A sponsorship group commits to supporting a newcomer for 12 months after they arrive in Canada. The pre-arrival period — from the time a group forms and submits an application to the newcomer's actual arrival — can take considerably longer (often one to three years, depending on immigration processing times). So while the formal support obligation is one year after arrival, groups should be prepared for a longer overall journey.

It does not cost anything to participate except time and energy. All groups are asked to join ROAR as a member and participate actively in ROAR’s fundraising activities.

Many groups will need to provide financial support the refugees while they are in the application process. This is completely up to each group to determine what is needed and what is possible. The financial commitment depends on how many people are being sponsored and the cost of living in the settlement community.

Many groups host fundraising events to raise pre-arrival costs or to contribute to ROAR’s mission. As a registered charity, ROAR can issue tax receipts for all donations. We’ll help you understand the financial commitment in detail before you make any decision.

ROAR raises funds to cover basic living expenses for the newcomer(s) for their first year — housing, food, clothing, transportation, and incidentals.  The sponsorship group will be responsible for helping the newcomer to manage their budget.  The sponsorship group will be responsible for helping the newcomer to manage the ROAR-provided funding.

You won't be on your own. ROAR's board provides mentorship and guidance throughout the process, and sponsorship groups receive quarterly internal communications with practical updates, common Q&As, and a dedicated "help needed" channel. The workshop notes and board ethical principles both emphasize that it should always feel safe to ask questions — there's no such thing as a silly question in this work. Orientation resources are maintained in a shared Google Drive folder for group members.

Absolutely. Sponsorship groups can form as a group of friends, a faith community, a workplace team, or any combination. ROAR has existing relationships with faith communities (Brechin United Church has been supportive in many ways, and the Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo has contributed funds), and the group sponsorship model is designed to work well for organized communities that already meet regularly. The communications strategy specifically highlights "joining as a group of friends" as a compelling entry point, and that applies equally to congregations or colleagues.

Yes — confidentiality is a core principle. ROAR's Board Ethical Principles (approved January 2022) commit to respecting the privacy of those sponsored, sponsorship group members, donors, and supporters. Information deemed confidential by the board stays confidential. In practice, this means details about a newcomer's identity, background, or personal circumstances are never shared publicly without explicit consent. Group members should feel confident that what happens within the group stays within the group, and that the board chair is the official spokesperson for board-level matters.

Each sponsorship group must include at least one person who shares the same sexual orientation as the sponsored person, or at least one person in the group must be trans if the sponsored refugee is trans.