USA (MNN) — Compassion International , a Christian child
development ministry, jumped to the 54th slot, up from 63rd in the
2006 NonProfit Time 100 ranking of nonprofits and charities.
The organizations are categorized according to their revenue
in fiscal year (FY) 2005. To make the list, at least 10 percent of an
organization's income must come from public support. Compassion, which relies
solely on public support, saw its total revenues increase by 24% for FY2005.
"We are delighted with the dynamic growth and are
grateful to God for His blessing and to our donors for their confidence and
trust," says Doctor Wess Stafford, President of Compassion International.
"In our 55 years, we have witnessed whole generations of lives
transformed, both children and their sponsors. There is no greater challenge in
today's world than poverty. We have learned the power of love attacks poverty
from the inside out. Changed lives always change their communities and
world!"
Although the latest NPT ranking focuses on revenue increase
in FY2005, the child advocacy organization is seeing an upsurge in other key
areas as well. According to its 2005-06 annual report, Compassion's worldwide
sponsorships grew by 13%, 417 new church based-child development centers were
added overseas and during the last three months of the fiscal year, 32,000
people made first-time professions of faith in Christ. Compassion's Leadership
Development Program, which provides sponsorship for young adults so they can
attend college in their own country, also helped 1,017 students get a higher
education while receiving Christian leadership training.
Stafford says, "We're encouraged by these milestones
and believe they are the result of God's hands on our ministry. Compassion
takes seriously the mandate issued in the Bible in Proverbs 28:3 that says,
'Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor
and oppressed.'"
Compassion has been recognized for superior financial
integrity by several publications and financial accountability groups,
including Charity Navigator, The Chronicles of Philanthropy and The American Institute of Philanthropy. In addition,
Compassion is a founding member of the Evangelical Council for Financial
Accountability.
Compassion International is
one of the world's largest Christian child development organizations, working
with more than 65 denominations and thousands of indigenous church partners in
Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Since 1952,
Compassion has touched the lives of more than one million children and has been
recognized for its financial integrity with top ratings and recommendations by
several of the nation's leading not-for-profit "watchdog"
organizations.
Click here if you'd like to help Compassion International's work around the world.
