Orphan Sunday – Nov. 8, 2026

Expected Orphan Sunday Deals

As a cause-driven observance, Orphan Sunday focuses on fundraising and awareness rather than commercial deals. Organizations like the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), World Vision, and Compassion International often partner with churches and individuals to facilitate donations, sponsor children, and promote adoption and foster care initiatives. Many local churches host special offerings or events to support orphan care ministries. Companies like Amazon Smile and Tom’s Shoes (through their one-for-one model) provide avenues for consumers to contribute to children’s causes year-round. We will update this page with specific campaign details from leading organizations as November approaches.

History of Orphan Sunday

Orphan Sunday is a day set aside to recognize and raise awareness among the public, families, churches, and para-church advocacy groups about the plight of the world’s 153 million orphans. Unfortunately, the majority of these children are never adopted. They constitute the ‘Orphan Nation,’ the world’s 10th-largest country. Many churches and groups have held Orphan Sundays over the years to promote awareness about orphans in our communities, highlighting their issues and needs.

An American missionary to Africa, Gary Schneider, inspired the Christian Alliance to create a unique version of Orphan Sunday. Schneider was touched by the public response to a pastor’s appeal to care for the many orphans in a local community ravaged by hunger verging on starvation, poverty, and AIDS while witnessing a church service in Zambia.

Orphaned children were in a particularly awful predicament at the time, as they were frequently forced to fend for themselves. Many children’s lives were compromised as a result of this, as they had no means of earning enough money to attend school in the hopes of gaining an education and a suitable job in the future.

Even though many of the residents who attended the ceremony were impoverished themselves, several of them walked forward at the end of the service to show their support, a few even gifting their shoes and clothes to help the children.

Schneider was moved by this gesture of compassion and resolved to assist Zambian leaders in caring for Zambian orphans by spreading the news about this new practice, which spread like wildfire. This initiative reached the United States by 2003.
The Christian Alliance salutes Schneider’s visit to a Zambian church for the gift of Orphan Sunday and the inspiration it provided to people across the globe to care about orphans.

Orphan Sunday is commonly referred to as ‘Zambia’s gift to the world.’ The Christian Alliance now comprises upwards of 150 well-known ministries, and Orphan Sunday is observed by hundreds of churches in more than 50 countries across the world.

How Businesses Can Celebrate Orphan Sunday