Hands for an African Child Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Provide parentless African children with homes having both a mother and a father, and prepare them to lead a new educated and self-reliant generation.We envision a world with healthy, educated, self-reliant, and God-centered families led by both a mother and a father
- Income
- $2.0 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 100%
- Reserves
- 19.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 0
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 19.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 40% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 85% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Fair: 53 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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)
- $1.2 million spent. Our Children Hands for an African Child (HFAAC) has 10 sets of parents who are raising 116 orphans. These children have lost both their mother and father with no remaining family member that can afford to feed, clothe and educate them. Our foster families provide the loving family home that every child needs. These God-centered homes are led by both a mother and father who work many hours providing the care that we all feel these orphans need, raising them to be self reliant adults. Widows Care ProgramWe currently assist over 20 elderly widows in our district. HFAAC provides regular food assistance of rice, beans, maize flour, and eggs to help maintain sufficient calories and nutrition.Teacher Housing CompletedConstruction was completed on 6 duplex buildings (12 housing units) to provide stable, safe accommodations for teachers and their families.Nuri Preschool and Nursery Construction began on a new 4-classroom kindergarten and preschool building to accommodate growth. We now serve 196 students. These include orphaned children in our care, children of our foster parents, 13 other vulnerable orphaned children from nearby villages (most living with elderly grandmothers), and children of our full-time employees.20% of primary-age children in Uganda do not attend school because their families cannot afford school fees. Many children reach us with educational gaps. Nationally, 68% of students are not in age-appropriate grade placement (UNICEF / Uganda Bureau of Statistics). Our education program is specifically structured to bridge these gaps.Annie Van Sickle Health Clinic ConstructionConstruction of the Annie Van Sickle Health Clinic continued during 2024. Completion is anticipated in Q2 of 2025. Upon opening, our on-site nurse will expand medical care beyond our own community and school. A donor-funded social worker continues to provide counseling and support services for the children in our care.Employment & Economic ImpactIn addition to our management team and school staff, HFAAC employed between 40 and 110 local workers this year in agriculture and construction. Approximately 40% of these workers are women. Each worker receives a breakfast porridge and a substantial lunch at work, providing consistent food security for their households.Books & Literacy OutreachIn 2024 we received 40,000 books from Books to Africa, a UK-based nonprofit. Beyond strengthening literacy at the Nuri Primary School (now the largest school library in the entire district), thousands of books were delivered to 20+ neighboring schools as community outreach, including schools as far away as Gulu, Uganda and into South Sudan.Farm OperationsUganda has two main growing seasons. In the second rainy season we planted 114 acres: 82 acres corn, 12 acres soybeans, 15 acres rice, and 5 acres bananas. Because of favorable rains and timely farming practices, corn yields will be two to three times higher than last season. Farm revenue helps offset operational expenses. We also maintain 20 pigs and 918 chickens. Many of our foster fathers are employed full-time on our farm.Clean Water ProgramTwo new reverse osmosis water purification systems were installed on our property to improve purity, taste, and safety of drinking water.We also continued community water education outreach to surrounding schools and churches, demonstrating how adding a single chlorine tablet to a 5-gallon jerrycan kills E. coli and other common pathogens such as dysentery and cholera. We arranged for these chlorine tablets (imported from Kenya) to be sold locally at an affordable price so households can continue clean water practices independently.Special appreciation to the Bright Water Foundation in El Dorado County, California for their assistance and training with this effort.
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 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 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 November 2017.
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.
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.