A Child's Hope International 
The information on this page was last updated 12/3/2025. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
We exist to see every child thrive in a secure family, renewed by the love of Jesus.
Contact information
Mailing address:
A Child's Hope International
2430 E. Kemper Road
Cincinnati, OH 45241
Website: thechildrenarewaiting.org
Phone: 513-771-2244
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 262650611
CEO/President: Jerry Shannon
Chairman: Doug Peters
Board size: 8
Founder: Larry Bergeron
Ruling year: 2009
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2011
Purpose
Motivated by God's concern for widows and orphans, A Child's Hope International exists to help vulnerable children and families thrive by mobilizing the Church and community to provide food, clean water, and holistic care in Jesus' name-locally and globally. We seek to meet the urgent physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children through holistic, faith-driven partnerships that strengthen families, support communities, and restore dignity to every child.
Mission statement
A Child's Hope Int'l partners with communities to inspire lasting hope in Jesus' name by providing food, clean water, and wholistic care to meet the urgent needs of children and families.
Statement of faith
Visit: https://thechildrenarewaiting.org/statement-of-faith/
Articles
Donor confidence score
Show donor confidence score details
To understand our donor confidence score, click here.
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Foreign Missions
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 89 of 1420 | 13 of 126 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 325 of 1420 | 38 of 126 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 175 of 1420 | 16 of 126 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 227 of 1421 | 21 of 126 |
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 5% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 98% | 100% | 99% | 99% | 98% | 98% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 1% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 2% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 85% | 94% | 96% | 90% | 91% | 92% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 99% | 96% | 105% | 116% | 95% | 122% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 83% | 91% | 102% | 104% | 86% | 113% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 1% | 4% | -5% | -16% | 5% | -22% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 3% | 17% | -42% | -27% | 7% | -27% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 9% | 3% | 2% | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.52 | 4.06 | 5.83 | 1.55 | 1.21 | 1.35 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.14 | 1.07 | 1.30 | 1.65 | 1.33 | 1.28 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.30 | 4.33 | 7.56 | 2.55 | 1.62 | 1.73 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 23.45 | 7.89 | 5.29 | 14.59 | 15.89 | 11.00 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.03 | 0.13 | 0.19 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.09 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 5.02 | 2.42 | 1.29 | 4.38 | 6.94 | 6.30 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 4% | 12% | 29% | 20% | 5% | 7% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 60% | 22% | 12% | 52% | 78% | 69% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Cash | $491,710 | $463,214 | $476,753 | $757,355 | $928,646 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $330,155 | $228,758 | $493,865 | $525,164 | $349,316 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $821,865 | $691,972 | $970,618 | $1,282,519 | $1,277,962 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $54,305 | $80,360 | $382,902 | $429,130 | $357,915 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $125,174 | $249,053 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $54,305 | $205,534 | $631,955 | $429,130 | $357,915 |
| Total assets | $876,170 | $897,506 | $1,602,573 | $1,711,649 | $1,635,877 |
| Liabilities | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $104,113 | $130,803 | $66,542 | $80,699 | $116,175 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $104,113 | $130,803 | $66,542 | $80,699 | $116,175 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $125,174 | $249,053 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $125,174 | $249,053 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $104,113 | $255,977 | $315,595 | $80,699 | $116,175 |
| Net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Without donor restrictions | $696,194 | $627,607 | $1,108,525 | $1,452,497 | $1,471,834 |
| With donor restrictions | $75,863 | $13,922 | $178,453 | $178,453 | $47,868 |
| Net assets | $772,057 | $641,529 | $1,286,978 | $1,630,950 | $1,519,702 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Total contributions | $3,670,621 | $4,927,697 | $2,108,852 | $2,148,295 | $1,769,290 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $9,380 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $4,837 | $4,740 | $3,650 | $2,381 | $15,121 |
| Other revenue | $9,811 | $29,058 | $22,944 | $30,544 | $23,239 |
| Total other revenue | $14,648 | $33,798 | $26,594 | $42,305 | $38,360 |
| Total revenue | $3,685,269 | $4,961,495 | $2,135,446 | $2,190,600 | $1,807,650 |
| Expenses | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Program services | $3,349,498 | $5,046,288 | $2,224,882 | $1,884,028 | $2,044,917 |
| Management and general | $120,769 | $123,554 | $184,911 | $155,306 | $137,860 |
| Fundraising | $84,474 | $60,834 | $69,625 | $40,018 | $29,091 |
| Total expenses | $3,554,741 | $5,230,676 | $2,479,418 | $2,079,352 | $2,211,868 |
| Change in net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $130,528 | ($269,181) | ($343,972) | $111,248 | ($404,218) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $130,528 | ($269,181) | ($343,972) | $111,248 | ($404,218) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Gerald Shannon | Executive Director | $141,601 |
| Larry Bergeron | Former ED/Founder | $35,000 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2024
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 12/3/2025. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
A Child's Hope Int'l began in the spring of 2008 after Larry Bergeron returned from a vision trip to sub-Saharan Africa, where he saw the orphan crisis face to face. The HIV/AIDS epidemic was sweeping across many countries in Africa, claiming the lives of one or both parents and orphaning millions of children. The tragic upward trend of the orphan crisis captivated Larry and his life would never be the same. Larry returned home, left his church pastor position , and founded A Child's Hope Int'l with the goal to engage and empower local churches to take up the mission of caring for these children who are referenced over forty times throughout Scripture.
Over the past 17 years, A Child's Hope Int'l has delivered over 60 million high protein meals, worked in 33 countries, assisted in over 80 clean water projects, provided weekend food security for children in the Cincinnati area, and hosted almost 200,000 volunteers from all walks of life. We have become a preferred venue for the general public to engage in hands-on volunteer projects where we have the privilege of sharing with them about the good news of Jesus, His care for the vulnerable, and His care for every guest who walks in our door.
Program accomplishments
In 2024...
Delivered 3,151,000 high protein meals to children and families in 10 countries, including the USA.
Provided 400 children in 4 high need neighborhoods of Cincinnati with meals for the whole weekend, every weekend that school was in session.
Completed 25 water projects in India, Kenya, and Ghana
Supported over 42,000 families with holistic care
Rescued and redistributed over $2.5 million in groceries and household items to over 60 local ministries meeting needs in the Cincinnati area
Delivered care in Jesus' name in difficult places such as Cuba, India, Eswatini, Haiti, and Somaliland
Engaged over 11,000 volunteers as solution providers while they heard about the God who loves them.
Needs
Pray - we are always trying to expand our prayer network who sustains the work we do in some very spiritually dark locations
Serve - we can always us local volunteers as well as ambassadors who spread the word.
Give - our work only continues because of the generosity of those who respond to God's prompting.
Host - we are always looking for churches and companies interested in hosting a meal packing event to care for the most vulnerable while engaging volunteers