Mercy Chefs Inc 
The information on this page was last updated 10/13/2022. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Disaster Relief & Long-Term Recovery: We respond to natural disasters and national emergencies at a moment's notice. In our deployments, our professional chefs prepare high-quality, hot meals on a mass scale for victims, first responders and volunteers. Our team is often one of the first organizations to arrive following a major weather event and is capable of providing 15,000 meals daily to meet the needs of a devastated community.
Community Kitchens: Mercy Chefs' Co-Founder, Ann LeBlanc, inspired the development of our Community Kitchens and Outreach division. She recognized our organization's responsibility to put our resources, volunteers, and skills to use outside of disasters to feed food-insecure populations across the nation. In 2019, Mercy Chefs launched its first permanent community kitchen in Portsmouth, Virginia as the model for a program that so far has been replicated in Panama City, FL and Nashville, TN.
Food Insecurity Response: In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Mercy Chefs has delivered millions of meals through grocery box distribution in places like Texas, Florida, Virginia, Puerto Rico, Oklahoma and others. The impact these groceries have made on people's lives is unparalleled, and we know we must continue to do more. Not only have we expanded our grocery box distribution program, but we're finding new ways to support people in food insecure communities with job skills training, single parent cooking classes, and budget recipe creation.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Mercy Chefs Inc
711 Washington Street
Portsmouth, VA 23704
Website: mercychefs.com
Phone: (757) 292-4264
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 205050449
CEO/President: Gary LeBlanc
Chairman: Gary LeBlanc
Board size: 4
Founder: Gary LeBlanc
Ruling year: 2006
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
We work with existing organizations within a community to maximize our joint efforts and to strengthen the community itself. Our focus is not solely placed on our immediate impact but on long-term recovery and enrichment, as well.
By partnering with local organizations and volunteers, our work can continue long after the Mercy Chefs' team and trucks depart. In instances where we retain a permanent presence in an area, we do so by providing locals with the necessary equipment and materials, and by training them to staff and maintain operations for themselves.
Mission statement
Mercy Chefs is a faith-based, non-profit disaster relief organization. We exist to provide professionally prepared, restaurant-quality meals to victims, volunteers, and first responders in natural disasters and national emergencies, and we partner with existing like-minded organizations to further their mission by providing food service in underserved communities across the country.
Statement of faith
We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each of whom is equal in being, power, and glory.
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 man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sin nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and himself completely unable to remedy his lost condition.
We believe that faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary for salvation and that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit whose indwelling enables the Christian to live a godly life.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation and eternal punishment.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ and that all true believers are members of His body, the Church.
We believe that the purpose of the Church and of each individual Christian is to glorify God by loving God, loving their neighbor and making disciples. Making disciples includes both evangelizing the lost and nurturing Christians.
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
D
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Relief and Development
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 224 of 1077 | 27 of 82 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 551 of 1078 | 45 of 82 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 378 of 1078 | 33 of 82 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 125 of 1077 | 13 of 82 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 6% | 6% | 6% | 8% | 12% | 16% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 6% | 6% | 8% | 12% | 16% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 99% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 17% | 17% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 86% | 88% | 80% | 82% | 75% | 77% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 92% | 89% | 106% | 107% | 71% | 92% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 77% | 79% | 84% | 88% | 53% | 71% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 8% | 11% | -6% | -7% | 29% | 8% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 22% | 39% | -17% | -16% | 65% | 27% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 6% | 5% | 14% | 10% | 7% | 6% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.43 | 2.45 | 2.33 | 1.92 | 1.55 | 2.90 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.23 | 2.30 | 3.31 | 2.54 | 1.18 | 1.71 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.94 | 5.64 | 7.69 | 4.87 | 1.84 | 4.94 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 11.32 | 4.12 | 224.32 | 0.00 | 115.18 | 56.74 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.09 | 0.24 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 5.11 | 1.61 | 1.55 | 2.47 | 6.48 | 2.38 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 9% | 24% | 26% | 20% | 1% | 1% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 20% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 64% | 31% | 32% | 42% | 64% | 34% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Cash | $955,219 | $358,245 | $528,076 | $1,166,535 | $284,167 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $55,798 | $30,675 | $30,675 | $0 | $0 |
| Short-term investments | $6,012 | $6,562 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $1,017,029 | $395,482 | $558,751 | $1,166,535 | $284,167 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $16,418 | $21,830 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $1,326,527 | $911,891 | $841,696 | $192,582 | $200,360 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $1,326,527 | $911,891 | $858,114 | $214,412 | $200,360 |
| Total assets | $2,343,556 | $1,307,373 | $1,416,865 | $1,380,947 | $484,527 |
| Liabilities | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $247,035 | $1,763 | $0 | $10,128 | $5,008 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $247,035 | $1,763 | $0 | $10,128 | $5,008 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $288,249 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $322,862 | $343,622 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $322,862 | $343,622 | $288,249 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $569,897 | $345,385 | $288,249 | $10,128 | $5,008 |
| Net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Without donor restrictions | $1,753,659 | $961,988 | $1,128,616 | $1,370,819 | $479,519 |
| With donor restrictions | $20,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net assets | $1,773,659 | $961,988 | $1,128,616 | $1,370,819 | $479,519 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Total contributions | $6,421,512 | $2,874,230 | $2,541,216 | $3,032,087 | $1,533,949 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $58 | $0 | $700 | $44 | ($1,013) |
| Other revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total other revenue | $58 | $0 | $700 | $44 | ($1,013) |
| Total revenue | $6,421,570 | $2,874,230 | $2,541,916 | $3,032,131 | $1,532,936 |
| Expenses | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Program services | $5,047,184 | $2,427,835 | $2,224,490 | $1,611,461 | $1,081,158 |
| Management and general | $309,585 | $438,944 | $279,799 | $159,289 | $85,736 |
| Fundraising | $378,921 | $174,071 | $214,097 | $370,056 | $238,023 |
| Total expenses | $5,735,690 | $3,040,850 | $2,718,386 | $2,140,806 | $1,404,917 |
| Change in net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $685,880 | ($166,620) | ($176,470) | $891,325 | $128,019 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $685,880 | ($166,620) | ($176,470) | $891,325 | $128,019 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| R Gary Leblanc | President | $188,462 |
| Ann Leblanc | Co-Founder | $98,200 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2020
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 10/13/2022. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Chef Gary & Ann LeBlanc founded Mercy Chefs in 2006 after the devastation & massive impact that Hurricane Katrina left on Chef Gary's hometown of New Orleans. Gary, being a Louisiana native, felt compelled for the first time in his life to volunteer. At the time, he was broken by what I witnessed in his hometown of New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The devastation was so intense and widespread. Lives were completely disrupted and the community was in ruins. After Katrina, he saw first-hand the incredible difference a hot meal could make, but after thirty-five years in the hospitality industry, Chef Gary was surprised and outraged by the quality of food being served.
Gary knew something more needed to be done, and the idea of serving high-quality, chef-prepared meals in a disaster zone occupied his mind for months afterwards. Soon after, Mercy Chefs was born. Gary and his wife Ann have been serving side by side for over 16 years since the Lord called them to "feed people; just go feed people."
Program accomplishments
From disaster zones across the country and around the world to serving people right in their own backyard, Mercy Chefs has already served over 20 million meals, with many more to come.
Needs
Mercy Chefs is fully funded by private donors. We work hard to keep our overhead costs low so we can maximize the impact of every donation given to our ministry. Our family of financial supporters is a vital part of our ministry. Your generosity empowers us to carry out our work and mission.