The organization provides clean water, economic and agriculture development assistance to the third world, primarily in east africa.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$135K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2020 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $555K a year · 6% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$135K
to officers and key staff · 3% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 3% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.2 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
11
named funders · $2.3M
Looks good: 11 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$696K
76% of total assets
Worth a look: liabilities are 76% of assets; over 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 10 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 10 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$3.7M
Spent
$4.9M
To programs
87%
Net assets
$214K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$3.7M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$3.7M
FY2021$6.6M
FY2022$10.4M
FY2023$12.1M
FY2024$10.2M
Expenses
$4.9M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$4.9M
FY2021$5.8M
FY2022$7.4M
FY2023$12.7M
FY2024$9.5M
Net assets
$214K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$214K
FY2021$1.0M
FY2022$3.9M
FY2023$3.3M
FY2024$4.0M

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jul 1996.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

87 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 87% · $4.3M Management & general 4% · $181K Fundraising 9% · $457K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

10 people listed on the 990; $135K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$135,280Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary/Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

John Bongiorno’s $170K as President is at the 23rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 346 $10–100M international nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
John Bongiorno$170,000$160,000$160,000$135,280

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Worldserve International executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Provides clean water and development aid for economic and agriculture growth in East Africa.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $4.3M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

African water projects provide clean water to underserved areas affected by drought and disaster. Clean water is essential to agriculture, economic development and prevention and treatment of disease and sustaining human life.

$4.3Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 11 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$3.7M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$3.8M
Investment incomeLn 3$673
Money outPt IX
$4.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$4.3M
Managementcol C$181K
Fundraisingcol D$457K
Owns and owesPt X
$214K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$911K
Total assetsLn 16$911K
LiabilitiesLn 26$696K
PeoplePt VI, VII
10
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a10
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$3.8M
Investment incomeLn 3$673
Total revenueLn 12$3.7M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$911K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$911K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$911K
LiabilitiesLn 26$696K
Net assetsLn 32$214K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$703K$911K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$8K$0
Total assetsLn 16$1.8M$911K
LiabilitiesLn 26$431K$696K
Net assetsLn 32$1.4M$214K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$165K$115K$30K$20K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$90K$90K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$63K$42K$4K$17K
Payroll taxesLn 10$15K$10K$3K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$25K$25K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$381K$180K$55K$147K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$95K$327$95K
Office expensesLn 13$37K$16K$16K$6K
Information technologyLn 14$11K$11K
TravelLn 17$147K$116K$18K$13K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$45K$45K
InterestLn 20$3K$3K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$8K$8K
InsuranceLn 23$993$954$39
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$3.8M$3.8M$3K
All other expensesLn 24e$30K$4K$19K$7K
Total functional expensesLn 25$4.9M$4.3M$181K$457K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Nov 17, 2025 $10.2M$9.5M$739K$4.0M 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 14, 2024 $12.1M$12.7M−$619K$3.3M 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Aug 10, 2023 $10.4M$7.4M$3.0M$3.9M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Jul 26, 2022 $6.6M$5.8M$857K$1.0M 990 PDF
FY2020 ViewingFiled with the IRS Sep 22, 2021 $3.7M$4.9M−$1.2M$214K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $3,749,505 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,723,671$3,821,884
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$673
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $160,733−$73,052
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $2,884,404$3,749,505
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $267,398$333,043
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $2,858,269$4,586,199
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $3,125,667$4,919,242
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$241,263−$1,169,737
Part VI · Governance 6 of 10 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body10
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $3,749,505 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$3,821,884
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$3,821,884
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $673$673
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$73,052−$73,052
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $673 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$73,052$3,749,505
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $4,919,242 across 16 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $114,988 · Management $30,000 · Fundraising $20,292$165,280
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesFundraising $89,722$89,722
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $42,154 · Management $3,600 · Fundraising $17,466$63,220
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $10,413 · Management $2,570 · Fundraising $1,838$14,821
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $25,120$25,120
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $179,620 · Management $55,000 · Fundraising $146,759$381,379
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $327 · Fundraising $95,082$95,409
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $15,913 · Management $15,538 · Fundraising $6,012$37,463
IX-14 Information technologyFundraising $11,454$11,454
IX-17 TravelPrograms $115,568 · Management $18,215 · Fundraising $13,078$146,861
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsFundraising $44,975$44,975
IX-20 InterestManagement $3,139$3,139
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $7,712$7,712
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $954 · Fundraising $39$993
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $3,798,355 · Fundraising $3,155$3,801,510
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $4,065 · Management $19,316 · Fundraising $6,803$30,184
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $4,281,076 · Management $181,491 · Fundraising $456,675$4,919,242
Part X · Balance sheet $910,606 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $703,250$910,606
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $7,712$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $454,330$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,814,845$910,606
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $145,152$53,199
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $250,000$600,000
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $35,849$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $431,001$696,499
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,383,844$214,107
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,383,844$214,107
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,814,845$910,606
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $214,107 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$3,749,505
XI-2 Total expenses$4,919,242
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$1,169,737
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,383,844
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$214,107

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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