Africa Exchange

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
541850816
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2019
Location
Cedar Grove, NC, USA
Phone
3366392288
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Cultural Exchange
Affiliation
Christianity

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,108,320
Expenses
$739,596
Assets
$805,361
Liabilities
$26,206

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Sam Harrell (Executive Dir.): $111,026 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To conduct education and development programs for the benefit of children and communities in marginalized, rural Kenya.

What it reported doing in 2025

Maa Trust: The Maa Trust is a charitable community development organization with tax exempt status in Kenya. Its goals of childhood education and development, sustainable livelihoods, community health and conservation are compatible and consistent with the objectives and goals of Africa Exchange.All funding to the Maa Trust from Africa Exchange is under a fiscal sponsor relationship and is utilized strictly for designated programs and project funding. Funds are disbursed by wire transfer directly to the Maa Trust main account where they are accounted for per rigorous accounting procedures, annual reports and annually audited accounts.The executive director of Africa Exchange sits on the board of Maa Trust and is privy to all current developments and reports. The two organizations collaborate frequently in the particular areas of operations where the Maa Trust operates.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 79% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 68% for direct work, and 32% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 58
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 62
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 55.9%; rating input score 56
  • Program expense ratio: 81.8%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 72.7%; rating input score 73; 19th 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: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 33.3%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.09; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 17.5% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 16.3% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 55.9% of revenue deployed · 81.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $605K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $111K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 23 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2018 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 56/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 48/100.