Have fun, do good with

A Primer for New Donors

Children’s Hour Philippines, Inc.

Copyright 2009
 CHILDREN MAKE UP ONLY 40% OF OUR
POPULATION;
BUT THEY MAKE-UP 100% OF OUR FUTURE.
What is Children’s Hour?

Children’s Hour is a simple but effective way to help others. As a non-profit

organization, we raise funds mainly by asking individuals and companies to
donate at least one hour of their earnings to projects that improve the lives
of disadvantaged Filipino children.

Why is it important?
It matters to children because they don’t have what they need to lead
empowered and dignified lives. And it matters to donors because they do.
Anyone with ONE HOUR of earnings is in a position to help disadvantaged
kids.

Consider the statistics:

• Of the 88.6 million Filipinos, approximately 38.7 million are children

and 15.8 million belong to poor families (National Statistical
Coordination Board, March 2008)
• For SY 2008-09, 12.8 million students enrolled in elementary and 5.3
million in secondary level. This is only 85% of children who should be
enrolled in elementary level and only 61% of children who should be
enrolled in secondary level. (Department of Education)
• Only 75 in every 100 grade 1 students reach Grade 6, and only 80 in
every 100 first year high school students reach fourth year.
Measurement of learning outcomes resulted to only 60% in grade 6
and only 47% in fourth year high school. (National Statistical
Coordination Board , 2007 MDG tracking data)

Consider what we can do:

• If all 33 million employees in the country give an hour’s minimum

wage, or at least P30, the resulting amount would be over a billion
Pesos. But even if only a miniscule .05% gives P30 each, that’s still a
whopping P66M!
• In one of our projects, a learning community of 40 schools costs just a
little over P1M. Each school benefits at least 2,000 children. The P66M
would be more than enough to fund hundreds of learning communities,
and benefit thousands of children over a number of years.

2
While we may not have created the problem, neither did the
children. Can we really bear to stand by and watch? We can be part
of the solution. All it would take is ONE HOUR.

What are its objectives?

• To help disadvantaged Filipino children by funding projects that

improve their welfare, particularly in the area of education.
• To develop philanthropic and social responsibility among organizations,
companies and individuals by providing CHPI as an avenue and
resource for their CSR
• Starting in July 2009, CHPI also aims to help secure an environmentally
better future for children by promoting environmental consciousness,
incorporating it in our projects, and partnering with organizations that
advance the cause.

Where did the idea come from? How did it start in the
Philippines?

It all began in the United Kingdom as “Children’s Promise,“ a fundraising

campaign led by Prime Minister Tony Blair, Sir Richard Greenbury of Marks &
Spencer, and the New Millennium Experience Company. The idea grew and
went global, with the US-based International Youth Foundation becoming the
lead.

The year was 1999, and along with fears of Y2K and frenzy over the new
millennium, there was a strong universal last-minute drive to live the
dwindling 90’s with purpose. The Philippines was no exception. Top
businessman and IYF member, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, brought the
campaign here. And thus, Children’s Hour Philippines was born.

Other socially committed entrepreneurs and civic leaders joined him, forming
a dynamic steering committee that oversaw a four-month campaign. By
the new millennium, some 83,112 individuals and 391 companies
nationwide had responded, raising over P 30 million, and benefiting 23
charities. So many in the Philippines devoted the last working hour of the
millennium to the campaign that it ranked among the most effective
campaigns in the global effort.

What is it now?

The overwhelmingly generous response, and the continued clamor for

children’s aid, inspired the return of Children’s Hour in 2003. It was

3
established as an NGO, registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC), and accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO
Certification (PCNC). The seal of approval from PCNC means corporate
donations given to us are tax deductible.

From 1999 to June 2010, CHPI has raised P 182 million from 1280
cooperating companies, institutions, and individuals. This allowed us to fund
545 projects with 303 partner organizations, and these benefited 609,617
children and youth. An additional P20 million was directed to organizations,
selected by nine key donors.

Why does the scheme work?

