Frequently Asked Questions about E-Pal.
Is there a required donation for E-Pal? The funds for E-Pal are used to cover translation and administration costs involved in the program. The suggested donation amounts are $15 per calendar quarter or $60 per year.
How long is my E-Pal commitment? If you have signed up for E-Pal, we will expect that you are continuing with the program unless we hear otherwise from you.
How often do I send a donation? Due to the small amount it is best to send your E-Pal donations either quarterly or annually.
When should I send my E-Pal donation? If you subscribe to PayPal's automatic payments, your quarterly due dates will be automatically determined from the date you sign up. If you use our Direct Debit option the transfer date and frequency are chosen by you. Otherwise, we ask that you mail your quarterly donations March 1st, June 1st, September 1st, and December 1st.
What donation methods are available to me? You may mail a check or money order for your E-Pal donations. Direct Debit is also a convient method. However, if you wish to use your Visa/MasterCard, click on the Donate quick link in the left hand column of this page and you will be able to make an online donation. You can also sign up for our donation subscription service through PayPal. COA is assessed a 3% service fee for PayPal on-line payments and so we appreciate checks if possible.
What happens if I forget to send in my donation? Please send it as soon as you remember! We count on your donation being there so that we can maintain a consistent level of support for the children each month. If an entire quarter passes without your donation being received, we may reassign your child to a new E-Pal.
When can I begin writing? Once you have completed your E-Pal form we will match you with a child. You will then be given an email address to send your E-Pal letters to. Once we receive your first quarterly (or annual) E-Pal donation, you may send your first letter!
I'm not a sponsor. Can I sign up to just write to a child? Yes, the program is open to new E-Pal members who are not child sponsors at this time.
Am I the only one writing to my child? If your child has more than one sponsor, it is possible that your child is writing to more than one E-Pal as each sponsorship includes exchanging E-Pal letters with their child.
May I send gifts to my child? Not at this time.
Does my child have e-mail access? No. Our team coordinates communicating your e-mail to your child as well as helping them to respond. Since the majority of the children are not fluent in English, a translator is required to both translate your letter and your childs response.
How do I go about e-mailing my child? When we receive your completed E-Pal form you will be matched with a child and email instructions will be sent to you.
What should I write about? Up to now your child has had a very limited world view cosisting mainly of their own village, school and playmates. Also, as children, they will not immediately understand where in the world you are writing them from. We suggest you begin with telling them a little about who you are and where you live, tell them about your pets, children, daily routines, jobs, holidays, as well as what it is like to live where you live. These are only some of the topics to start with. It is also a good idea for your letter to include one or two "open ended" questions that they can answer for you, in depth. In this way they can begin to learn about you too. It is our experience that the “getting to know you” process works better with frequent shorter letters than sporadic longer letters.
Are there any rules or guidelines about what I shouldn’t write? We ask that you do not share your last name, your e-mail address, or your mailing address with your E-Pal. This is for your own protection in case your child should share your letter with others who are not in our program. While it has not happened with our program, it is possible that by sharing this information you would open up the possibility of being contacted directly for money, assistance, or even the victim of scare tactics to coerce you into some sort of action. COA does not share your contact information with your child or even with the team members who work with the children in order to protect your privacy.
Indecent or inappropriate content or language is prohibited. Not adhering to this policy or in any way endangering the safety or welfare of the children or COA programs will result in immediate cancellation of your E-Pal membership.
We also ask that you use discretion and consideration when asking personal, and potentially invasive, questions of your child. Remember, besides being only a child, your E-Pal is likely to be an orphan, often with little knowledge of their background and most likely without knowledge of the luxuries afforded to much of the rest of the world. Please keep their feelings and limited experience in mind when sharing your lifestyle or asking questions about their family and background.
COA reserves the right to censor letters and responses that do not adhear to our guidelines.
How often can I write? We encourage E-Pals to limit their writing to once monthly as each letter and response needs to be translated. If you should write more frequently, just be aware that your child may only reply to one of your letters.
Are there any restrictions on how long my letter can be? To keep translation costs minimized, please limit your letters to 1500 characters in length.
Can I send photos to my child? Yes! The children enjoy receiving photos with their letters. Due to internet download fees we ask you to only attach one photo to your letter. Please ensure that it is no larger than 150kb in size. Photos larger that 150kb will not be downloaded from the email server.
I just got a letter from my child and they have asked to call me Mom or Sister! Should I be concerned? While we have several titles for addressing anyone from a complete stranger to relatives in our culture, Cambodian culture tends to generalize with Sister/Mom/Auntie and Brother/Father/Uncle. The titles are more a way of showing respect and appreciation than they are a means to communicate an actual blood relationship. There is no need for concern if your child addresses you as Mom. It just means that your child is trying to convey that they appreciate and respect your friendship. If you are uncomfortable however, you are more than welcome to ask your child to address you in a different manner.
What happens if my child leaves the program or is moved? Some of the children involved with our E-Pal program live at facilities outside of COA control. If this should happen, we will do our best to accommodate your wishes. We hope that you will want to write to another child that is waiting for a Sponsor.
May I visit my child? Sure! They would love it and we would love for you to experience COA first hand. We do require that all onsite visitors or volunteers be pre-approved, unscheduled visits cannot be accomodated. See our Visiting Cambodia page for further information.
Is my E-Pal donation tax deductible? Every state/country has different laws regarding charitable donations. Please check with your own state/country. Cambodian Orphan Aid is classified as a 501c3 non-profit charity under the umbrella of our parent organization, Bykota Ministries, in most cases donations to our organization are tax deductible.
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