Blessing the Children International

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
383591372
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Kawkawlin, MI, USA
Phone
9894159224
Rating
57
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public, Society Benefit N.E.C.
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$43,377
Expenses
$51,210
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Keith V Strawn (President)
  • Daniel J Lincoln (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Keith V Strawn (President): $14,308 total reported compensation
  • Melissa M Cornelius (Corporate Secretary): $4,846 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 preach, teach and publish the Gospel through tangible measures of caring for orphans and widows in Ethiopia, send teams and missionaries to work with those less fortunatee and to minister in the local churches in Ethiopia and partnering with like-minded 501c3 organizations to do the same.

What it reported doing in 2025

Operated an elementary school for underprivledged children. Worked with churches and other 501c3 nonprofit organizations to spread the Gospel and assist ministries to spread the Word Gospel message. Accomplish special projects in impoverished communities in Ethiopia, Africa. Provide training and education of youth in the local community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. The filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 52
  • Transparency & Controls: 69
  • Accountability: 72
  • Sustainability: 19
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 62.9%; rating input score 63
  • Program expense ratio: 49.9%; rating input score 50
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -18.1%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 37.4%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -18.1% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -14.3% per year; rating input score 0; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -15.1% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 62.9% of revenue deployed · 49.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 3 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $26K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $14K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 50/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 6/100.