Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Village Enterprise Fund Inc

EIN 22-2852248 · San Carlos, CA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood89 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceIndependently evaluatedHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

VILLAGE ENTERPRISE'S MISSION IS TO END EXTREME POVERTY IN RURAL AFRICA THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION. PARTNERING WITH GOVERNMENTS, NONPROFITS, UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES, CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, AND PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANIES, (SEE SCHEDULE O)

Income
$21.5 million
Spending
$21.0 million
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
8.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 80%
Employees
19
Volunteers
19
Highest pay
$302,359, ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 82% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 8.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 21% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 22% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 15 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Independently evaluated. An independent evaluator has assessed its work and recommends it.

  • The Life You Can Save: Listed among its recommended charities. See the evaluation Checked September 29, 2026.
Programs described in its return (6)
  1. $5.4 million spent. THE DELIVERING RESILIENT ENTERPRISES AND MARKET SYSTEMS (DREAMS) PROJECT PROVIDES INNOVATIVE SOLUTION THAT DRIVES REFUGEE SELF-RELIANCE. THE PROJECT IS COFUNDED BY FIVE FOUNDATIONS AND IT AIMS TO PROVIDE TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THE MOST VULNERABLE REFUGEES IN UGANDA AND ETHIOPIA.
  2. $987,009 spent. CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES (CRS)-NAWIRI - CRS AND THE CONSORTIUM THAT VILLAGE ENTERPRISE FUND IS A MEMBER OF WERE AWARDED A FEDERAL COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FROM USAID TO IMPLEMENT THE USAID MFUMO IMARA LISHE ENDELEVU (MILE) PROGRAM IN DELIVERING A MULTISECTORAL PACKAGE OF SERVICES TO SUPPORT LOCAL INSTITUTIONS TO SUSTAINABLY REDUCE PERSISTENT ACUTE MALNUTRITION AMONG VULNERABLE SUBPOPULATIONS OF ISIOLO AND MARSABIT COUNTIES IN KENYA. VILLAGE ENTERPRISE LEADS A POVERTY GRADUATION PROGRAM BY BUILDING ON ITS ENTREPRENEURIAL FOUNDATION THAT HAS SUPPORTED NEW ENTERPRISES IN KENYA.
  3. $985,276 spent. VILLAGE ENTERPRISE FUND WAS AWARDED A FEDERAL COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FROM USAID TO IMPLEMENT THE USAID SCALING SUSTAINABLE POVERTY GRADUATION PROGRAM IN RWANDA. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS FIRST-TIME ENTREPRENEURS IN MOVING BEYOND EXTREME POVERTY BY EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE RESOURCES, KNOWLEDGE, AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS NEEDED TO START SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES AND SAVINGS GROUPS. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, VILLAGE ENTERPRISE AIMS TO EXPONENTIALLY SCALE ITS COST-EFFECTIVE, INNOVATIVE, AND EVIDENCE-BASED GRADUATION APPROACH, BOTH BY EXPANDING DIRECT IMPLEMENTATION IN RWANDA AND BY FOSTERING REPLICATION AND ADOPTION OF THE MODEL BY THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA AND OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES. THE GOAL IS TO REACH 10 MILLION BENEFICIARIES WITHIN TEN YEARS.
  4. $827,441 spent. THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION SUPPORTED PROGRAM STRENGTHENED THE SCALABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF VILLAGE ENTERPRISE'S ULTRA-POOR GRADUATION (UPG) MODEL IN KENYA THROUGH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR INTEGRATION. THE PROGRAM ADVANCED PARTNERSHIPS WITH COUNTY GOVERNMENTS BY SUPPORTING POLICY DEVELOPMENT, BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, AND IMPLEMENTING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO ENABLE LOCAL OWNERSHIP AND DELIVERY OF POVERTY GRADUATION PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, THE INITIATIVE PILOTED AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH THAT INTEGRATES UPG WITH MARKET SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT, LINKING PARTICIPANTS TO PRIVATE SECTOR ACTORS AND VALUE CHAINS TO STRENGTHEN THE GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY OF MICROENTERPRISES. THE PROGRAM ALSO GENERATED LEARNING TO INFORM NATIONAL-LEVEL SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAMS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE EVOLUTION OF ECONOMIC INCLUSION STRATEGIES IN KENYA.
  5. $643,759 spent. THE GREATER IMPACT FOUNDATION (GIF) PROJECT SUPPORTED THE EXPANSION OF VILLAGE ENTERPRISE'S RURAL MICROENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN KENYA AND UGANDA. THE PROGRAM DELIVERED ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING, SEED CAPITAL, AND BUSINESS MENTORSHIP TO VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS IN WEST POKOT AND MT. ELGON (KENYA), AND GULU AND SOROTI (UGANDA), ENABLING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW MICROENTERPRISES AND STRENGTHENING HOUSEHOLD INCOME GENERATION. THE INITIATIVE INCORPORATED PROGRAM EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS TO EXPAND OUTREACH AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS, AND INCLUDED MONITORING OF PREVIOUSLY SUPPORTED BUSINESSES TO INFORM LEARNING AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE MODEL.
  6. $8.2 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since February 1988.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.