Coptic Orphans Support Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
COPTIC ORPHANS IMPROVES THE LIVES OF ORPHANS AND OTHER VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN EGYPT BY PROVIDING BASIC NEEDS, EDUCATION, AND MENTORING SO THAT THEY MAY REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL TO BECOME PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
- Income
- $25.9 million
- Spending
- $22.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 37.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 94%
- Employees
- 41
- Volunteers
- 1,014
- Highest pay
- $196,808, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 94% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 37.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 12% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 2515 of 16 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
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 (2)
- $17.1 million spent. COPTIC ORPHANS' FLAGSHIP PROGRAM, NOT ALONE, SERVES OVER 19,799 ORPHANS THROUGH A MENTORING AND NURTURING RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OF COPTIC ORPHANS' 1,014 CHURCH-BASED VOLUNTEER REPRESENTATIVES ("REPS"). EACH CHILD RECEIVES PROTECTION, SUPPORT, AND CONFIDENCE THAT WAS LOST WHEN THEIR FATHER DIED OR ABANDONED THEM. THE EMPHASIS OF THE NOT ALONE PROGRAM IS NOT ON CHARITY, BUT RATHER ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF CHILDREN AND THOSE AROUND THEM.BECAUSE COPTIC ORPHANS FOCUSES ON EDUCATION AS THE PRIMARY TOOL TO EMPOWER CHILDREN TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT, WELL-ADJUSTED ADULTS, NOT ALONE PRIORITIZES GIVING THEM LITERACY AND OTHER SKILLS THAT HELP THEM SUCCEED IN SCHOOL. THE CHILDREN ARE ENCOURAGED TO DEVELOP THEIR GOD-GIVEN TALENTS SO THAT THEY CAN OVERCOME THEIR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND TRANSFORM FUTURE GENERATIONS. EACH OF THE REPS IS NOMINATED BY THEIR BISHOP IN THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH. THE REPS WORK WITH FATHERLESS FAMILIES IN SOME OF THE MOST IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITIES IN EGYPT, FROM THE SLUMS OF CAIRO TO REMOTE RURAL VILLAGES. EACH REP HAS RELATIONSHIPS WITH 15-25 CHILDREN, AND SERVES EACH BY:- VISITING THE CHILD ON A REGULAR BASIS IN THEIR HOME TO ASSESS AND PROVIDE FOR BASIC NEEDS AND ADDRESS UNDERLYING PROBLEMS ROOTED IN THE HOME LIFE OF THE CHILD.- CONNECTING THE CHILD, MOTHER, AND ANY SIBLINGS TO ASSISTANCE IN AREAS SUCH AS ACADEMIC TUTORING AND MENTORING FOR SPECIAL TALENTS OR NEEDS.- EDUCATING AND ADVOCATING FOR FAMILIES TO ACCESS CIVIL RIGHTS SUCH AS COPTIC ORPHANS SUPPORT ASSOCIATION 54-1637257 BIRTH CERTIFICATES, GOVERNMENT-PROVIDED WIDOWS' PENSIONS, LAND RIGHTS, AND GOVERNMENT IDS.- GATHERING CHILDREN AND THEIR MOTHERS IN SPECIALIZED WORKSHOPS THAT BUILD SKILLS IN LITERACY, LEADERSHIP, COMPUTERS, HOUSEHOLD FINANCE, RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING, CULTURAL APPRECIATION, JOB READINESS, AND INCOME GENERATION, AS WELL AS COVERING CRITICAL TOPICS IN EFFECTIVE PARENTING, DISEASE PREVENTION, AND PREVENTING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION.FURTHERMORE, FUTURE LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP IS A COMPETITIVE SCHOLARSHIP INITIATIVE DESIGNED FOR NOT ALONE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO ARE DISTINGUISHED FOR THEIR ACADEMIC, PERSONAL, LEADERSHIP, AND VOLUNTEERING ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT AIMS TO PROVIDE THE PARTICIPANTS WITH FINANCIAL, MORAL, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF THEIR CHOICE, TO DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND TO INSTILL VALUES OF VOLUNTEERISM AND SERVICE, WHICH WILL ENHANCE THEIR POTENTIAL TO LEAD CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
