What is The Engine Room?

Everything our charity does – every child or family we support, all our projects, our international partners and our communication with you, our donors – depends on The Engine Room.

The Engine Room comprises all the mundane but essential things which enable everything else to happen. Salaries for our dedicated UK team, so they can connect with our donors and support our international partners. Computer equipment and the building in which the team work. Flights to visit our international partners, to see first-hand what they’re doing.

How does The Engine Room work?

Our team is split into three departments:

  • The Fundraising & Communications team invest in increasing the numbers of sponsors and regular donors, raising funds so we can help more vulnerable children across our projects. They make sure we communicate all the wonderful things our partners are doing, so donors like you can see the impact your money is having.
  • The Operations team work alongside our grassroots partners, providing the support and training they need to increase the effectiveness of their work. They provide financial accountability and ensure appropriate safeguarding.
  • The Administration team process your donations and manage our finances in accordance with all relevant legislation and good practice. They carry out HR responsibilities for the staff team and oversee all the UK details of connecting donors with projects, for example, all the postal, email and organisational aspects of our child sponsorship programme. They make us efficient and effective with our resources.

Where does your money go?

As an Engine Room Change-Maker, your donation funds all the essential work which underpins the success of our sponsorship programmes and projects around the world.

Accountability is important to us. For every £1 of donated money we spend in the course of a typical year:

83p – Charitable activities – costs of running our projects to support vulnerable children and their communities.
11p – Retail – running our charity shops. All our charity shop costs are more than covered by the income they generate.
3p – Fundraising – raising funds and building awareness.
3p – Governance – fulfilling our legal requirements as a charity.

Why should you become an Engine Room Change-Maker?

The Engine Room is indispensable. Nothing else happens without it.

When someone like you becomes an Engine Room Change-Maker, you’re investing in the whole charity. Everything that makes all our work with vulnerable children possible.

Like other Change-Makers, you’ll receive a regular update about what we’ve been doing. And you can be confident that your monthly donation is transforming the lives of vulnerable children across the world.

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