Design Outreach Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Another major program area is DO's Engineering Solutions efforts. Behind the scenes, DO engineers continue to design and develop breakthrough innovations that provide the resources communities need to thrive. As DO works toward its goals of delivering innovative solutions to end extreme poverty, the engineering team continues to develop new and innovative ways to give those living in poverty hope, dignity, and the possibility of a better life. LifePumpTM. In 2024, 73 new LifePumps were installed, bringing the total to 492 across 12 countries, providing clean water to 375,400 people. LifePump continues to be a game changer for remote communities where the water is at significant depths, making it difficult for other pump technologies to reliably access water. LifePumpLinkTM. DO's remote monitoring technology helps ensure that LifePump communities never experience a day without water. In August 2024, LifePumps equipped with LifePumpLink surpassed 1,000,000 hours of usage tracked since monitoring began in 2018, and they were being used at a rate of 500,000 hours per year. LifeTapTM. LifeTap, DO's reliable and robust self-closing valve, is providing water from tap stands in 7 countries, including at Malawi's Dzaleka Refugee Camp, home to 52,000 refugees who have fled war and genocide in neighboring nations. The camp faces overpopulation and has significant water needs, and LifeTap has proven to be a critical component in meeting these needs reliably. By the end of 2024, 362 LifeTaps had been sold or donated, impacting 21,720 people. LifeLatrineTM. LifeLatrine addresses sanitation and hygiene challenges facing rural communities in developing countries by providing an affordable, reliable, and safe latrine option that helps to eliminate disease, prevent dangerous pit wall collapse, and give families their dignity back. Field reports from 2024 have been extremely positive. Following visits to LifeLatrine demonstration sites in Lilongwe, Dowa, and Salima, it was reported that the PVC-lined pit latrines were suitable for all soil types, reducing structural failure. The plastic sanitation platform was easy to clean and well-received, and community members appreciated the user-friendly and odorless designs. LifeLatrine was deemed suitable for households, health facilities, schools, and offices. MaxLifeTM. Launched in 2022, DO's MaxLife Program aims to solve the problem of frequent breakdowns and lead contamination for the 2 billion people who rely on traditional public-domain hand pumps such as Afridev and India Mark II and III. In 2024, field testing was conducted at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in conjunction with WeltHungerHilfe (WHH). Two Afridev pumps at Dzaleka Refugee Camp were fitted with MaxLife centralizers, the first and most critical component of the upgrade kit. Since the installation of the new centralizers, the Afridev pumps went from breaking down every month to going more than six months without replacing these parts, even in this high-use scenario. Feedback from government officials on the new centralizer as part of the MaxLife Upgrade Kits has been extremely positive. At the end of the year, Afridev MaxLife Upgrade Kits had been installed on 218 Afridev hand pumps, improving water access and stability for more than 54,500 people. Wound Therapy Device. In 2024, DO Medical formed two impactful new partnerships that have provided essential feedback and insights for the development of the negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) device. A new partnership with Kapsowar Mission Hospital in Kenya allowed us to expand our reach and gain valuable information by testing the device in an environment that is different than Malawi. Kenya also has a higher, more regulated standard of entry, so being able to operate there will better prepare DO as the organization continues to move forward to finalize the device, attain FDA approval, and get the device to where it is needed around the world.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 75.3%; rating input score 75
• Program expense ratio: 80.7%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.81 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• 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: 0%; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: 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: 6.7%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.45; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.27; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 9.1%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 25.5% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 24.5% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 24.8% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings