Zoe Empowers 
The information in this column was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 8/27/2021. To update the information in this column, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
Summary
380 million children are trapped in the cycle of poverty. Empowering all areas of life is the only way out.
Orphaned and vulnerable children living in extreme poverty are abused, sick and isolated from their community. Handouts and begging helps them to survive temporarily. Our solution addresses all their challenges, across eight areas of life, equipping them to overcome poverty with their own efforts-and for good.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Zoe Empowers
PO Box 28839
Raleigh, NC 27611
Website: zoeempowers.org
Phone: 919-779-7272
Email: info@zoeempowers.org
Organization details
EIN: 454671349
CEO/President: Gaston Warner
Chairman: Mark Konen
Board size: 13
Founder:
Ruling year: 2013
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2019
Purpose
We envision a world where all orphaned and vulnerable children are given the opportunity to reach their full potential becoming secure, healthy, connected community members who are able to care for themselves and their siblings.
Mission statement
After graduating from ZOE's three-year empowerment program, a child will have moved from extreme poverty to sustainable self-sufficiency; able to provide food, clothing, shelter, education, medical care, and social support for themselves and their siblings; know God's love, and have hope for the future in their own community.
Statement of faith
Donor confidence score
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 | | 641 of 1022 | 72 of 121 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 692 of 1024 | 76 of 121 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 418 of 1024 | 47 of 121 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 659 of 1022 | 82 of 121 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 5% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 6% | 5% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 6% | 5% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 98% | 98% | 99% | 100% | 98% | 99% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 7% | 6% | 9% | 7% | 6% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 2% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 2% | 1% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 83% | 85% | 84% | 89% | 84% | 86% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 95% | 101% | 94% | 85% | 87% | 81% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 78% | 86% | 79% | 75% | 73% | 70% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 5% | -1% | 6% | 15% | 13% | 19% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 9% | -1% | 5% | 13% | 11% | 17% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 10% | 8% | 10% | 2% | 9% | 8% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.21 | 0.84 | 0.85 | 0.73 | 0.72 | 0.74 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.29 | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1.04 | 1.05 | 1.07 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.77 | 0.88 | 0.89 | 0.76 | 0.76 | 0.79 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 20.97 | 179.93 | 157.18 | 258.96 | 612.34 | 397.73 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.11 | 13.54 | 13.44 | 15.77 | 15.83 | 15.15 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 9% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 75% | 118% | 117% | 137% | 139% | 135% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Cash | $2,590,269 | $2,486,260 | $2,585,331 | $1,983,393 | $1,645,090 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $3,731,445 | $3,755,807 | $3,318,003 | $3,043,311 | $2,810,672 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $6,321,714 | $6,242,067 | $5,903,334 | $5,026,704 | $4,455,762 |
| Long-term investments | $315,303 | $286,281 | $243,181 | $256,985 | $308,319 |
| Fixed assets | $0 | $0 | $2,674 | $3,816 | $4,974 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $315,303 | $286,281 | $245,855 | $260,801 | $313,293 |
| Total assets | $6,637,017 | $6,528,348 | $6,149,189 | $5,287,505 | $4,769,055 |
| Liabilities | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $35,134 | $39,712 | $22,796 | $8,209 | $10,203 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 |
| Total current liabilities | $35,134 | $39,712 | $22,796 | $8,209 | $11,203 |
| 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 | $35,134 | $39,712 | $22,796 | $8,209 | $11,203 |
| Net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Without donor restrictions | $1,531,629 | $1,154,547 | $1,034,546 | $900,456 | $497,935 |
| With donor restrictions | $5,070,254 | $5,334,089 | $5,091,847 | $4,378,840 | $4,259,917 |
| Net assets | $6,601,883 | $6,488,636 | $6,126,393 | $5,279,296 | $4,757,852 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Total contributions | $5,393,997 | $5,831,122 | $5,264,417 | $4,297,012 | $4,293,404 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $26,436 | $34,692 | $2,849 | $81,932 | $2,260 |
| Other revenue | $102,690 | $1,243 | $7,667 | $748 | $33,604 |
| Total other revenue | $129,126 | $35,935 | $10,516 | $82,680 | $35,864 |
| Total revenue | $5,523,123 | $5,867,057 | $5,274,933 | $4,379,692 | $4,329,268 |
| Expenses | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Program services | $4,758,522 | $4,650,140 | $3,981,516 | $3,197,583 | $3,044,003 |
| Management and general | $417,972 | $534,552 | $85,850 | $341,295 | $274,409 |
| Fundraising | $395,997 | $354,068 | $407,780 | $265,872 | $201,430 |
| Total expenses | $5,572,491 | $5,538,760 | $4,475,146 | $3,804,750 | $3,519,842 |
| Change in net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($49,368) | $328,297 | $799,787 | $574,942 | $809,426 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($49,368) | $328,297 | $799,787 | $574,942 | $809,426 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Gaston Warner | Chief Executive Officer | $91,974 |
| John Boswell | Chief Operating Officer | $84,612 |
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 8/27/2021. To update the information below, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
History
The Crisis of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children
Zoe Empowers started as a relief mission responding to the 2004 HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. That pandemic left hundreds of thousands of children without one or both parents. Zoe began its work in Zimbabwe where we funded feeding programs, medical services and other relief activities for orphaned children through schools, churches and government entities.
Zimbabwe Orphan Endeavor originally influenced the name Zoe Empowers. As the program expanded, we adopted the Greek definition for the word 'zoe', which is 'life'.
An Unconventional Response
In 2007, Zoe Empowers missionaries were connected to a team of Rwandan social workers, led by Epiphanie Mujawimana, who introduced us to an unconventional response to the crisis of orphaned children in Rwanda. Instead of giving away resources, further propelling a cycle of dependency on adults, the Rwandan social workers were teaching orphans how to care for themselves and their siblings. And to everyone's surprise, the results far exceeded expectations!
Implementing Empowerment
Within a year, the effectiveness of the Rwandan program so significantly outperformed Zoe's relief efforts in other parts of Africa that Zoe abandoned all efforts at relief and completely adopted and embraced the Rwandan empowerment model in all our countries. Epiphanie was also added to the Zoe Empowers staff as Empowerment Program Founder and Rwanda Country Manager, a position she continues to hold today.
Program accomplishments
To date, Zoe Empowers has expanded to 7 countries - Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Rwanda, Liberia, Tanzania, and India-and has helped more than 100,000 vulnerable children overcome extreme poverty to achieve sustainable self-sufficiency across eight areas of life. The three year empowerment program requires less than $290 per child or only $8 per month, making it 5-20 times more economically efficient than traditional short-term relief efforts.
Needs
Because we only provide resources, not handouts, every donation is leveraged by these young people to meet their own needs across eight areas of life. Our program is economically efficient, allowing our donors to maximize their impact in partnership with one trusted organization. $8 per month empowers one child out of poverty.