Rafiki Foundation Incorporated
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O FOR EXPANDED MISSION STATEMENT.
- Income
- $10.2 million
- Spending
- $11.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- 2.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 77
- Volunteers
- 86
- Highest pay
- $135,055, executive director
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
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 16% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 10 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, 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 (1)
- $10.7 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE ORAFIKI HAS BEEN SERVING IN AFRICA OVER 30 YEARS AND IS HELPING AFRICANS TO KNOW GOD AND RAISE THEIR STANDARD OF LIVING THROUGH BIBLE STUDY AND EDUCATION WITH EXCELLENCE AND INTEGRITY. THIS WORK IS OVERSEEN BY THE STAFF AT THE RAFIKI HOME OFFICE IN EUSTIS, FLORIDA AND THE 37 MISSIONARIES OUT IN THE FIELD IN AFRICA. RAFIKI OPERATES IN TEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND HAS BUILT A RAFIKI TRAINING VILLAGE IN EACH OF THE TEN COUNTRIES. EACH VILLAGE CONSISTS OF ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 30 BUILDINGS. RAFIKI HAS FIVE PROGRAMS: 1. EDUCATION 2. ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE 3. CHILDCARE (ORPHAN CARE) 4. BIBLE STUDY 5. WIDOWS CLASSICAL SCHOOLS-ONE K-12 SCHOOL AT EACH OF ITS TEN VILLAGES. THESE SCHOOLS PROVIDE A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION FOR BOTH RESIDENT CHILDREN AND DAY STUDENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY. THE RAFIKI SCHOOLS CURRENTLY EDUCATE MORE THAN 3,629 STUDENTS WHICH INCLUDES THE 355 ORPHANS LIVING AT THE RAFIKI VILLAGES AND OVER 3,274 IMPOVERISHED DAY STUDENTS FROM THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. THE CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT USING RAFIKI'S CHRISTIAN CLASSICAL CURRICULUM WHICH HAS BEEN DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR AFRICA. THIS CURRICULUM PROVIDES BOTH TEXTBOOKS AND LESSON PLANS AND HAS BEEN WRITTEN TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, INCORPORATING AFRICAN NATIONAL SYLLABUS REQUIREMENTS. ALL COURSES ARE WRITTEN FROM A BIBLICAL WORLD-VIEW AND ARE CULTURALLY RELEVANT TO AFRICA. THE SCHOOLS NOT ONLY PROVIDE A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION IN CORE COURSES IN MATHEMATICS, LANGUAGE ARTS, AND SCIENCES, BUT ALSO IN ATHLETICS, ART, MUSIC, AND VOCATIONAL COURSES. STUDENTS GRADUATE WITH A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION, CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, AND TOOLS FOR LIFELONG LEARNING. THE ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE PROGRAM (CURRENTLY OPERATING IN 7 OF RAFIKI'S 10 COUNTRIES AND HAS OVER 99 STUDENTS) IS THE CAPSTONE OF RAFIKI'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, PROVIDING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ADULTS IN TEACHER TRAINING, BUSINESS, MUSIC, AND ART. THE FIRST PART OF THIS PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED IN 2013 AND IS TRAINING FUTURE EDUCATORS FOR AFRICAN CHURCH SCHOOLS THROUGH THE RAFIKI INSTITUTE OF CLASSICAL EDUCATION. THIS THREE-YEAR COURSE IS PROGRAMMED LEARNING ON A COMPUTER WITH A COMBINATION OF LECTURE, DISCUSSION, COMPUTER-BASED, AND PRACTICUMS AT RAFIKI'S K-12 SCHOOL. STUDENTS RECEIVE COURSES IN COMPUTER, KEYBOARD, CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, RECORD-KEEPING, ART, MUSIC, ENGLISH, MATH, SCIENCE, AND WORLD HISTORY. WITH UNEMPLOYMENT RUNNING AS HIGH AS 70% IN THESE TEN