African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries of Texas

What it reported doing in 2020

Servant leadership training: alarm's main focus is developing a strong church leadership that will help the church become agents of spiritual transformation and social reconciliation by training religious leaders, christian professionals and community leaders in serving leadership, justice and reconcilation to hurting people. Through the pastoral leadership training institute (plti) and the women leadership training institute (wlti), alarm trains grassroots pastors to meet the needs of their congregations through a well-developed curriculum of topics that are key for theological understanding and pastoral skills. Because of the role of women in peacebuilding and community development, alarm trains women leaders through different modules that cover topics ranging from peacebuilding, servant leadership, biblical forgiveness, child development, principles of bible study methods. Peacebuilding, justice, and reconciliation: alarm's passion is for the reconcilation of african communities. Due to tribal and ethnic violence that has hindered the social and economic development of east africa, alarm trains religious leaders in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, biblical forgiveness, tribal reconcilation, and interfaith dialog for peacebuilding. Professional christians such as lawyers, judges, human rights activists, military and police are training in biblical justice, human dignity and human rights, good governance, and advocacy for vulnerable widows and orphans. These professionals learn how to use their faith and profession to serve their communities well and alarm's training has encouraged lawyers to honor christ as they serve in legal systems that are often corrupt. Lawyers have also been encouraged to take on cases of severe injustice and fight for those who are powerless. Over the last few years, alarm has seen major impact from its work in training christian lawyers and judges in many of the countries alarm serves. Alarm has had the opportunity to provide training in trauma healing and recover for victims of sexual violence and tribal wars especially in dr congo, sudan, and south sudan. Alarm's programs have helped many to turn to god, forgive their perpetrators and move forward in their lives. Community transformation & development: because of the effect of tribal wars and ethnic violence in east and central africa where we serve, the community transformation programs seek to empower the church to be agents of sustainable development in the community through microfinance, formal and informal education. In the areas of microfinance, alarm supports the economic empowerment of women through microfinance groups with women from different tribes and denominations. As they work together to build their businesses and repay their loans, they learn to trust each other and to reconcile their differences. In education, alarm partners with lietnhom community of south sudan in supporting linda primary and hope secondary schools. In rwanda, alarm supports the girls' secondary school, the institute of women's excellence in rwanda. For creating job opportunity for youth victims of wars, alarm supports vocational training programs for boys and girls in kabuga vocational school (rwanda), pader technical school in uganda, and brenda tailoring school in dr congo. The skills learned in these programs enables these idle and disenfranchised youth to provide for themselves and not be prone to become involved in violent conflicts. Because of the mandate of the church to care for widows and orphans, alarm comes alongside the churches in uganda, burundi and dr congo to provide for support for orphans and train local christians to care for orphans through our orphan care programs in these countries. Alarm believes that communities will be transformed when women and children are empowered to contribute to the sustainable development of their communities.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 63.9%; rating input score 64
• Fundraising efficiency: $2.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Limited
  • Conducts field audits: Pass
  • May suspend future funding: Limited
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Limited
  • Requires grant agreements: Limited
  • May require repayment: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • 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: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -107.8%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.4%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -7.9% per year; rating input score 0; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -4% per year; rating input score 0; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -4.3% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings