Philippines Humanitarian offers youth living in destitute conditions in the Philippines an opportunity to get an education so they can escape the cycle of poverty, improve their lives, and look forward to their future.
Philippines Humanitarian was started as a grassroots organization more than 20 years ago by Amelia & Diosdado Hernandez, Philippine natives living in the U.S. At the time, they were helping 12 students in the Village of Payatas, a community that was built on the largest open dumpsite in the Philippines. Mrs. Hernandez died in 2014 and Mr. Hernandez in 2019, but their children continue their legacy. Today, Philippines Humanitarian is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization helping two communities and over 270 students fulfill their dreams of a better life.
Philippines Humanitarian relies primarily on individual and corporate contributions for revenue. A fundraising event is also held annually to raise money (currently constituting approximately 25% of total revenue). Additionally, applying for grants is an ongoing endeavor that we hope will generate a larger percentage of future revenue.
We evaluate our success by:
Students and sponsors are encouraged to communicate with each other via Philippines Humanitarian. The fastest way to get a letter to your student is to email your message or a scanned copy of your letter to info@philippineshumanitarian.org. We will then forward your correspondence to the KapatidKita MahalKita Foundation (the certified NGO in the Philippines that administers our programs) who will distribute it to your sponsored student(s). You may also mail a letter to our offices at:
Philippines Humanitarian
124 South 400 East, Suite 400
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Or send letters directly to the KapatidKita MahalKita Foundation at:
Kapatidkita Mahalkita Foundation
ATTN: Eva Aquino, Program Director
Lonergan Center, Loyola House of Studies
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Philippines
Please note that, for the protection of anyone involved in our program, we reserve the right to read any exchanges between sponsor and child.
Philippines Humanitarian offers the following programs that support our mission to provide indigent students with the resources they need to get an education and escape poverty:
Yes! Please contact us at (801) 613-8189 or send an email to info@philippineshumanitarian.org if you are interested in sending a personal gift to your student. We do not recommend that our sponsors send packages with any monetary value (including checks or cash) through the Philippine postal service. If possible, please include your gifts in the Balikbayan Boxes we send at least once a year (typically in May) or ask us about making a direct wire transfer for cash gifts.
Yes, we strongly encourage our sponsors to support their students through at least Grade 12. In fact, many of our sponsors have chosen to continue their support until their students graduate from college. The sponsorship rates do increase as students get into the higher grades and have more expenses. We absolutely understand if a sponsor is unable to pay those higher rates, and are grateful for whatever level of support they can provide.
There are rare times when a student has to leave our program because of unforeseen circumstances, such as a death in the family, additional financial burdens that necessitate their relocation, or their inability to go to school on a regular basis because of chronic illness. Thanks to our NGO partner, which carefully vets our student applicants and provides ongoing support to enrolled students, our student retention rate is over 95%. In the unlikely event that your student leaves our program, we will notify you immediately so you can decide whether to continue your involvement by sponsoring another student in need.
Since we were approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2012, more than 385 elementary, high school, and college students have received much-needed educational sponsorships from the almost 200 individuals and businesses who have participated in our Student Sponsorship Program. Our organization also awarded 121 one-year college scholarships to students with outstanding academic performance and a commitment to “pay it forward.” In total, 61 of our students have graduated from college, and almost all are employed, many in their field of study.
There are many ways to get involved in any of the programs we offer:
Yes. Because Philippines Humanitarian (EIN 45-5327723) is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Philippines Humanitarian does not charge any fees and 100% of your donation will be used as instructed. In fact, we pay any online transaction fees to ensure that your students get the full value of your contributions. Please note that, on average, we allocate about $3 of monthly student sponsorships for grade K-12 students, and $4 of monthly student sponsorships for college students, to our NGO partner in the Philippines for managing the Student Sponsorship Program on the ground. The remainder of student sponsorship contributions go directly to the students and their families.
Donors have the option to designate their contributions as “unrestricted.” Unrestricted income is used to fund our college scholarship program, purchase needed supplies for our students and their families, support our NGO partner in the Philippines, and cover our operational costs.
Please consult your lawyer about drafting a will that includes Philippines Humanitarian as a beneficiary in your will or trust.
Founded in 2000 by
Amelia and Diosdado Hernandez
Headquartered in
Salt Lake City, Utah
Sponsored students
Sponsored students that are female
College graduates since 2013
ASH Scholars currently in college
Students in pre-college or college