Prison Fellowship International
Prison Fellowship International
Ashburn VA | IRS ruling year: 1980 | EIN: 51-0247185
Organization Mission
To transform the lives of prisoners, their families, and victims through global network of ministry partners.
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Ashburn VA | IRS ruling year: 1980 | EIN: 51-0247185
Organization Mission
To transform the lives of prisoners, their families, and victims through global network of ministry partners.
Good
This charity's score is 86%, earning it a Three-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 85% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 5% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
12/23/2020 | 2019 | 83.83 | |
5/1/2020 | 2018 | 78.17 | |
6/1/2019 | 2017 | 92.60 | |
5/1/2018 | 2016 | 87.13 | |
5/1/2017 | 2015 | 83.79 |
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Prison Fellowship International is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Prison Fellowship International has earned a 84% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2019, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. Our analysts check the Form 990 to determine if the independent Board members are a voting majority and also at least five in number. (Less) | |
No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
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Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) Making loans to related parties such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it may divert the charity's funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems. This practice is discouraged by sector trade groups which point to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act when they call for charities to refrain from making loans to directors and executives. And the IRS is concerned enough with the practice that it requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans to or from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and other "disqualified persons." Furthermore, some state laws go so far as to prohibit loans to board members and officers. And although employees and trustees are permitted to make loans to charities, this practice can also result in real and/or perceived conflict of interest problems for the charity. Furthermore, it is problematic because it is an indicator that the organization is not financially secure. (Less) | |
Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference. Charities are not required to make their Board meeting minutes available to the public. As such, we are not able to review and critique their minutes. For this performance metric, we are checking to see if the charity reports on its Form 990 that it does keep those minutes. In the future, we will also track and rate whether or not a charity keeps minutes for its committee meetings. (Less) | |
Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) Providing copies of the Form to the governing body in advance of filing is considered a best practice, as it allows for thorough review by the individuals charged with overseeing the organization. The Form 990 asks the charity to disclose whether or not it has followed this best practice. If the charity has not distributed its Form 990 to the board before filing, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
Does not Compensate Board Members ... (More) The IRS requires that any compensation paid to members of the charity's governing body be listed on the Form 990. Furthermore, all members of the governing body need to be listed whether or not they are compensated. It is not unusual for some members of the board to have compensation listed. The executive director of the organization frequently has a seat on the board, for instance, and is compensated for being a full time staff member. However, it is rare for a charity to compensate individuals only for serving on its Board of Directors. Although this sort of board compensation is not illegal, it is not considered a best practice. (Less) |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
Conflict of Interest ... (More) Such a policy protects the organization, and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer or director of the organization. Charities are not required to share their conflict of interest policies with the public. Although we can not evaluate the substance of its policy, we can tell you if the charity has one in place based on the information it reports on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Conflict of Interest policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
Whistleblower ... (More) This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report any financial mismanagement. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. (Less) | |
Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) Such a policy establishes guidelines for handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promotes data integrity. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Records Retention and Destruction Policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
CEO Compensation Process ... (More) This process indicates that the organization has a documented policy that it follows year after year. The policy should indicate that an objective and independent review process of the CEO's compensation has been conducted which includes benchmarking against comparable organizations. We check to be sure that the charity has reported on its Form 990 its process for determining its CEO pay. (Less) | |
Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) Charities are required to list their CEO's name and compensation on the Form 990. Our analysts check to be sure that the charities complied with the Form 990 instructions and included this information in their filing. (Less) | |
Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) Our analysts check to see if the charity lists Board members on its website. Publishing this information enables donors and other stakeholders to ascertain the make up of the charity's governing body. This enables stakeholders to report concerns to the Board. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the Board members listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990, because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's Board members may have changed, and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. (Less) | |
Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) It is important for donors and other stakeholders to know who runs the organization day-to-day. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the leadership listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990 because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's leadership may have changed and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. In other words, since the Form 990 isn't especially timely, it can not be used to verify the leadership information published on the charity's site. (Less) | |
Audited Financial Statements Listed on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its audited financial statements for the fiscal year represented by the most recently filed IRS Form 990. It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. We currently rate charities on whether or not they publish their audit on their website. (Less) | |
Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its most recently filed IRS Form 990 (a direct link to the charity's 990 on an external site is sufficient). It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. (Less) |
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Organizations that demonstrate consistent annual growth in program expenses are able to outpace inflation and thus sustain their programs year to year. These organizations also supply givers with greater confidence by maintaining broad public support for their programs. We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Andy Corley, President
$0 (0.00% of Total Expenses)
Plus $242,005 of Compensation from Affliates
Wendy Roldan, VP of Finance
$162,554 (2.28% of Total Expenses)
Ruth Chodniewicz, Senior Director
$106,444 (1.49% of Total Expenses)
David Van Patten, COO
$186,820 (2.62% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Prison Fellowship International) or EIN (510247185) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Prison Fellowship International reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Administrative Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Prison Fellowship International (PFI) operations shifted significantly because of the pandemic. Field staff and volunteers faced restricted access to prisons around the world, donor servicing staff had to shift their engagement strategies due to our inability to meet with donors in-person and due to our headquarters location based outside of Washington DC, our headquarters workforce, including our Finance and Administration teams, core program office staff and donor engagement teams were forced to adapt and operate remotely. PFI applied for and received PPP funding and was able to continue to employ its full staff.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
a. Due to social distancing, COVID-19 restrictions, and schools and prisons closing PFI was unable to conduct many program activities, which typically require in-person gatherings for service deployment, as usual. As a result, program partners developed alternative ways to provide program service to our beneficiaries. For example, external individuals weren’t let into prisons so internal volunteers, prisoners or correctional staff became trained program facilitators to continue running The Prisoner’s Journey and the Sycamore Tree Project. Our children’s programs team adapted their service to provide an increase of hygiene, mask and health resources for children and families. Several organization-wide and regional in-person activities including global forums, capacity building partnerships and assessments, and monitoring and evaluation were simply delayed or were conducted virtually. PFI found value in virtual communication and operation but found some activities to be better in person.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
PFI made many shifts to maintain operations during the pandemic. Many activities switched to a virtual implementation, including training, monitoring and evaluation, and internal administration. Financially, PFI instituted a performance grace policy to maintain the salaries of staff working for National Ministries around the world. PFI also shifted grant funding from inactive programs to programs still operating through the pandemic thanks to internal volunteers. The Donor Engagement team shifted their fundraising and engagement strategy from a high touch, in person approach to more frequent and dynamic digital communications and activities.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
PFI’s regional forums bring together all the National Ministries from a specific region to discuss best practices, ministry updates and regional information. Due to the low cost and ease of travel, these will remain in a rotating in-person/virtual model, meaning each region will have an in-person forum at least once every 2-3 years while the rest will be virtual. PFI will continue to train and promote internal volunteers as facilitators for numerous in-prison programs, including The Prisoner’s Journey and The Listener’s Way, as they have become a critical component of facilitation. Dynamic digital communications will also continue to be a part of our donor engagement channel mix. Newsletters featuring impact updates, short videos and compelling stories and highlights have been received very well by our current and new donors and will continue to be part of our overall communications strategy for the future.
