Compassion International, Inc. 
Summary
Compassion International ("CI") is an evangelical Christian child development ministry dedicated to addressing the needs of children around the world. More than a relief program, CI focuses on the real life needs of children spiritually, physically, economically and socially. CI's programs provide tangible benefits such as education, health monitoring and food when necessary, as well as developmental opportunities that can include formal schooling, skills training, health education, presenting of the Gospel, and motivation to acquire meaningful social skills. CI was founded in 1952 by Everett Swanson with the inspiration by Jesus' words in Matthew 15:32, "I have compassion on the multitude. I will not send them away hungry,". CI is a nonprofit organization and contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. In addition, it is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (EFCA).
Contact information
Mailing address:
12290 Voyager Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80921-0921
Website: www.compassion.com
Phone: (800) 336-7676
Email: ciinfo@us.ci.org
Organization details
EIN: 362423707
CEO/President: Mr. Jim Mellado
Chairman: Mr. Ronald A. Lehmann
Board size: 13
Founder: Rev. Everett Swanson
Year founded: 1952
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1979
Purpose
Compassion International ("CI") is an evangelical Christian child
development ministry dedicated to addressing the needs of children around the world. More than a relief program, CI focuses on the real life needs
of children spiritually, physically, economically and socially. CI's
programs provide tangible benefits such as education, health monitoring
and food when necessary, as well as developmental opportunities that can
include formal schooling, skills training, health education, presenting of
the Gospel, and motivation to acquire meaningful social skills. CI was
founded in 1952 by Everett Swanson with the inspiration by Jesus' words in
Matthew 15:32, "I have compassion on the multitude. I will not send them
away hungry,".
Compassion International is a nonprofit organization and contributions to it are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. In addition, it is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (EFCA).
Mission statement
Compassion International uses the following to express its mission:
In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.
Statement of faith
Compassion International uses the following to express its 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.
- 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 for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
- We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
- We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
- We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Relief and Development
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 217 of 500 | 45 of 67 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 351 of 500 | 53 of 67 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 255 of 500 | 46 of 67 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 105 of 500 | 26 of 67 |
Click here to read Compassion International, Inc.'s response to our ratings
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 10% | 10% | 11% | 10% | 11% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 10% | 10% | 11% | 9% | 11% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 95% | 99% | 100% | 100% | 99% | 100% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 10% | 10% | 11% | 10% | 11% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 5% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% |
| Operating ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 82% | 82% | 82% | 81% | 82% | 82% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 98% | 97% | 97% | 100% | 98% | 101% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 80% | 80% | 79% | 81% | 81% | 83% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 2% | 3% | 3% | 0% | 2% | -1% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 2% | 10% | 12% | 0% | 8% | -5% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 10% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% |
| Investing ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.19 | 2.56 | 2.62 | 2.76 | 2.61 | 2.70 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.52 | 1.37 | 1.48 | 1.63 | 1.62 | 1.56 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.31 | 3.52 | 3.89 | 4.49 | 4.23 | 4.23 |
| Liquidity ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 9.10 | 2.95 | 2.71 | 2.29 | 2.21 | 2.52 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.10 | 0.34 | 0.37 | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.40 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.42 | 2.26 | 1.95 | 1.51 | 1.56 | 1.72 |
| Solvency ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 10% | 26% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 31% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 70% | 29% | 28% | 26% | 27% | 25% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Cash | $161,846,000 | $124,413,000 | $92,279,000 | $95,061,822 | $80,259,524 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $24,462,000 | $21,041,000 | $17,985,000 | $17,661,804 | $17,857,657 |
