Zoe Empowers

The information on this page was last updated 4/18/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


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.

Guided by the core belief of not doing anything for these young people that they can be taught to do for themselves, we equip orphaned and vulnerable children to overcome extreme poverty by addressing multiple barriers simultaneously.


Contact information

Mailing address:
Zoe Empowers
PO Box 28839
Raleigh, NC 27611

Website: zoeempowers.org

Phone: 919-779-7272

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 454671349

CEO/President: Gaston Warner

Chairman: Lynn Dugle

Board size: 8

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

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Transparency grade

A

To understand our transparency grade, click here.


Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Foreign Missions

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating679 of 107470 of 139
Fund acquisition rating656 of 107583 of 139
Resource allocation rating417 of 107536 of 139
Asset utilization rating791 of 107494 of 139

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
5%6%7%6%8%6%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
4%6%7%6%8%6%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
98%100%98%99%100%98%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
5%7%7%6%9%7%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
2%0%2%1%0%2%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
84%88%85%84%89%84%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
89%84%101%94%85%87%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
75%74%86%79%75%73%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
11%16%-1%6%15%13%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
14%13%-1%5%13%11%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
10%5%8%10%2%9%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
1.160.660.840.850.730.72
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
1.191.091.051.051.041.05
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
1.640.720.880.890.760.76
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
23.29274.10179.93157.18258.96612.34
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.040.000.010.010.000.00
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
6.6416.6713.5413.4415.7715.83
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
6%0%1%1%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
82%151%118%117%137%139%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20212020201920182017
Cash$2,935,107$2,590,269$2,486,260$2,585,331$1,983,393
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$4,096,500$3,731,445$3,755,807$3,318,003$3,043,311
Short-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$7,031,607$6,321,714$6,242,067$5,903,334$5,026,704
Long-term investments$617,072$315,303$286,281$243,181$256,985
Fixed assets$0$0$0$2,674$3,816
Other long-term assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total long-term assets$617,072$315,303$286,281$245,855$260,801
Total assets$7,648,679$6,637,017$6,528,348$6,149,189$5,287,505
 
Liabilities20212020201920182017
Payables and accrued expenses$25,653$35,134$39,712$22,796$8,209
Other current liabilities$0$0$0$0$0
Total current liabilities$25,653$35,134$39,712$22,796$8,209
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$25,653$35,134$39,712$22,796$8,209
 
Net assets20212020201920182017
Without donor restrictions$1,890,959$1,531,629$1,154,547$1,034,546$900,456
With donor restrictions$5,732,067$5,070,254$5,334,089$5,091,847$4,378,840
Net assets$7,623,026$6,601,883$6,488,636$6,126,393$5,279,296
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20212020201920182017
Total contributions$6,006,434$5,393,997$5,831,122$5,264,417$4,297,012
Program service revenue$0$0$0$0$0
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$6,780$26,436$34,692$2,849$81,932
Other revenue$0$102,690$1,243$7,667$748
Total other revenue$6,780$129,126$35,935$10,516$82,680
Total revenue$6,013,214$5,523,123$5,867,057$5,274,933$4,379,692
 
Expenses20212020201920182017
Program services$4,440,260$4,758,522$4,650,140$3,981,516$3,197,583
Management and general$230,921$417,972$534,552$85,850$341,295
Fundraising$372,659$395,997$354,068$407,780$265,872
Total expenses$5,043,840$5,572,491$5,538,760$4,475,146$3,804,750
 
Change in net assets20212020201920182017
Surplus (deficit)$969,374($49,368)$328,297$799,787$574,942
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$969,374($49,368)$328,297$799,787$574,942

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
Gaston WarnerChief Executive Officer$91,974
John BoswellChief 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 4/18/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

Zoe Empowers began in 2004, as a response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Zimbabwe. Initially, our work consisted of feeding programs, medical services, and other relief activities for orphaned children through schools and churches.

In 2007, Zoe was introduced to a radically new way of empowering orphaned children and youth led families to become self-sufficient. This approach was designed by Epiphanie Mujawimana with a group of Rwandan social workers responding to the 800,000 orphaned children created over 100 days during the 1994 genocide. Epiphanie and her colleagues had grown frustrated with the endless cycles of relief and dependency upon that relief. Instead of asking "what can we do to help these vulnerable children?" Epiphanie and her team asked, "What would these young people need in order to help themselves?" And with that question in mind they designed a three-year, community-based, indigeneous led empowerment program, where the participants take the lead in their own journey out of poverty. And it worked beyond belief!

Seeing the effectiveness of Epiphanie's program, Zoe transitioned out of relief work, and supported Epiphanie in bringing this approach to Kenya in addition to Rwanda, and then to Zimbabwe.

Since 2007, Zoe Empowers has translated the empowerment model across cultures and contexts, impacting more than 150,000 vulnerable children, across eight countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Liberia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and India. Each program within the Zoe network is locally-owned and operated, with support from a nimble U.S.-based team.


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.