- $2.4 million spent. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - THE VALUABLE GIRL PROJECT IS A MULTI-FACETED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT TARGETS MARGINALIZED GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN IN HIGH-POVERTY AREAS IN EGYPT. VALUABLE GIRL'S MAIN GOAL IS TO EMPOWER GIRLS ON INTRAPERSONAL, INTERACTIONAL, AND BEHAVIORAL LEVELS BY INVESTING IN THEIR POTENTIAL AND ENABLING THEM TO MAXIMIZE THEIR INFLUENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN GIRLS (AGES 7 - 22) IN A BIG SISTERLITTLE SISTER MENTORSHIP ARRANGEMENT THAT PROMOTES PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE, STRENGTHENS GIRLS' UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RIGHTS, IMPROVES ACADEMIC RETENTION RATES, ALONG WITH OTHER POSITIVE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES. THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY EMPOWERS GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION, RAISE THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, DEVELOP DECISION-MAKING AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS, RAISE AWARENESS ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, REDUCE THEIR SOCIAL ISOLATION AND BREAK THE BARRIERS OF SECTARIANISM.SINCE ITS INCEPTION OVER 20 YEARS AGO, THE PROJECT HAS OPERATED IN 214 SITES ACROSS EGYPT AND EMPOWERED MORE THAN 19,300 GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN. IN THE CURRENT CYCLE (2024-2026), THE PROJECT OPERATES IN 30 LOCATIONS IN FIVE GOVERNORATES, NAMELY MINYA, SOHAG, ASYUT, QENA AND LUXOR TARGETING 3,000 GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN AND BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF 120 ON-SITE STAFF MEMBERS FROM 30 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS (CDAS).THE 21 PROGRAM IS A FULLY PAID TRIP BY COPTIC ORPHANS THAT AIMS TO GIVE COPTIC YOUNG ADULTS IN THE DIASPORA THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN EGYPT WHILE LEARNING ABOUT THEIR HERITAGE AND COPTIC IDENTITY. WHILE IN EGYPT, FELLOWS OF THE 21 PROGRAM SERVE COPTIC ORPHANS CHILDREN, VISIT CHURCHES AND CULTURAL SITES, AND STRENGTHEN THEIR TIES WITH THEIR ROOTS AND HERITAGE. PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED BASED ON CERTAIN CRITERIA. IN 2025, 130 FELLOWS SERVED ROUGHLY 2,700 CHILDREN IN EGYPT IN TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS FROM JUNE 6 TO JUNE 30 AND FROM JULY 12 TO AUGUST 4.SERVE TO LEARN IS A DYNAMIC PROGRAM THAT STRENGTHENS THE TIES OF COPTIC DIASPORA VOLUNTEERS (SECOND AND THIRD GENERATION EGYPTIANS) WITH THEIR HOMELAND, EGYPT, THROUGH SERVING UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN OVER A SPAN OF THREE WEEKS. THE PROGRAM STRIVES TO PROVIDE YOUTH THE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AND ENABLES THEM NOT ONLY TO WITNESS THE CHALLENGES UNDERSERVED CHILDREN FACE, BUT ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE EFFORT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES BY CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR EDUCATION. BY LIVING IN THEIR VILLAGES, TEACHING IN CLASSROOMS, VISITING THEIR HOMES, AND ENGAGING WITH THEIR COMMUNITY, THE VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL VIEW OF A NOT ALONE CHILD. THE IMMERSIVE NATURE OF THE EXPERIENCE LETS VOLUNTEERS SEE A CHILD FROM MULTIPLE VANTAGES TO GIVE THEM A DEEPER AND MORE INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING OF EACH CHILD BEYOND THE VENEER OF POVERTY. UPON THEIR RETURN, THEY ARE EQUIPPED TO ADVOCATE AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE CAUSE OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IN EGYPT. SERVE TO LEARN VOLUNTEERS AND ALUMNI THEN BECOME THE DRIVING FORCE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY. IN 2025, THE SERVE TO LEARN PROGRAM BROUGHT 19 VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE ROUGHLY 450 CHILDREN IN EGYPT FROM JANUARY 18 TO FEBRUARY 8.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 2026.
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