Friends of the Poor

What it reported doing in 2024

Friends of the Poor built the Village of Maryhaven, a self-sustaining complex in Minna, Nigeria, and dedicated it to the care of orphans. Due to extreme poverty and high mortality rates, many children are orphaned or sold into slavery where they are overworked, mistreated or sexually abused. Here, they are protected, loved, nurtured and educated. Farm crops and animals provide a renewable food supply. The starting class numbered 200, the school has now grown to 400 students. The following components were built and maintained by FRIENDS OF THE POOR: 1 - Stella Maris Academy, a K-6th grade boarding school (all operating costs, including teachers' salaries, are funded by Friends of the Poor and middle and high school classrooms are under construction); 2 - Trade School - Job training will augment the high school curriculum, allowing students to graduate with marketable skills or trades. Friends of the Poor continues to fund vital operations or certain areas of need. Other accomplishments in Africa are: Science Center, a state-of-the-art addition to the Kupiec Academy for Girls (boarding school built by Friends of the Poor which saw its first graduating class in 2015); Job Training Centers, built for young mothers struggling to raise their children and support their families; The Marriott Daughters Day Care Center, provides critical daycare to mothers attending the Job Training Centers; in Idah, two convents are being built after the destruction of the convents in Boko Haram, in Northern Nigeria; a new hospital is being built in Idah. In 2015-2016, animals and seeds for farming were purchased to provide famine relief in the area.Earlier accomplishments include: HIV clinic and hospital (2005), clean water projects (2004 - present), home health care services where home health care workers are provided with mopeds and medical supplies to administer in-home care to critically ill patients who are unable to travel, an orphanage, teen center, and the initial project in Africa, St. Paul's Cathedral.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 99.5%; rating input score 99
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -22.5%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.39; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -7.1% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -6.4% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -4.1% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings