Unbound previously Christian Foundation for Children and Aging/ CFCA

Summary

Unbound creates a worldwide community of compassion through personal outreach.

Unbound's highest priority is one-to-one sponsorship of children, youth and aging. Unbound sponsorship is a reciprocal relationship of mutual respect and support.

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Kansas City, Kan., Unbound serves more than 317,000 children, youth and the aging in 25 developing countries. Through the generous support of primarily U.S.-based sponsors, Unbound provides basic life necessities, such as food, education, health care and more. Additionally, the organization provides livelihood training programs for parents, and seeks to help families become self-sustaining, live with dignity and effect change in their communities. Sponsors get to know their sponsored friends through letters and photographs, and some sponsors travel to meet the people they support on Unbound-hosted mission awareness trips. Unbound is grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor and works with persons of all faith traditions. Please visit www.unbound.org, or call (800) 875-6564 or (913) 384-6500 for more information.

Contact information

Mailing address:
One Elmwood Ave
Kansas City, KS 66103-3719

Website: www.unbound.org

Phone: (800) 875-6564

Email: mail@unbound.org

Organization details

EIN: 431243999

CEO/President: Mr. Scott Wasserman

Chairman: Mr. Scott Wasserman

Board size: 13

Founder: Hentzen siblings & Jerry Tolle

Year founded: 1981

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 12/31

Member of ECFA: No

Member of ECFA since:

Purpose

Unbound (previously known as Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA)) creates a worldwide community of compassion through personal outreach.

Unbound's highest priority is one-to-one sponsorship of children, youth and aging. Unbound's sponsorship is a reciprocal relationship of mutual respect and support.

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Kansas City, Kan., Unbound serves more than 317,000 children, youth and the aging in 25 developing countries. Through the generous support of primarily U.S.-based sponsors, Unbound provides basic life necessities, such as food, education, health care and more. Additionally, the organization provides livelihood training programs for parents, and seeks to help families become self-sustaining, live with dignity and effect change in their communities. Sponsors get to know their sponsored friends through letters and photographs, and some sponsors travel to meet the people they support on Unbound-hosted mission awareness trips. Unbound is grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor and works with persons of all faith traditions. Please visit www.unbound.org, or call (800) 875-6564 or (913) 384-6500 for more information.

Mission statement

Unbound uses the following to express its mission:

Unbound's mission is to walk with the poor and marginalized of the world.

  • We provide personal attention and direct benefits to children, youth, aging and their families so they may live with dignity, achieve their desired potential and participate fully in society.
  • We invite people of good will to live in daily solidarity with the world's poor through one-to-one sponsorship.
  • We build community by fostering relationships of mutual respect, understanding and support that are culturally diverse, empowering and without religious or other prejudice.
Grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor, Unbound is a lay Catholic organization working with persons of all faith traditions to create a worldwide community of compassion and service.

Statement of faith

Unbound uses the following to express its Statement of Faith:

Unbound is a lay Catholic organization working with persons of all faith traditions to create a worldwide community of compassion and service.

Unbound is grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor. We recognize Christ embodied in each person and prayerfully strive to apply the preferential option for the poor expressed in Catholic social doctrine.

Transparency grade

C

To understand our transparency grade, click here.

Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Relief and Development

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating48 of 43917 of 62
Fund acquisition rating97 of 43920 of 62
Resource allocation rating40 of 43914 of 62
Asset utilization rating133 of 43928 of 62

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosMedian % for
all ministries in
MW database		20182017201620152014
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
7%3%4%4%4%4%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
6%3%4%4%4%4%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
95%100%98%99%99%99%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
6%3%4%4%4%4%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
5%0%2%1%1%1%
 
Operating ratiosMedian % for
all ministries in
MW database		20182017201620152014
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
82%93%93%92%93%92%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
99%97%94%97%99%102%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
81%90%87%89%92%95%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
1%3%6%3%1%-2%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
2%7%15%9%3%-7%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
10%3%3%3%3%3%
 
Investing ratiosMedian measure
for all ministries
in MW database		20182017201620152014
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
1.272.232.372.722.923.05
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
1.541.061.071.091.111.12
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
2.452.362.542.983.263.42
 
Liquidity ratiosMedian measure
for all ministries
in MW database		20182017201620152014
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
8.0525.2426.8423.5120.8722.43
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.110.040.040.040.050.04
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
4.074.884.553.863.513.35
 
Solvency ratiosMedian % for
all ministries in
MW database		20182017201620152014
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
10%4%3%4%4%4%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
0%0%0%0%0%0%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
63%43%41%35%33%32%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20182017201620152014
Cash$12,586,057$11,931,578$11,945,391$10,927,328$10,584,287
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$1,040,671$1,221,540$1,267,919$1,482,745$1,151,272
Short-term investments$41,435,131$37,274,287$28,719,695$25,061,245$24,305,199
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$55,061,859$50,427,405$41,933,005$37,471,318$36,040,758
Long-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Fixed assets$3,348,367$3,510,097$3,931,275$4,234,209$4,429,509
Other long-term assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total long-term assets$3,348,367$3,510,097$3,931,275$4,234,209$4,429,509
Total assets$58,410,226$53,937,502$45,864,280$41,705,527$40,470,267
 
Liabilities20182017201620152014
Payables and accrued expenses$1,598,912$1,416,811$1,303,144$1,294,164$1,108,236
Other current liabilities$582,919$461,733$480,850$501,084$498,917
Total current liabilities$2,181,831$1,878,544$1,783,994$1,795,248$1,607,153
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$2,181,831$1,878,544$1,783,994$1,795,248$1,607,153
 
Net assets20182017201620152014
Unrestricted$23,958,747$20,284,746$14,778,421$10,970,352$10,694,732
Temporarily restricted$32,269,648$31,774,212$29,301,865$28,939,927$28,168,382
Permanently restricted$0$0$0$0$0
Net assets$56,228,395$52,058,958$44,080,286$39,910,279$38,863,114
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20182017201620152014
Total contributions$133,867,369$133,688,878$127,376,954$122,368,071$118,870,646
Program service revenue$0$0$0$0$0
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income($1,481,759)$1,000,913$524,049($510,684)($457,666)
Other revenue$1,857,164$1,330,244$1,144,428$1,164,194$2,058,694
Total other revenue$375,405$2,331,157$1,668,477$653,510$1,601,028
Total revenue$134,242,774$136,020,035$129,045,431$123,021,581$120,471,674
 
Expenses20182017201620152014
Program services$121,140,867$118,674,860$115,148,019$112,978,583$113,984,898
Management and general$4,460,908$4,409,871$4,290,741$3,966,152$3,959,209
Fundraising$4,471,562$4,956,632$5,436,664$5,029,681$5,348,456
Total expenses$130,073,337$128,041,363$124,875,424$121,974,416$123,292,563
 
Change in net assets20182017201620152014
Surplus (deficit)$4,169,437$7,978,672$4,170,007$1,047,165($2,820,889)
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$4,169,437$7,978,672$4,170,007$1,047,165($2,820,889)

Response from ministry

No response has been provided by this ministry.

History

Unbound began in 1981 through the visionary leadership of Bob, Bud and Jim Hentzen, their sister, Nadine Pearce, and their friend Jerry Tolle. When Bob Hentzen and Tolle returned to the U.S. after being missionaries in Latin America, they had a desire to continue serving the poor in developing countries.

Early on, they decided that sponsorship was the perfect opportunity to address extreme poverty and give people of good will in the U.S. and the poor in developing countries a way to be in relationship with each other. Bob Hentzen and Tolle emphasized sponsorship as a reciprocal relationship that recognizes and respects the dignity and equality of all persons. Unbound's current mission statement conveys the same ideas and principles. Unbound moved from the basement of Bob Hentzen's home to a farmhouse in south Kansas City and finally, in 1991, to a converted warehouse in the industrial district close to downtown Kansas City.

Bob Hentzen died Oct. 8, 2013. He previously served as the organization's president and overseer to the international operations.

Today, Unbound serves some 317,000 children, youth and the aging in 25 countries with the help of more than 273,000 sponsors. The organization accomplishes its work in developing countries through independent Unbound legal entities and by partnering with community organizations, missionary orders and churches at more than 70 projects and 1,700 subproject sites in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. In witness to CFCA's love for the poor, Bob Hentzen, in 1996 (at the age of 60), walked from Kansas City to Guatemala. His walk serves as a touchstone moment for Unbound and is symbolic of the organization's mission to be in solidarity with or, in other words, to "walk with" the poor and marginalized of the world.

Program accomplishments

As of Jan. 1, 2008:

  • 317,097 children, youth, aging and vocational candidates are served through Unbound
  • 273,991 individuals sponsor a CFCA child, youth or aging friend
Unbound Scholarship Program:
  • In 2007, 3,410 Unbound young people completed their education and graduated.
  • In 2006, Unbound awarded more than $1.9 million through 6,616 scholarships for secondary, post-secondary and vocational education, almost triple the number awarded in 2001.
The following story is an example of how sponsorship affects the lives of sponsored members: Seventeen-year-old Christian, of the Antipolo project in the Philippines, has worked extra hard to attain his dream of becoming a teacher. His parents are farmers and have little or no schooling. They moved frequently to seek work, and Christian fell behind in school. Sponsorship enabled Christian to complete his elementary school education, but he was much older than his classmates. Christian received several academic awards for his outstanding performance. He is now enrolled in a national high school and well on his way to becoming a teacher. He is thankful for Unbound sponsorship, which has helped him continue his education, provided monthly nutrition and developed his talents in dancing and playing bamboo instruments. "God is so good," he said. "He shortens the time for me to attain my dream. I thank the sponsors and the staff for listening to us and helping us in our needs."

Needs

Unbound has expressed the following needs:

Unbound invites people of good will to commit to an ongoing relationship in which they contribute $30 a month in sponsorship support and encourage their sponsored friend through correspondence.

Unbound also seeks donors for its scholarship program. Unbound scholarships provide educational assistance to youth in developing countries who wish to attend secondary school, college or vocational school but lack economic resources.

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