Unbound

“Updated term and election of directors section.”

“An independent accounting firm prepares the 990. The 990 is then reviewed by the organization's president/ceo and accounting personnel. Any questions and concerns the organization's president/ceo and accounting personnel have are addressed and any corrections or clarifications that need to be made are made. The 990 is then provided to the full board for their review. Any questions and concerns of the board are addressed and corrections or clarifications are made prior to filing the 990.”

“All board members annually disclose their involvement with other organizations, communities, employment, staff, vendors or any other associations that might potentially produce a conflict, regardless of the likelihood of an actual conflict arising. New board nominees also complete a disclosure form. When the board is to decide an issue that presents an unavoidable conflict of interest for a member, the member with the conflict abstains from participation in both the deliberation and vote. All employees annually sign a receipt and acknowledgement of unbound's employee manual. The code of conduct which forbids a conflict or the appearance of a conflict between the employee's personal interests and those of unbound is part of that review. The employee's signature acknowledges their agreement to adhere to this code and to immediately disclose a suspected conflict of interest to a staff director, member of the human resources department or confidentially through unbound's independent reporting service.”

“The compensation of the president/ceo for june 2020-june 2021 was determined at the june 2020 governing board of directors meeting. Prior to this discussion, the president/ceo and the non-voting members of the board excused themselves from the board meeting. The voting members met with the director of human resources who provided them with the following information which they used to determine the compensation amount. Using companalyst, which is an independent compensation consultant subscription program, market data research was reviewed based on current market pay for similar positions. Our philosophy is to target the 25th to 50th percentile of the range where the job has been matched. It is also based on current market data within the profit and non-profit industries, containing up to 500 employees and matched on job responsibilities in the market place. The board considered other factors such as a comparison of compensation of executives from similar sponsorship organizations and a formal evaluation of job performance to determine the president/ceo's june 2020 - june 2021 compensation. The voting members then approved the annual salary for the president/ceo. Substantiation of the decision of the board's determination was maintained by the director of human resources. The compensation of the other officers (treasurer and secretary) and all other employees were approved by their respective supervisor at unbound. It was based on both a written performance evaluation as well as the organization's compensation framework and planning system. Compensation change decisions are planned and documented in the adp workforce now compensation module.”

“Unbound's articles of incorporation, audited financial statements, by-laws and conflict of interest policy along with irs forms 1023, 990 and 990-t are available for inspection at our offices. Unbound's audited financial statements and irs forms 990 and 990-t are posted on our website (www.unbound.org). Printed copies are available upon request.”

“Unbound's mission is to walk with the poor and marginalized of the world. 1. We provide personal attention and direct benefits to children, youth, aging and their families so they may live with dignity, achieve their desired potential and participate fully in society. 2. We invite people of goodwill to live in daily solidarity with the world's poor through one-to-one sponsorship. 3. We build community by fostering relationships of mutual respect, understanding and support that are culturally diverse, empowering and without religious or other prejudice. Grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor, Unbound is a lay Catholic organization working with persons of all faith traditions to create a worldwide community of compassion and service.”

