Design Outreach Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
Design Outreach is a Christian humanitarian organization that seeks to alleviate global poverty by creating life-sustaining technology.
- Income
- $3.8 million
- Spending
- $3.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- 3.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 95%
- Employees
- 26
- Volunteers
- 31
- Highest pay
- $180,967, co-founder and ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 81 out of 100. Higher than 68% of charities in its peer group (housing, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 27% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 51% of charities in its peer group (housing, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $895,523 spent. Design Outreach (DO) is a Christian nonprofit organization that seeks to alleviate global poverty by creating innovative, life-sustaining solutions that help transform marginalized and low-income communities physically, economically, and spiritually. As a team of engineers with diverse experience and areas of expertise, DO focuses on innovative products that improve the lives of the most marginalized and vulnerable people living in developing countries. As an organization dedicated to alleviating global poverty, DO directed the majority of its funding in 2024 to Field Programs and the further establishment of its field offices. With field offices in Malawi, Zambia and the UK, DO is expanding globally to support its growing operations and to enhance its partnerships, manufacturing, and fundraising opportunities. The Malawi and Zambia field offices allow DO to be more available to meet with missionaries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community leaders, and government officials to work toward policy change, Gospel outreach, and appropriate technology implementation that will have generational impact in the communities where the organization works. The Malawi Field Office, in particular, also acts as an advocacy hub and field innovation center while providing warehouse space for LifePumps and spare parts and supporting rapid response teams to keep LifePumps up and running for decades to come. The number of LifePump installations is expanding each year-growth that would not be possible without the support and availability of local field staff who can lead installations, organize Gospel outreach events, distribute Christian literature, provide training for community and government leaders, and respond quickly to technology maintenance needs. This strategic field office also plays a critical role in the deployment of DO's new MaxLife Upgrade Kits, which have the potential to impact millions of people with a more reliable source of safe water. Furthermore, DO's local field offices have allowed the organization to meet additional needs such as disaster relief. In 2024, Malawi faced severe drought that led to agricultural failure and widespread food scarcity. As a result, DO provided critical disaster relief through the distribution of food and Bibles, which impacted 4,300 people. In addition, DO reached more than 26,000 people through Gospel Outreach programs, distributing 1,520 Bibles and 8,700 Bible storybooks. None of this would have been possible without DO's local field staff and in-country operations.
- $1.1 million spent. Another major focus for DO in 2024 was the development and deployment of the organization's water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) solutions, including LifePumpTM and MaxLifeTM. DO's flagship technology, LifePump, has been installed in 12 countries, bringing safe and reliable water to over 400,000 people globally. The first permanent LifePump was installed in 2013 and has been operating since then with zero days of downtime. LifePump is designed to operate deeper in the ground and last longer than traditional hand pumps, providing safe and reliable water access in communities where other technologies have been unable to meet their needs. While LifePump remains a core focus, DO is also in the process of developing a hand pump upgrade kit that will help extend the life of commonly used hand pumps including the Afridev and India Mark II and III. Known as the MaxLifeTM Program, these kits are on their way to revolutionizing the way the world accesses water. The MaxLife centralizer, the first upgrade component ready for widespread rollout, addresses the root cause of up to 75% of Afridev pump failures. Because of its critical role in improving pump performance, DO has prioritized its development and release. Certain pumps in the pilot worked for only 2 weeks before needing major repairs, but now, with the MaxLife centralizer, they have been operating for over a year without any major repairs. These results are gaining the attention of the national Ministry of Water and many NGOs in Malawi who are looking for solutions to help prevent pump downtime. In 2024, a total of 210 upgrade kits were installed, impacting 52,500 people with sustainable access to safe water and bringing the total number of upgrades to 218. These efforts were all part of DO's 3-year Beyond Measure campaign aimed at delivering life-sustaining solutions of immeasurable global impact.
- $794,663 spent. Another major program area is DO's Engineering Solutions efforts. Behind the scenes, DO engineers continue to design and develop breakthrough innovations that provide the resources communities need to thrive. As DO works toward its goals of delivering innovative solutions to end extreme poverty, the engineering team continues to develop new and innovative ways to give those living in poverty hope, dignity, and the possibility of a better life. LifePumpTM. In 2024, 73 new LifePumps were installed, bringing the total to 492 across 12 countries, providing clean water to 375,400 people. LifePump continues to be a game changer for remote communities where the water is at significant depths, making it difficult for other pump technologies to reliably access water. LifePumpLinkTM. DO's remote monitoring technology helps ensure that LifePump communities never experience a day without water. In August 2024, LifePumps equipped with LifePumpLink surpassed 1,000,000 hours of usage tracked since monitoring began in 2018, and they were being used at a rate of 500,000 hours per year. LifeTapTM. LifeTap, DO's reliable and robust self-closing valve, is providing water from tap stands in 7 countries, including at Malawi's Dzaleka Refugee Camp, home to 52,000 refugees who have fled war and genocide in neighboring nations. The camp faces overpopulation and has significant water needs, and LifeTap has proven to be a critical component in meeting these needs reliably. By the end of 2024, 362 LifeTaps had been sold or donated, impacting 21,720 people. LifeLatrineTM. LifeLatrine addresses sanitation and hygiene challenges facing rural communities in developing countries by providing an affordable, reliable, and safe latrine option that helps to eliminate disease, prevent dangerous pit wall collapse, and give families their dignity back. Field reports from 2024 have been extremely positive. Following visits to LifeLatrine demonstration sites in Lilongwe, Dowa, and Salima, it was reported that the PVC-lined pit latrines were suitable for all soil types, reducing structural failure. The plastic sanitation platform was easy to clean and well-received, and community members appreciated the user-friendly and odorless designs. LifeLatrine was deemed suitable for households, health facilities, schools, and offices. MaxLifeTM. Launched in 2022, DO's MaxLife Program aims to solve the problem of frequent breakdowns and lead contamination for the 2 billion people who rely on traditional public-domain hand pumps such as Afridev and India Mark II and III. In 2024, field testing was conducted at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in conjunction with WeltHungerHilfe (WHH). Two Afridev pumps at Dzaleka Refugee Camp were fitted with MaxLife centralizers, the first and most critical component of the upgrade kit. Since the installation of the new centralizers, the Afridev pumps went from breaking down every month to going more than six months without replacing these parts, even in this high-use scenario. Feedback from government officials on the new centralizer as part of the MaxLife Upgrade Kits has been extremely positive. At the end of the year, Afridev MaxLife Upgrade Kits had been installed on 218 Afridev hand pumps, improving water access and stability for more than 54,500 people. Wound Therapy Device. In 2024, DO Medical formed two impactful new partnerships that have provided essential feedback and insights for the development of the negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) device. A new partnership with Kapsowar Mission Hospital in Kenya allowed us to expand our reach and gain valuable information by testing the device in an environment that is different than Malawi. Kenya also has a higher, more regulated standard of entry, so being able to operate there will better prepare DO as the organization continues to move forward to finalize the device, attain FDA approval, and get the device to where it is needed around the world.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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.
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.
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.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 2013.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
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.