Operation Serve does not meet the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability:
Standard 3 (Frequency and Attendance of Board Meetings)
An organization shall have a minimum of three evenly spaced meetings per year of the full governing body with a majority in attendance, with face-to-face participation. A conference call of the full board can substitute for one of the three meetings of the governing body. For all meetings, alternative modes of participation are acceptable for those with physical disabilities.
Operation Serve does not meet this Standard because:
- The board of directors held two meetings in 2020.
Standard 6 (Board Policy on Effectiveness)
Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
Operation Serve does not meet this Standard because:
- The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
Standard 11 (Financial Statements)
Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When total annual gross income exceeds $500,000, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $500,000, a review by a certified public accountant is sufficient to meet this standard. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $250,000, an internally produced, complete financial statement is sufficient to meet this standard.
Operation Serve does not meet this Standard because:
- Although the organization reported total revenue in the amount of $859,219 for the year ended December 31, 2019, the organization states it does not have financials reviewed by a certified public accountant (CPA).
Standard 17 (Web Site Disclosures)
Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.
Operation Serve does not meet this Standard because the organization’s website, https://www.operationserve.org, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include:
- Electronic access to the organization’s 2019 IRS Form 990.
- A summary of the organization's 2019 program service accomplishments.
- The organization's 2019 financial information.
Operation Serve meets the remaining 16 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Year, State Incorporated
1983, NY
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Also Known As
Operation Serve International
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Stated Purpose
"to motivate and mobilize concerned Christians to reach the poor in places that are under-served and under-developed to strengthen existing ministries in their own presentation of the Gospel."
Operation Serve International (OSI) reports that it deploys short-term missionary teams to provide relief to the poor. The organization carries out its work through four program areas: community development, leadership training, Mercy Missions, and missionary development. Operation Serve's community development program works with community leaders to provide free groceries and school supplies, sponsor youth events, and offer classes. The leadership training hosts conferences and meetings to provide training and educational materials for pastors and community leaders. Under Mercy Missions, Operation Serve reports that it trains and equips more than 300 short-term missionaries annually to work in underserved and impoverished areas of Mexico and Egypt. These short-term missionaries provide free medical, dental, and optical care as well as children's programs, personal hygiene care, and counseling. Lastly, the organization's missionary development program trains long-term missionaries living in the field for one or more years as well as those staying in the field for one to four months.
For the year ended December 31, 2019, Operation Serve's program expenses were:
| Program services |
$551,983 |
| Total Program Expenses: |
$551,983 |
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Chief Executive
Sameh Sadik, PhD, Executive Director
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Compensation*
$57,356
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Chair of the Board
Scott Erickson
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Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Physician
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Board Size
5
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Paid Staff Size
6
*2019 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Telephone appeals
Fundraising costs were 5% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $838,619, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)
This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
The following information is based on Operation Serve's IRS Form 990 for the year ended December 31, 2019.
| Source of Funds |
| Contributions |
$838,619 |
| Unrealized gains on investments, net |
$13,522 |
| Investment income |
$10,087 |
| Program service revenue |
$8,680 |
| Miscellaneous |
$26 |
| Sale of inventory, net |
($31) |
| Rental income, net |
($11,684) |
| Total Income |
$859,219 |
- Programs: 85%
- Administrative: 9%
- Fundraising: 6%
| Total Income |
$859,219 |
| Program expenses |
$551,983 |
| Fundraising expenses |
$45,464 |
| Administrative expenses |
$57,645 |
| Other expenses |
$0 |
| Total expenses: |
$655,092 |
| Income in Excess of Expenses |
$204,127 |
| Beginning Net Assets |
$1,865,566 |
| Other Changes In Net Assets |
$0 |
| Ending Net Assets |
$2,069,693 |
| Total Liabilities |
$0 |
| Total Assets |
$2,069,693 |