“In early March 2020, it was becoming clear that the COVID-19 pandemic would seriously disrupt the lives of individuals and societies across the globe. By the end of the month the world would look very different and hasn't been the same since. While the impact on Unbound programs and the families they serve in 19 countries depended heavily on local situations, the organization persisted with distributing cash benefits without interruption. Cash transfers give families a lifeline Individuals and families participating in the Unbound sponsorship program have flexibility to use their benefits for what they need most. About 94% receive assistance through cash transfers, which have been a lifeline during the pandemic. Food vendors, drivers, day laborers and others earning their living in the informal economy saw their jobs shut down or significantly restricted. Many used sponsorship benefits to help keep their families afloat until they could find or resume work. In the early months of the pandemic, food insecurity was an emerging crisis impacting families, and many reported using funds to buy food. Some started or adapted a small business. In addition to sponsorship assistance, Unbound sent $2.4 million to the field specifically to help families in dire need because of the pandemic. The funds were raised from sponsor donations for disaster response. Technology gaps impact students With the disruption of in-person learning, disparities in access to technology made it difficult for students to stay engaged and motivated. Unbound programs reported that digital learning has been a major challenge, and some were doing more in-depth surveys to better understand obstacles faced by students. In some cases, students had the option to use additional assistance from Unbound to purchase tools they needed to continue studying, such as laptops or internet access. COVID-19 also disrupted the Unbound Scholarship Program. Students continued to receive scholarship support, however, and were encouraged to use funds for technological needs related to schooling. The required community service component was adapted to allow for completion of requirements remotely. Many scholars focused on COVID-19 prevention initiatives in the community, while some continued with tutoring assistance and programing to sponsored members using virtual methods. Local teams stay connected to families In-person interactions between Unbound staff and families were disrupted, including home visits by social workers, community gatherings, mothers group meetings and other activities. Local Unbound teams, however, stayed connected with families by communicating with group leaders and members who had access to technology. Local teams focused on COVID prevention strategies and used cell phones, free messaging apps, social media platforms, radio broadcasts and other means to pass along important health and safety information. Letters go digital One of the core tenets of Unbound is building relationships of mutual respect. While relationships between sponsors and their sponsored friends have always formed across distances, mainly through correspondence, the pandemic created barriers to normal letter-writing processes. Before the pandemic, handwritten letters from sponsored children, youth and elders to their sponsors were typically collected by mothers group members or social workers and delivered to the local Unbound office. Pandemic lockdowns prompted families and staff to get creative so correspondence could resume. Despite significant gaps in access to technology, families managed to send letters to Unbound staff through email, text, free messaging apps, or land lines of family members and neighbors. Letters were sent as typed messages, photos of handwritten letters, or they were dictated to staff members by phone. Suspension of trips leads to virtual connections Sponsors who travel on Unbound Awareness Trips have a special opportunity to deepen their experience by meeting their s”

“Total grants for the sponsorship program were $110.5 million in 2020. At the end of 2020, a total of 288,867 individuals in Latin America, Asia and Africa were sponsored through Unbound. They included 257,109 children and youth, 31,525 elders and 233 candidates studying for the priesthood or religious life. Following are examples of achievements in the sponsorship program, as sponsored individuals and their families partnered with Unbound to identify the specific challenges they must overcome, set their own goals and formulate plans to achieve them. Unbound's sponsorship program connects children, youth, elders and their families with individual sponsors and supportive local communities of staff members and other families. Through sponsorship, individuals and families have resources and a solid support network to begin to chart their own course out of poverty. In 2020, Unbound had programs in 19 countries, including Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Child sponsorship connects two individuals across geographic, economic and social boundaries. It enables the development of a unique relationship that is based on listening, encouragement and mutual respect. Sponsors - through their monthly financial contributions and letters they receive from their sponsored friends - can experience a sense of connection with someone in another part of the world and satisfaction knowing they are helping another human being reach their potential. Sponsors also have the opportunity to write to their sponsored friends to offer encouragement and build rewarding relationships. Unbound had 239,571 sponsors from the U.S. and around the world at the end of 2020. Sponsored individuals and their families partner with Unbound to make program and benefit decisions that help them meet their basic needs and develop their potential over the course of their time in the program, which is sometimes 18 years or more. Sponsored individuals and their families use financial assistance to help meet needs such as education, nutrition, housing improvements, transportation and health care. They also have access to leadership and economic development opportunities related to financial literacy, skill development and income generation. Due to COVID-19, many programs saw families shifting their resources to basic needs, such as food, rather than their planned goals. The flexibility of the program and Unbound's cash transfer system allowed families to use the funds as they needed. Sponsorship requires active participation from families as the program is highly personalized. With support from social workers and other local Unbound staff, families take a central role in determining sponsorship benefits and in forming support networks in which they encourage each other and hold each other accountable. Small support groups of parents and guardians, mostly made up of mothers, are key to the sponsorship program's success. Mothers are the primary leaders in Unbound. They know best when it comes to meeting their children's needs, and Unbound listens to them and learns from them. Mothers of sponsored children join small support groups and often become leaders by serving their community and planning program activities. Mothers participating in Unbound have taken advantage of micro-savings and credit opportunities to meet urgent family needs, or start or boost small businesses to generate income. Parents have also formed cooperatives to meet community needs and provide income for members. Outcomes of sponsorship vary but typically relate to education, leadership development, improved health and nutrition status, dignified housing, skill development and increased income through livelihood opportunities for families. Monitoring program success Monitoring and evaluation of programs Unbound is committed to learning from experi”

