Kickstart International Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Headquartered in nairobi, kenya, kickstart international is a nonprofit social enterprise working across sub-saharan africa to support smallholder farmers in building profitable, year-round farming businesses through irrigation. Kickstart designs and distributes affordable irrigation pumps that enable farmers to move beyond rainfed agriculture, increase incomes, improve food security, and reduce vulnerability to droughts and floods. Farmers use kickstart's pumps to grow high-value fruits and vegetables through dry seasons and between rains, when prices are highest. Year-round production allows households to stabilize income, improve nutrition, and invest in school fees, healthcare, and farm improvements. Kickstart has 17+ priority countries across sub-saharan africa and operates through a market-driven model that combines retail distribution with strategic partnerships. The organization works with agro-dealers, cooperatives, agribusinesses, microfinance institutions, savings and credit cooperatives, non-government organizations, and government partners to expand access and affordability. Outreach includes pump demonstrations and training in irrigation and water management, crop planning, post-harvest handling, and farm business management, including integration into value chains such as coffee and cocoa. As of june 30, 2025, more than 424,000 pumps have been placed in the hands of farmers. To date, kickstart's technologies have enabled more than 1.6 million people to take a major step out of poverty, generated more than $1.6 billion in new profits and wages, and supported production of fresh fruits and vegetables for more than 16 million people. In fy25 alone, more than 20,000 pumps were distributed, helping over 80,000 people increase their incomes, generating more than $11 million in new profits and wages, and feeding over 800,000 people with fresh produce. During fy25, kickstart initiated a strategic pivot in response to a changing international development landscape. Sharp reductions in international aid, driven by major cuts to USAID and other multilateral and bilateral donors, have made it harder for development organizations to operate. As partnership capacity across the sector contracted, kickstart began shifting toward a more direct-to-farmer and market-based distribution model. This shift includes expanding retail networks, strengthening commercial partnerships, and deepening collaboration with financial institutions to integrate irrigation into loan and cooperative financing products. Kickstart also strengthened country-level activities. In rwanda, additional rural retail outlets improved last-mile access to pumps and training. In senegal, operations were formally launched in partnership with local distributors and the ministry of agriculture. In uganda, irrigation financing advanced through collaboration with coffee cooperatives and financial institutions. In nigeria, irrigation was integrated into cocoa-sector and youth-focused agricultural programs. Kickstart also continued supporting farmers in fragile contexts, including south sudan, and sustained irrigation partnerships in zambia that align farm incomes with community-based conservation efforts. Affordability remains central to kickstart's model. The organization continued expanding its rent to try & buy model, allowing farmers to rent pumps before purchasing and reduce upfront risk. Local irrigation agents - often young entrepreneurs - rent pumps within their communities and earn income through rental fees and sales commissions, supporting youth-led enterprise and local employment. In fy25, 36 additional agents were recruited in kenya, and systems for tracking rentals and repayments were strengthened, expanding access to irrigation while reinforcing pathways to ownership. Through this evolving market-based approach, kickstart continues to adapt to changing conditions while remaining focused on a simple objective: ensuring that smallholder farmers can access a

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 81.8%; rating input score 82
• Program expense ratio: 89.9%; rating input score 90
• Fundraising efficiency: $54.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 9.2%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.17; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.4%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -5.6% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -4.7% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -3.9% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings