Bless the Children Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
541650281
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Clearwater, FL, USA
Phone
7276310088
Rating
63
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Relief

Reported finances

Revenue
$235,412
Expenses
$256,428
Assets
$9,670
Liabilities
$6,328

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Rebecca Smith (Treasurer/Director): $44,100 total reported compensation
  • Karen Hubbard (Exec Director): $10,200 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

As an International Organization helping some of the worlds poorest , Bless the Children programs free orphaned, abandoned and impoverished children from the chains of poverty by empowering them with improved healthcare, shelter, nutrition, educational, spiritual and cultural support so they may become productive members of their society.

What it reported doing in 2024

Education, Community Support and Orphan Support Education Since 2006 Bless the Children has provided a free high school education for children graduating 6th grade from 10 poor agricultural communities in the Mico Quemado Mountains of Honduras. Literacy classes and an elementary school education are available to adults and youth to prepare them to enter high school. In 2021 Bless the Children built a new high school facility for the communities. Bless the Children provides support to 5 elementary schools in this mountain region. Community Support Bless the Children supports impoverished communities throughout the Caribbean Islands and Central American countries with 40 ft sea container shipments of humanitarian aid. These materials provide support for schools, orphanages, hospitals, and clinics, while giving direct help to poor children and families. Orphan Support Bless The Children helps support orphaned children in Kenya and Honduras. Support provides nutritional food, a safe environment, education, and loving caretakers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 68% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 53
  • Accountability: 59
  • Sustainability: 15
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 92.5%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 2nd 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: 50%; rating input score 50; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 57.1%; rating input score 57; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -8.9%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.04; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.65; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 21.2%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -16.7% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -10.3% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 92.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $237K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $44K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 24 current checks pass · 3 findings to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes foreign activity
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 57/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 50/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 8/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 18/100.