COUNTRIES, AND WITH THE GREAT NEED FOR BETTER EDUCATION, THIS PROGRAM WILL SUPPLY TWO MAJOR NEEDS: JOBS AND QUALITY SCHOOLS FOR RAFIKI'S AFRICAN CHURCH PARTNERS. THE PARTICIPANTS WILL NOT ONLY BE EDUCATED THROUGH THE CLASSROOM MATERIALS BUT WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN A PRACTICUM AT RAFIKI'S SCHOOL. UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THEY RECEIVE A COMPLETE SET OF RAFIKI'S CURRICULUM AND BIBLE STUDY TO USE IN ONE OF RAFIKI'S AFRICAN PARTNER CHURCH SCHOOLS. THE CHILDCARE PROGRAM PROVIDES A PERMANENT HOME FOR ORPHANS WITHIN EACH OF THE TEN RAFIKI VILLAGES. EACH VILLAGE IS EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE COMPLETE CARE FOR UP TO 100 CHILDREN, INCLUDING HOUSING, CLOTHING, MEALS, EDUCATION, RECREATION, AND MEDICAL CARE. RAFIKI SUPPORTS A TOTAL OF 590 ORPHANS RANGING IN AGE FROM TWELVE TO TWENTY-EIGHT WHO LIVE AT THE TEN VILLAGES. THESE CHILDREN ARE RAISED IN A FAMILY-LIKE SETTING WITH TEN CHILDREN LIVING IN A COTTAGE WITH A TRAINED AFRICAN WOMAN WHO SERVES AS THEIR MOTHER. THE RAFIKI MOTHERS ARE TRAINED AND SUPERVISED BY A QUALIFIED CHILDCARE ADMINISTRATOR (A MISSIONARY) WHO OVERSEES THEIR WORK. RAFIKI PROVIDES A CHRISTIAN CLASSICAL EDUCATION TO THESE CHILDREN FROM PRESCHOOL THROUGH GRADE 12. WHEN THE CHILDREN GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, THEY ARE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE OR VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AND BECOME GODLY CONTRIBUTORS IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. THE RAFIKI BIBLE STUDY PROGRAM PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE BIBLE STUDY (553 WEEKS OF LESSONS COVERING ALL SIXTY-SIX BOOKS OF THE BIBLE), PRIMARILY FOR RAFIKI'S K-12 SCHOOLS AND PARTNER CHURCH SCHOOLS. THE BIBLE STUDY HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY THEOLOGIANS IN THE U.S. AND AFRICA AND IS WRITTEN AT VARIOUS AGE-COMPREHENSION LEVELS BY INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCED IN TEACHING CHILDREN. THIS MATERIAL IS BEING USED BY ALL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS IN RAFIKI'S CHILDCARE, EDUCATION, WIDOWS, AND ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE PROGRAMS. FINANCIAL NOTES: RAFIKI IS A MEMBER OF THE ECFA AND MAINTAINS HIGH STANDARDS IN TERMS OF MANAGING ITS FINANCIAL RESOURCES. RAFIKI'S FUNDRAISING DEPENDS HEAVILY UPON PRAYER. IN ADDITION TO BIBLE STUDY AND PRAYER EACH DAY AT ALL RAFIKI VILLAGES IN AFRICA, THE RAFIKI STAFF MEMBERS AT THE RAFIKI HOME OFFICE IN EUSTIS, FL START EACH WORKDAY WITH PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY. THERE ARE CURRENTLY ABOUT 100 RAFIKI PRAYER GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD PRAYING REGULARLY FOR THE WORK OF RAFIKI. THE RAFIKI WIDOWS' PROGRAM HAS HELPED HUNDREDS, EVEN THOUSANDS OF POOR WOMEN IN ALL TEN OF RAFIKI'S TEN COUNTRIES. WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL AFRICAN PARTNER DENOMINATIONS, RAFIKI PROVIDES DESIGN GUIDANCE AND QUALITY STANDARDS FOR HANDCRAFTS WHICH ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF CRAFTS PRODUCED IN THEIR LOCAL ECONOMY. RAFIKI MARKETS THESE PRODUCTS IN THE U.S. TO SUPPORT THE WOMEN AND COVER THE COST OF SHIPPING AND MARKETING.
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 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 October 13, 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 2024.
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 March 1988.
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 October 21, 2026.
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