Serving Orphans Worldwide 
The information on this page was last updated 1/9/2025. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
We at Serving Orphans Worldwide believe that all children are loved by God. Throughout Scripture, we see God's heart for the fatherless and James 1:27 makes very clear the mandate to care for orphaned children to His glory. We believe that one of the responsibilities of God's people is to care for widows, orphans, and those who have been marginalized by the economic and social systems of the world. It is to that end that we come alongside the body of Christ to support orphanages and children's homes.
SOW cares for orphaned children by empowering their caregivers to do their best work, with compassion, grace, integrity and excellence. Our end goal is to see every child reach the potential that God has for them.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Serving Orphans Worldwide
P.O. Box 1403
Bristol, TN 37621
Website: soworldwide.org
Phone: (866)580-5700
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 043614613
CEO/President: Jeremy Reis
Chairman: Chad Sorrell
Board size: 24
Founder: Dr. John Gregory
Ruling year: 2004
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2014
Purpose
We rescue, train and sustain struggling children's homes.
Mission statement
Its mission is to rescue, nurture, and sustain vulnerable children through high-impact orphan care ministries globally.
Statement of faith
Serving Orphans Worldwide (SOW) shares a statement of faith commonly accepted by
Christians, as follows:
We believe the Bible to be the only inspired, infallible, and authoritative word of God.
We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in
His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily
resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return
in power and glory.
We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy
Spirit is absolutely essential.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is
enabled to live a godly life.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto
the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
C
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Relief and Development
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 171 of 1117 | 21 of 100 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 173 of 1118 | 16 of 100 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 450 of 1118 | 38 of 100 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 340 of 1117 | 37 of 100 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 6% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 11% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 11% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 99% | 99% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 10% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 86% | 89% | 91% | 86% | 84% | 76% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 100% | 93% | 85% | 92% | 90% | 106% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 87% | 83% | 77% | 79% | 75% | 81% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 0% | 7% | 15% | 8% | 10% | -6% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 2% | 16% | 45% | 24% | 33% | -24% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 7% | 9% | 8% | 13% | 16% | 13% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.53 | 2.11 | 2.48 | 2.81 | 2.92 | 4.26 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.26 | 1.22 | 1.77 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.17 | 2.58 | 4.39 | 2.81 | 2.92 | 4.26 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 13.11 | 568.60 | 375.13 | 175.44 | 228.11 | 31.00 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.03 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.68 | 4.65 | 2.73 | 4.24 | 4.09 | 2.72 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 8% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 3% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 53% | 47% | 40% | 35% | 34% | 23% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Cash | $1,686,476 | $973,962 | $955,664 | $724,452 | $502,950 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $0 | $250 | $1,702 | $250 | $250 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $1,686,476 | $974,212 | $957,366 | $724,702 | $503,200 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $750,040 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $375,911 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $675 | $0 | $675 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $375,911 | $750,715 | $0 | $675 | $0 |
| Total assets | $2,062,387 | $1,724,927 | $957,366 | $725,377 | $503,200 |
| Liabilities | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $2,966 | $2,597 | $5,457 | $3,177 | $16,234 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $2,966 | $2,597 | $5,457 | $3,177 | $16,234 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $2,966 | $2,597 | $5,457 | $3,177 | $16,234 |
| Net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Without donor restrictions | $1,718,216 | $1,611,296 | $897,070 | $556,771 | $486,966 |
| With donor restrictions | $341,205 | $111,034 | $54,839 | $165,429 | $0 |
| Net assets | $2,059,421 | $1,722,330 | $951,909 | $722,200 | $486,966 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Total contributions | $4,641,939 | $5,042,070 | $2,935,614 | $2,351,363 | $2,019,145 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $34,092 | $331 | $84 | $160 | $396 |
| Other revenue | $4,980 | $43 | ($11,845) | $1,144 | $6,948 |
| Total other revenue | $39,072 | $374 | ($11,761) | $1,304 | $7,344 |
| Total revenue | $4,681,011 | $5,042,444 | $2,923,853 | $2,352,667 | $2,026,489 |
| Expenses | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Program services | $3,869,673 | $3,898,603 | $2,322,498 | $1,771,961 | $1,635,887 |
| Management and general | $391,753 | $334,161 | $354,095 | $328,661 | $287,262 |
| Fundraising | $82,494 | $39,259 | $17,551 | $16,811 | $221,302 |
| Total expenses | $4,343,920 | $4,272,023 | $2,694,144 | $2,117,433 | $2,144,451 |
| Change in net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $337,091 | $770,421 | $229,709 | $235,234 | ($117,962) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $337,091 | $770,421 | $229,709 | $235,234 | ($117,962) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Ken Anderson | Vice Pres | $101,726 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2023
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 1/9/2025. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Program accomplishments
Our Global Impact
69 Children's Homes
29 Countries
6000+ Children Served