Mothers Without Borders
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Mothers Without Borders is dedicated to fostering resilience and self-sufficiency in developing countries through a holistic approach to community empowerment, particularly focusing on the most vulnerable women, youth, and children. Our work is rooted in our commitment to nurture human potential, ensuring that every initiative is not just a temporary fix but a step towards lasting change.We envision a day where each community is equipped and empowered to develop sustainable solutions to the problems that place their children in crisis. This vision is brought to life through engaging with communities to spearhead initiatives that are conceived, developed, and sustained by the very people they aim to benefit. By amplifying local voices and knowledge, we construct programs that are culturally appropriate and contextually relevant and always focused on empowering individuals to lead self-sufficient lives.
- Income
- $1.8 million
- Spending
- $1.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- 5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 84%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $157,125, 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: 80 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 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: 94 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 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
9 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
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 (4)
- $599,598 spent. Protecting & Nurturing Children: At Mothers Without Borders, protecting and nurturing children is foundational to our work. We believe every child deserves to grow up in a safe, supportive, and loving environment. Through our Jo Rescue Program and Children's Resource Center (CRC), we provide urgent care and long-term support to children who have experienced abuse, neglect, exploitation, or the loss of their primary caregivers.The Jo Rescue Program offers a comprehensive support system for pregnant adolescents who have been victims of sexual abuse and assault, placing the young women in safe homes where they receive loving care, prenatal medical support, counseling, trauma therapy, and the opportunity to continue their education. In 2024, we supported ten girls who had given birth and one who was pregnant.The Children's Resource Center is a residential center where children live until we can find them a safe home with relatives/foster families or until they turn 18 years old. Starting as a small program with 14 children who were rescued off the streets, the Center has since grown to support more than 400 children over the 20 years of its operation who have been brought in from situations of abuse, abandonment, trafficking, or the death of parents. While in our care, we focus on providing healthy family-centered relationships and encourage each child to discover a love for education and community service and to develop their hobbies and talents. During 2024, we cared for 110 children in residence providing education, food, and all health-related needs; including HIV treatment, grief counseling, access to caring adults, skills training, and recreation therapy.
- $176,086 spent. Educating Children & Youth: At Mothers Without Borders, we believe that education is one of the most powerful tools for breaking the cycle of poverty and creating self-sufficient futures. That's why we support children and youth with access to quality education, nutritious meals, and a safe, supportive environment where they can grow, learn, and thrive.On our Lusaka West property, we operate a primary school for over 800 children from the surrounding community where children receive education and daily school lunch. This school provides first through seventh grade education, after which many of the students continue onto our Youth Empowerment programs which provide higher education and vocational training sponsorships, as well as youth mentoring. During school breaks, when school-based meals aren't available, we distribute food directly to families to ensure children do not go hungry.In 2024, we further developed our food relief program, which provided more than 725,000 meals to our program beneficiaries in Zambia. Core to our food relief program are our agriculture projects, which includes fruit orchards, crops, and animal cultivation (including chicken and duck projects). The food developed from our agriculture projects supplements the daily lunches we provide to 6 community schools, which serve an average of 4,000 children each day. These school feeding programs have led to increased enrollment at each of the partner schools over the past year, as well as relieving a major financial burden from the families of these students.
- $343,748 spent. Empowering Youth & Women: At Mothers Without Borders, we believe that empowering youth and women is essential to building strong, resilient communities. Our work is rooted in the understanding that when women and young people have the tools, skills, and support to thrive, they can overcome barriers, break cycles of poverty, and transform the future for themselves and those around them.Participation in our Youth Empowerment Programs grew from 526 youth in 2023 to 1,627 in 2024, thanks in part to a strategic partnership with UNICEF, which expanded our reach and capacity. These programs include mentorship, life skills development, leadership training, and support for continued education or vocational training. Graduates of our youth programs may also join our entrepreneurial training and microloan initiative, which helps them start small businesses and achieve financial independence. In 2024, 19 youth empowerment graduates accessed loans.Additionally, our Women's Clubs expanded significantly in 2024, increasing from 6 groups to 24, serving 380 women (up from 174 in 2023). These clubs offer a powerful combination of peer support, entrepreneurial training, and access to microloans, enabling women to start or grow income-generating businesses. In addition to improving household income, the clubs provide a vital network of solidarity and empowerment for women navigating poverty, widowhood, and caregiving.We provided funding that supports part or full time employment to 98 Zambians during 2024 (an increase from 94 Zambian employees in 2023) who run all programming in Zambia, providing income to the families of each employee and ensuring our programs are 100% locally led.
- $113,043 spent. International Advocacy and Education: At Mothers Without Borders, we engage the international community through volunteer expeditions that raise awareness of the challenges faced in Zambia and the power of community-led solutions. In 2024, Mothers Without Borders hosted five volunteer expedition teams in Zambia, bringing together 90 participants from 15 U.S. states and 4 countries, including Canada, Denmark, Australia, and Thailand. These participants supported local service projects, strengthened cross-cultural understanding, and returned as advocates for vulnerable women, youth, and children.
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 October 2000.
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.
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.