Not Currently Scored
Prison Fellowship International cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Learn More
Prison Fellowship International reported its three largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Prison Programs
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Children of Prisoners Program
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Ministry Services and Development
Prison Fellowship International has earned a 100% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
100% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
Through PFI’s in-prison programs, staff and volunteers around the world serve prisoners, correctional staff and victims and communities impacted by crime. PFI’s children’s programs serve the families of prisoners and caregivers of children of prisoners. Through capacity building efforts, PFI also serves National Ministries and their Boards, staff members and volunteers.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Paper surveys, Case management notes, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
Our staff, Other means
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
The feedback that we receive is simply something we consider when making fundamental improvements or changes to programs or operations. It also helps us remedy poor beneficiary service experiences, identify bright spots of positive experiences and to inform the development of new programs or projects.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Given prisoner feedback, we worked with our Bible donor and strategic partner, Bible League International, to provide large print Bibles to prisoners as they were easier to read. We also increased the number of caseworkers for our program, The Child’s Journey, in order to better meet the needs of at-risk children of prisoners, something highlighted in the feedback that we received. These caseworkers support children through ensuring safety, health, education and spiritual care. Through support from direct sponsors, each child also receives mentoring and Scripture resources.
This organization has not provided information regarding the Equity Practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Prison Fellowship International has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
To transform the lives of prisoners, their families, and victims through a global network of ministry partners.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
To break the cycle of crime and restore lives, worldwide, through Jesus’s love.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Extend Market Reach & Deepen Market Penetration
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Maintain Capacity to Grow
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Three: Accelerate Revenue Growth
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
PFI hosted a leadership team training event with an external consultant which provided members of our senior leadership team a valuable opportunity to develop as leaders within our organization. PFI also maintains a professional development program that is focused on career and skill growth for our staff and leadership. This program provides funding for trainings, certifications or any other development opportunities.
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
PFI has over 110 affiliated, autonomous ministries around the world who deliver both our program services as well as their own indigenous programs. PFI provides support in the form of resources, training and reviews to those who run any PFI signature or modular programs. PFI also has strategic partners with many Christian nonprofits and NGOs, including Bible League International, Biblica and Faith Comes By Hearing, among others. These relationships create value for both organizations, specifically in helping PFI fulfill its global strategy and generate a significant, long-term impact, but also in leveraging assets and resources from both organizations to the maximum benefit of the end beneficiaries. Also, the PFI Board of Directors strategic focus governs the direction of the organization, including the programs delivered at the field level.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
PFI, along with our global partners and affiliates, have been challenged and stretched in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago. We had to navigate closed prison doors, illnesses within staff and families, community lockdowns and immense hardship for beneficiary families already living on the poverty line. Amidst these trails, we have persevered. Our strategic plan to increase global reach and deepen our ministry impact brought us through this time with more lives affected than ever. It also ensured we continued to reach those who were most in need of care. Our ambitious goal-to reach two million prisoners annually with the Good News of the Gospel- remains. We faithfully continue to adapt and innovate in order to achieve it. Why two million? We believe this number represents a “tipping point” where the cultural change happening within the prisons will create a ripple effect that will impact their families, communities and beyond for good. Throughout the last year, our donor base grew, gave and helped expand our programs and organizational footprint to more countries. Despite continuing COVID restrictions, more than 121,000 prisoners graduated from The Prisoner's Journey in Fiscal Year 2022 and ten more National Ministries signed program agreements to offer the life-changing program in the upcoming year. Over 33,000 prisoners graduated from Sycamore Tree Project: Justice and Peace, exceeding our annual objective by more than 65%. Since January, six more National Ministry partners have begun providing education access, social connection and scripture resources to children of prisoners through our PromisePath program, impacting the lives of thousands of these vulnerable children. By working strategically with partners, leveraging technology to further impact and adapting the way we do business, we not only weathered the challenges of the last few years, but come out on the other side a stronger, more innovative and more efficient organization.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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