed that 4% of these children were dead, missing or non-existent ^[6]. These findings are contested because of the open system Plan works on, offering each sponsor the opportunity to communicate with and visit their sponsor child, as well as receiving an update on the progress of their sponsor child and community twice a year.

In 2001 a Dutch government commission concluded that Foster Parents spent only 50% of its money to aid projects and the rest to organisational costs. After publication of this report FPP lost 11,000 donors. In 2005 Plan lost 11% in donations compared to 2004 in the Netherlands, still receiving 44.2 million. Three years before the organisation had been making 74 million in donations.

In September 2006 the Dutch government cut 144 million euros in funding from Foster Parents Plan, approximately one third of its entire budget. The aid organisations eligible for funding are checked for quality of management, community support and ability to fund at least 25% of the projects itself. As a response to this a representative of the organisation said the organisation's existence is not in question.^[7]

In 2006, Plan International Australia was appointed the Goodwill Partner of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games

Hear My Voice is a Plan sponsored television show broadcast on Aurora Community Television. It is a series of short films produced, directed and filmed by Plan-assisted youth media clubs in the developing world.

In 2006 Plan UK scooped the top honour in the category of the ‘top 100 UK fundraising charities’ at the Charities Online Accounts Awards.

References

Sources

• Plan International Accounts to June 30 2006
• Plan loses government funding in Holland
• Plan loses 11% donations in 2005
• Commissie de Boer
• 4% Adopted children missing
• Losing donations in Holland
• Plan UK receives top online accounting award

External links

• Plan's Website
• Plan Australia Website
• Rap around the World with Ali B.

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