Facts - Largest US International Interdenominational Christian Relief Charity
| Date of Inception: | 1982, chartered in Florida as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation |
| Founder: | Ferdinand G. Mahfood |
| President & CEO: | Robin G. Mahfood |
| Executive Director: | Angel Aloma |
| Director of Marketing: | Alice Marino |
| Director of Public Relations: | Kathy Skipper |
| USA-Based Staff: | Approximately 350, including offsite speakers |
• Now celebrating its 28th year of operation, Food For The Poor (FFP) is an interdenominational Christian relief and development organization working primarily in 17 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America, and also in the United States, to assist the poorest of the poor. By working together with pastors, missionaries and churches in these regions, we ensure that aid reaches those who need it most.
• Food For The Poor does much more than feed millions of hungry individuals. We drill life-giving water wells for those who otherwise wouldn’t have clean drinking water; we provide lifesaving medical care; we build homes for families without adequate shelter; we provide skills training and micro-enterprise opportunities that enable the poor to work; and we give children an education that will enable them to break free from the cycle of poverty that has ensnared generations.
• Since our founding in 1982, Food For The Poor has distributed approximately 52,000 containers of aid to the poor. We have also built more than 61,200 housing units for people desperately in need of adequate shelter, and completed more than 1,000 water projects that provide lifesaving water and sanitation to hundreds of thousands of villagers in need.
• In 2009, Food For The Poor shipped 3,324 containers of aid and built 6,371 new housing units in the countries we serve.
• Fundraising and other administrative costs comprise less than 4% of our expenses; more than 96% of all donations go directly to programs that help the poor.
• FFP supplies destitute coastal villages with four fiberglass boats with outboard engines, global positioning systems (GPS), fishing tackle, 100-quart coolers, safety equipment, a gear shed with freezer, a generator and powerful solar light for the village common area and training in deep-sea fishing. Fishing villages transform communities by offering residents hope and an opportunity to improve their lives. Currently, 17 fishing villages in Jamaica and 30 in Haiti are in operation.
• Our fruit tree program, started in 2007, has resulted in the planting of more than 335,000 fruit trees in Haiti and Jamaica. Our goal for 2010 is to multiply this achievement.
• We have completed 266 tilapia ponds that supply much-needed protein to malnourished children and their families, while also promoting self-sustainability in the participating communities.
• Our Angels Of Hope program sponsors more than 3,600 children in 95 orphanages throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. The children receive food, clothing, shelter, education and lots of love and attention.
• In a survey of the 200 largest U.S. charities, Forbes magazine has given Food For The Poor outstanding ratings of 98% in charitable commitment and 98% in fundraising efficiency.
December 2009
• In the latest available ratings, Food For The Poor received the highest possible awards, four stars, from Charity Navigator and five stars from Ministry Watch.
• For the second consecutive year, The Chronicle of Philanthropy has ranked Food For The Poor as the largest international charity in the US, and the fifth-largest charity in the nation. (Rankings based on private support.) October 2009
(Rankings based on private support.) October 2008
• Better Business Bureau — reports that Food For The Poor meets the Extensive Standards of America’s Most Experienced Charity Evaluator.
June 2009
For more information, please contact Food For The Poor’s Public Relations Department at (954) 427-2222, x 6614, or newsroom@foodforthepoor.org.
