Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How do I order a Gift for Life item?
  2. What do I receive?
  3. How does it work? And where does my money go?
  4. How long does it take for my physical Gift card to be delivered?
  5. How long does it take for my e-card to be delivered?
  6. Will my Gift for Life card be delivered direct to my friend or relative?
  7. What is the last date for orders for Christmas?
  8. How much of my donation reaches the project?
  9. How do I know my money gets there?
  10. Does safe water really cost $30?
  11. Are Gift for Life purchases tax-deductible?
  12. Can I have a receipt made out to the person receiving the card?
  13. What happens if a gift is over-subscribed?
  14. How can I get more information on the projects these gifts support?
  15. Can I trace which family my gift goes to in the developing world?
  16. I notice that some of the gifts are animals, are animals treated well in developing countries?
  17. I sponsor a child, can I send the child I sponsor a Gift for Life?
  18. Are some gifts better than others?




1. How do I order a Gift for Life item?

You can order items from the Gift catalogue by phone, post, fax or online.




2. What do I receive?

For every item you order you will be sent a physical gift card or an e-card (electronic card) will be sent to the recipient, depending upon what type of card you choose.

The physical card has an image and description of your purchase (including a description of the impact of your gift). The card also provides a space to record the name of the person who will be 'receiving' your gift. The amount you have spent is not included on the physical card.

The e-card has an image and description of your purchase (including a description of the impact of your gift). The card also provides a space for you to write a message to the person. Once you enter the recipients email details and your own, the card is automatically sent to their email address. Please make sure you have the correct email address. An email is also sent to you confirming your transaction. The amount you have spent is not included on the e-card.



3. How does it work? And where does my money go?

When you order a gift from this catalogue, we allocate your donation to the appropriate project, allowing field staff to purchase that specific item.

For example, if you buy a heifer calf, funds will be sent to our partner, Serve, in Afghanistan. Serve will use your donation to purchase a calf - the calf will then be distributed to a needy family.



4. How long does it take for my physical Gift card to be delivered?

Please allow at least 3 working days from when you make your order, plus NZ Post delivery (see below).

International deliveries will be dependent on the postal service of the country specified for delivery.

Delivery service of cards can vary depending on the time of year eg. leading up to Christmas deliveries may take longer than usual.

  Standard - Postage Priority - Courier*
CostComplimentary$5.00
Auckland2 working days2 working day
Nationwide2 - 3 working days2 working day
Rural Delivery2 - 3 working days2 - 3 working days
*courier not available for international deliveries, orders will be sent surface mail.



5. How long does it take for an e-card to be delivered?

E-cards are sent as soon as the order has been finalised and payment has been authorised. They should arrive within a few minutes, however, internet traffic and many other factors can sometimes delay delivery. You will be sent a confirmation of your e-card order. If you have made an error on the delivery address for your e-card the email should be returned to the sender address you entered. You will then need to resend the e-card to the correct recipient address.



6. Will my Gift for Life card be delivered direct to my friend or relative?

The physical card will be sent to you directly so that you can fill in the details inside the card as well as filling in their address details on the envelope supplied to forward onto them.



7. What is the last date for orders for Christmas?

If you are requiring gift cards for Christmas to avoid disappointment we strongly recommend you make your order well in advance of the Christmas rush.

We will be processing and sending all orders for physical cards received up to and including 20th of December. Any orders for cards made after 20th of December will be processed in the New Year.

As deliveries are reliant on NZ Post we can not guarantee that orders will be received prior to Christmas. Please feel free to contact us with regard to the status of your order.

E-cards can be ordered anytime and will be processed immediately pending the internet traffic and network..


8. How much of my donation reaches the project?

As much as possible, it is extremely important for us to be the best possible stewards of everything we receive, but all this doesn't happen on it own. There is a cost, but we guarantee that TEAR Fund is continually endeavoring to reduce the costs of its operations, to ensure that we can make the biggest impact possible.

If you would like further information or a copy of TEAR Fund's audited financial accounts please contact enquiries@tearfund.org.nz



9. How do I know my money gets there?

TEAR Fund regularly audits its' projects and partners, and we in turn are audited by external auditors and in some cases by NZAID. We not only audit that the money gets to the intended partner and project but we also audit how effective the money given is being used and how it is impacting the communities and individuals involved.



10. Does safe water really cost $30?

Giving people access to safe water can involve a number of activities. This usually includes consulting with the community, assessing where the closest water source is and buying materials to build a well or a pump. At TEAR Fund we have worked out how much it costs to do this for a community and have divided this by the number of families who are likely to use the well or pump – that's how we got $30!

This is how all of our Gift for Life products are priced.



11. Are Gift for Life purchases tax-deductible?

Yes, the 'purchaser' only will be mailed a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts will be mailed after the end of the tax year in April.



12. Can I have a receipt made out to the person receiving the card?

Sorry, no. The money received is a donation to TEAR Fund so the donor must receive the receipt.



13. What happens if a gift is over-subscribed?

In the event of a particular item being oversubscribed, please allow TEAR Fund the discretion of redirecting your donation to other activities of the same project, or to an equally worthwhile project.



14. How can I get more information on the projects these gifts support?

For more information regarding the projects featured in Gift for Life (including projects in Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, and Uganda) please contact TEAR Fund on 0800 800 777 or email: enquiries@tearfund.org.nz



15. Can I trace which family my gift goes to in the developing world?

No - gifts are all put into a pooled fund and sent to communities as a lump sum. Although the end product is individuals being helped, we are unable to link you to those individuals.



16. I notice that some of the gifts are animals, are animals treated well in developing communities?

The feedback we receive time and time again from our programmes team, who regularly visit communities, is that animals are not mistreated.

"Animals are often the main source of family income in rural developing communities and thus are usually treated with high regard and respect. The animal's owner is totally aware that the animal is hugely significant in terms of helping provide a livelihood and so making sure animals are well cared for is given high priority" Marty Pritchard, Programmes officer, TEAR Fund.



17. I sponsor a child, can I send the child I sponsor a Gift for Life?

We do encourage sponsors to send monetary gifts to children (we are unable to accept packages). However, sponsored children's gifts are different to our Gift for Life scheme. Gift for Life purchases go to help selected communities that are not part of our child sponsorship programme.
If you would like to send a gift to the child you support then please send a donation to TEAR Fund with details of the child you support attached.
If you would like more information about sending gifts to the child you support then please email enquiries@tearfund.org.nz



18. Are some gifts better than others?

We do not consider any one gift to be better than others. The project that your donation goes to has been selected to meet critical needs. Each gift is valuable and we want you to feel free to choose.