| Short-term investments | $71,308,000 | $68,766,000 | $67,809,000 | $66,407,194 | $85,670,184 |
| Other current assets | $7,739,000 | $7,123,000 | $4,132,000 | $7,011,974 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $265,355,000 | $221,343,000 | $182,205,000 | $186,142,794 | $183,787,365 |
| Long-term investments | $14,180,000 | $12,903,000 | $11,623,000 | $10,468,802 | $10,151,055 |
| Fixed assets | $79,672,000 | $90,002,000 | $98,211,000 | $100,720,785 | $89,142,194 |
| Other long-term assets | $4,921,000 | $4,388,000 | $4,392,000 | $4,358,007 | $4,391,652 |
| Total long-term assets | $98,773,000 | $107,293,000 | $114,226,000 | $115,547,594 | $103,684,901 |
| Total assets | $364,128,000 | $328,636,000 | $296,431,000 | $301,690,388 | $287,472,266 |
| Liabilities | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $88,076,000 | $76,056,000 | $75,878,000 | $80,893,098 | $72,311,349 |
| Other current liabilities | $1,806,000 | $5,482,000 | $3,786,000 | $3,198,737 | $490,024 |
| Total current liabilities | $89,882,000 | $81,538,000 | $79,664,000 | $84,091,835 | $72,801,373 |
| Debt | $1,600,000 | $1,284,000 | $798,000 | $368,565 | $381,524 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $3,940,000 | $3,782,000 | $2,444,000 | $4,169,363 | $17,217,136 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $5,540,000 | $5,066,000 | $3,242,000 | $4,537,928 | $17,598,660 |
| Total liabilities | $95,422,000 | $86,604,000 | $82,906,000 | $88,629,763 | $90,400,033 |
| Net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Unrestricted | $242,527,000 | $114,857,000 | $92,345,000 | $100,955,301 | $91,265,524 |
| Temporarily restricted | $26,179,000 | $115,510,000 | $110,695,000 | $102,334,709 | $96,662,942 |
| Permanently restricted | $0 | $11,665,000 | $10,485,000 | $9,770,615 | $9,143,767 |
| Net assets | $268,706,000 | $242,032,000 | $213,525,000 | $213,060,625 | $197,072,233 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Total contributions | $947,919,000 | $886,636,000 | $818,560,000 | $798,073,180 | $765,017,565 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $11,679,000 | $3,873,000 | ($893,000) | $5,328,741 | $1,564,123 |
| Other revenue | $43,000 | $62,000 | $84,000 | ($158,508) | ($198,194) |
| Total other revenue | $11,722,000 | $3,935,000 | ($809,000) | $5,170,233 | $1,365,929 |
| Total revenue | $959,641,000 | $890,571,000 | $817,751,000 | $803,243,413 | $766,383,494 |
| Expenses | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Program services | $764,548,000 | $703,543,000 | $659,761,000 | $648,799,131 | $635,139,116 |
| Management and general | $75,613,000 | $68,476,000 | $67,996,000 | $62,351,065 | $57,437,751 |
| Fundraising | $92,806,000 | $90,045,000 | $89,530,000 | $76,104,825 | $83,926,854 |
| Total expenses | $932,967,000 | $862,064,000 | $817,287,000 | $787,255,021 | $776,503,721 |
| Change in net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $26,674,000 | $28,507,000 | $464,000 | $15,988,392 | ($10,120,227) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $26,674,000 | $28,507,000 | $464,000 | $15,988,392 | ($10,120,227) |
Response from ministry
Response to Wall Watchers Three-Star Rating
posted on 2/17/2004
Compassion International is grateful to be included in Wall Watchers' ministry rating and to see both our organization's heart for ministry and programmatic distinctives so accurately articulated.
While our ministry has been rated by a number of ratings agencies, we recognize that methodologies can vary greatly. We also recognize that, as a result of those variances, an organization cannot in every case receive the highest ratings. Although Compassion rates "average" in Wall Watchers' analysis, our financial priorities have been affirmed by the findings of leading rating agencies.
Since 1995, Compassion has consistently received an "A" rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy.
History
Compassion International (CI) grew from the desire of one man to help children in need. Rev. Everett Swanson was moved by the plight of Korean orphans as he preached there in the early 1950s. He went on to establish a program through which caring people could sponsor needy Korean children for a few dollars a month. In turn, those children would be provided benefits including food and clothing as needed, education, shelter, health care, and Christian training.
Swanson's program was the basis for what became CI. CI's work has since expanded to 22 countries, including the United States, providing life-changing benefits for needy children with or without families.
Program accomplishments
Needs
Compassion International, Inc. uses the following to express its ministry needs:
CI would like people to invest in the personal growth of a specific child, to exchange letters and photos, and develop a caring relationship with a child. Every child is assisted through a local church or Christian fellowship. One of CI's primary objectives is to help children learn about Jesus. If someone is interested in sharing their love with a child who really needs it, contact CI.