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Mission and Programs

Mission

Dr. Bob Pierce, a Christian leader and filmmaker, in response to the needs of Korean War orphans, founded World Vision in 1950. World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to serve the poor and oppressed through meeting their basic needs, promoting human transformation and seeking justice.

Programs

Every year, World Vision and its partners serve tens of millions of people in nearly 100 countries, including over one million people in the United States. World Vision's assistance extends to all people, regardless of religious beliefs, gender, race or ethnic background.

World Vision provides emergency relief efforts to bring assistance to victims of both war and natural disasters. Depending on the situation, aid may include food, clothing, and shelter to health care, potable water, and construction of sanitation facilities. Additional projects deal with reducing barriers to progress through improvements to agricultural and nutrition practices, micro enterprise loans, and initiation of literacy, vocational training, and other educational programs. In addition, World Vision is working in Africa, Asia and The Caribbean to help address the needs of widows and orphans in response to the AIDS pandemic through its Hope Initiative.

Adapting to the individual needs of the areas where it works, World Vision coordinates programs for its sponsored children that - along core services, such as medical and dental care, supplemental food and vitamins, and grants and scholarships for school fees and other educational expenses are designed over many years to help make families and communities self-sustaining. According to World Vision, the total number of children being sponsored by U.S. donors is over 700,000.

In the United States, World Vision teams with churches, community organizations, and other volunteer groups. Projects target issues in such areas as tutoring youth, mentoring youth-at-risk, affordable housing, job training and placement, and small business development. Food commodities, medicines, clothing, and other gift-in-kind items (received from governmental sources and private donors) are distributed both through World Vision run projects and ministries affiliated with other organizations. Outside partner ministries receiving gifts from World Vision share similar ideals as overall guiding principles. To educate Americans about the needs of the poor, World Vision produces magazines and other broadcast and print resources, and annually organizes the 30 Hour Famine program for youth to increase their understanding of life in developing countries.

Program / Activities (NTEE Code)

International Development, Relief Services
International Relief
Christian

Accomplishments for Fiscal Year Ending 09/30/2004

1. Linked 733,268 children with U.S. sponsors; of this number, 156,677 are children who have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS
2. Helped 1.1 million people grow reliable food with assistance like seeds, training, and tools; helped create or sustain 410,758 jobs through microloans to 226,315 entrepreneurial poor. Along with providing 1.1 million children around the world with textbooks, school supplies, or help with school fees
3. Brought relief assistance to 9.7 million people following earthquakes, floods, and humanitarian crises

1. Increase the number of countries in which we provide HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and advocacy
2. Expand Vision Youth, our outreach program for at-risk American youth, into more of the country?s most difficult communities
3. Provide capital for more people in developing countries to start new businesses through VisionFund International, World Vision?s global microfinance fund

At all levels, World Vision's programs are subject to evaluation. This includes audits and field assessments of overseas and domestic projects, review of World Vision's financial records by internal and external auditors, and ongoing review of World Vision's operations and fundraising efforts.

Chief Executive Profile

Richard E. Stearns became President of World Vision U.S. in June 1998. Stearns holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a master's in business administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Stearns held senior positions with Parker Bros. Games and The Franklin Mint before joining Lenox in 1987. In 1995, Stearns was named president/chief executive officer of Lenox, Inc.

Stearns and his wife, Renee, have supported World Vision since 1985.

Additional Comments

World Vision is one of the largest Christian humanitarian organization in the United States, with nearly one million donors and partners.

World Vision receives 70 percent of its funds from private donors, individuals, corporations, churches and foundations. As a result, the organization conducts long-term projects that are not limited by fixed government grants. Ten to 15- year projects are essential to instilling self-sustaining skills in people and establishing an economic and social infrastructure that benefits future generations.

Many of World Vision's programs are funded through child sponsorship. Individual donors, families and groups submit monthly donations that benefit a child, his or her family and the community. Child sponsorship helps address the root causes of poverty so that a child can enjoy greater prospects for improved health, education and income.

Financial Data
From the organization's FORM 990

Revenue and Expenses: Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2008

Revenue			Expenses
Contributions $827,558,407 Government Grants $280,590,001 Program Services $0 Investments $9,105,472 Special Events $0 Sales $0 Other $2,580,977			Program Services $978,647,941 Administration $52,573,870 Other $96,623,790 Total Expenditures $1,127,845,601
Total Revenue	$1,125,604,506		NET GAIN/LOSS	$(2,241,095)

Balance Sheet: Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2008

Notes
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot long survive, but the types of assets and liabilities also must be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Assets	Oct 1, 2007	Sep 30, 2008	Change
Cash & Equivalent	$3,767,384	$7,991,817	$4,224,433
Accounts Receivable	$6,104,246	$6,132,032	$27,786
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$16,805,422	$23,421,050	$6,615,628
Receivables/Other	$45,953	$190,036	$144,083
Inventories for Sale or Use	$90,844,735	$82,155,426	$(8,689,309)
Investments/Securities	$10,710,207	$13,798,415	$3,088,208
Investments/Other	$172,898,222	$127,165,175	$(45,733,047)
Fixed Assets	$45,647,766	$67,588,865	$21,941,099
Other	$39,257,542	$29,214,967	$(10,042,575)
Total Assets	$386,081,477	$357,657,783	$(28,423,694)
Liabilities	Oct 1, 2007	Sep 30, 2008	Change
Accounts Payable	$35,370,769	$34,790,664	$(580,105)
Grants Payable	$114,340,915	$130,610,418	$16,269,503
Deferred Revenue	$61,598,011	$43,942,135	$(17,655,876)
Loans and Notes	$8,910,549	$8,574,860	$(335,689)
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$14,458,179	$13,401,306	$(1,056,873)
Total Liabilities	$234,678,423	$231,319,383	$(3,359,040)
FUND BALANCE	$151,403,054	$126,338,400	$(25,064,654)

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