The idea behind Children's Hour is both simple and equitable, providing
individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and professions the opportunity to take
part in making a positive contribution to the lives of our children. Whether
you earn P5,000 an hour or the equivalent of one hour in minimum wage, it
makes no difference. The campaign hopes to nurture greater social
commitment among all members of society.

Where does the money go?

We aim to make the most out of the donations entrusted to us. We fund
programs in the areas of education, health and nutrition, shelter and foster
care and psychosocial rehabilitation. Of these many areas for intervention,
we have placed primary focus on education. We believe it’s the key out of
poverty, and the best way to empower beneficiaries and help them grow into
productive and responsible citizens.

Therefore, backed up by the Millennium Development Goal of achieving

universal primary education, and confronted with harsh realities on the
ground, we have made education the major component of most of our
projects.

Children's Hour Flagship Projects

Flagship projects are those projects that we committed to support long term,
since these require longer implementation in order to fully appreciate its
benefits and impact. It also helps us to better measure and evaluate a
project’s potential for expansion and replication.

Center of Excellence in Public Elementary

Education (Centex). The emergence of
technology as an integral teaching tool created
a wider gap between private and public
schools. CENTEX aims to narrow this gap by

4
 designing its curriculum to give technology prominence across all
subject areas. The intent of CENTEX is to ensure that all its students
from marginalized families become successful, lifelong learners
prepared for the complex challenges of the information age of the 21st
century.

Sharing the Light aims to increase English,

reading and writing proficiency in public school
students through the rehabilitation of public high
school libraries, including the conduct of librarian
training and reading programs.
Project Cost: P 69,000 per library
Partner Organization: Pathways to Higher Education

Building a Learning Community Program’s

goal is to enable elementary school children to
become independent learners and increase their
functional literacy rate in English, Science, and
Math.
Project Cost: approximately P 1.1 million per
community of 40 schools
Partner Organization: Synergeia Foundation, Inc

St. Bernard Educational Trust Fund is a

special project for orphaned survivors of the
massive Leyte landslide in February 2006. The
project spans 11 years, since Children’s Hour
committed to support 56 scholars from
elementary thru high school.
Project Cost: approximately P 7M for the SBETF
Endowment
Partner Organization: Philippine Business for
Social Progress

While we have devoted the greater part of our funds to flagship projects, we
also continue to address the other needs of children thru smaller, one-year
projects. These projects allow us to reach other children and help us identify
partners for future flagship projects.

5
 HOW CAN YOUR COMPANY HELP?

Employee Payroll Giving: This is the easiest and most practical way for
employees to donate. Through an authorization slip, employees can pledge the
amount they wish to deduct (which the Payroll Master can compute for them) on
the payroll date they want. This scheme unifies the employees in a common
cause and is a great morale builder as they share their good fortune.

Company Matching: A company may opt to give an equivalent amount to

match the employees’ donations. This scheme underscores management’s
oneness with the employees. It fosters a closeness and convergence of
personal and corporate philanthropies.

Company Donation: A company could also give the equivalent profits or

earnings of one hour of business or trade.

Cause-oriented Marketing: A company, especially of consumer goods or

retail business, may undertake marketing or merchandising strategies to help
the Children's Hour’s goals and expand the fundraising. The company could,
for example, do any of the following:

• Entice customers to make donations in drop boxes within the premises

as they pay their bills
• Develop advertising materials and post them within company premises
• Pre-determine one hour before the end of the year during which all
revenues can be dedicated for the Children's Hour

6
 • Undertake marketing promotions or gimmicks using their products (for
example, printing the Children's Hour logo and slogans on their tag,
• Allocating a fixed amount or percentage of sales for Children's Hour.

YOUR PARTICIPATION’S IMPACT

Your help is more important than we can say. Combined with other donations of one
hour, your help can alleviate the sad plight of disadvantaged Filipino children and make
significant, lasting changes in children’s lives.

CHILDREN’S HOUR SECRETARIAT

For more information, please contact:

The Children’s Hour Secretariat

5/F Dominion Building, 833 A.S. Arnaiz Avenue
Legaspi Village, Makati City
Direct Line 894.1663 / 893.2236
Fax Number 893.2236
E-mail: ask@childrenshour.org.ph
Website: www.childrenshour.org.ph