Free Wheelchair Mission

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
311781635
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Irvine, CA, United States
Phone
800-733-0858 (toll-free); 949-273-8470 (office)
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Rehabilitative Medical Services
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$19,147,683
Expenses
$19,230,267
Assets
$4,945,390
Liabilities
$1,357,336

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

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DON SCHOENDORFER (PRESIDENT)
  • NUKA HART (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • DON SCHOENDORFER (PRESIDENT): $247,732 total reported compensation
  • NUKA HART (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $200,417 total reported compensation
  • ANGELA RUIZ GOMEZ (DIRECTOR OF LEGACY GIVING): $159,436 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To provide the transforming gift of mobility to people with disabilities living in developing nations as motivated by Jesus Christ. We aspire to provide three million people with the gift of mobility by 2035. With an estimated 80 million people around the world today in need of a wheelchair, Free Wheelchair Mission continues our mission to provide mobility to people living with disabilities in developing countries. Free Wheelchair Mission continues its focus and commitment on becoming a leading provider of mobility in developing countries, but beyond placing recipients in a wheelchair, Free Wheelchair Mission is bringing transformation that opens doors to education, employment opportunities, and community that these individuals only dreamed of before receiving the gift of mobility.

What it reported doing in 2024

We transform lives throught the gift of mobility as motivated by jesus christ. With our donors' support, we sent 64,316 wheelchairs during this fiscal year to those with disabilities in developing countries throughout the world. We have delivered over a million wheelchairs and are working toward our second million! In addition to wheelchairs, free wheelchair mission donated $7,165,918 of gift-in-kind medical supplies to our distribution partners during the year. These supplies are selected for the purpose of enhancing the utility of our wheelchairs or to support surgeries that prevent physical disabilities. We are very grateful for the continued support from our donors that allows us to reach individuals that are waiting for a wheelchair and the transforming mobility it will provide.

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 82% 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 and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 67
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 26
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.9%; rating input score 80
  • Program expense ratio: 79.3%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 41.7%; rating input score 42; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 90%; rating input score 90; 22nd 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: -0.4%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.26; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.27; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.4%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 79.9% of revenue deployed · 79.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 10 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $15.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $248K · 19 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 39 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 23/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 42/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 6/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 40/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 49/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.