“Unbound conducts financial and program audits of projects on a regular basis to ensure that financial resources provide intended benefits and services and sponsored members are empowered to direct their own development. In addition, almost all projects receive at least one visit by headquarters staff every year. Staff members also accompany sponsors on Unbound awareness trips visiting projects and families in the program. In 2019, headquarters staff collectively spent more than 1,400 days in the field monitoring and supporting programs. In 2020, all local program teams continued to receive regular, virtual support from headquarters through calls, emails, meetings and virtual conferences. All program sites participated in at least one organized virtual event, with 33 of 36 program sites participating in more than one organized virtual event and 24 participating in more than two. In addition, the organization performs quality checks on letters and photos from sponsored friends to their sponsors, and monitors member retirement rates and sponsor retention rates. Unbound collects educational attendance and performance data and documents the final education level achieved by sponsored members leaving the program. Unbound projects around the world conduct evaluations in their local contexts to determine outcomes for sponsored members and their families. Methods include surveys of sponsored members on income and skill development, focus groups on attitudes and behavioral changes, and interviews to document empowerment. Organization-wide program evaluations focus on four key domains: education, economic status, community participation and empowerment. Empowerment refers to one's ability to make decisions for oneself and act freely in a way that is intentional and goal-oriented. Examples of program success CASH TRANSFERS With the introduction and adoption of individual bank account models, a majority of sponsored members now have more direct access to their personal benefits. While a major concern surrounding cash transfer programs has been misuse of funds, Unbound seeks to answer these concerns by conducting evaluations that focus on the purchasing behavior of the families participating in the sponsorship program. In 2020, 41 local-level evaluations were conducted, many focused on adapting the program to the quickly evolving context created by the global pandemic. Largely the results showed the strengths of the cash transfer model in times of economic crisis. Evaluations in the early months of the pandemic showed food insecurity as an emergent crisis impacting sponsored families. In Guatemala, the top three difficulties reported were lack of economic resources, loss of job and lack of sufficient food. The flexibility in sponsorship funds provided families with the immediate relief for these most urgent needs. Evaluations in Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Honduras showed a change in families' use of their benefit dollars from their original plan to instead purchase food. In Peru it was found that 77% of sponsored families who received additional assistance were able to consume three or more meals a day compared to just 33% in a comparison group who did not receive the assistance. Local programs also focused on COVID prevention strategies. In Peru, 77% of sponsored families report practicing the three key preventative actions: mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing, compared to a control group of 60%. In this study, 48% of families report having learned about this information from the local Unbound team's efforts. In Bogota, sponsored families reported that their practices more used in COVID-19 prevention were 98% to wash their hands, 86% to keep distance and 84% don't go out if not needed.”

“Sponsorship helps children achieve a level of education that prepares them to compete with peers for jobs and be responsible community members, parents and leaders. At a global level, when they left the program, 75% of sponsored children achieved a level of schooling comparable to or above national peer averages, according to data gathered from 2011-2014. This means that Unbound students - despite marginalization based on economic, social and geographic factors - were able to compete and excel alongside students from all socioeconomic brackets and areas within their countries. Of these former sponsored children, 51% achieved educational levels a year or more above their national peer averages. The number jumped to 59% achieving a year or more above their national peer averages when looking at the experience of sponsored girls. This, along with country-level analysis, indicated a specific impact on girls' education and a closing or reversing of the prominent gender gap present in many communities. In Guatemala, for example, sponsored children, on average, achieved almost three years of schooling more than the national average for their peers. And in Unbound's Quezon program in the Philippines, 57% of sponsored youth pursued post-secondary education compared to 30% of their peers. However, the COVID-19 crisis has made disparities in internet access more pronounced, especially for students who lack tools for remote learning. Unbound estimates that just over 50% of sponsored families and less than 25% of sponsored elders have regular access to a smartphone, and many of those include some apps but no internet browsers, or intermittent internet access. Many programs are sharing that digital learning is a big challenge and some are doing more in-depth surveys to better understand the challenges faced by sponsored students. In some cases, students have had the option to use additional assistance from Unbound to purchase the tools needed to continue studying, such as laptops or internet access.”

“Sponsorship impacts the sponsored child and the entire family. Unbound's direct work through a personalized benefit model and parent groups means families are able to best allocate resources for their children and direct how the program supports their development as families. Most sponsored children have representation in the program through small parent/guardian groups. These groups provide the space for families to have a voice in the program and be part of a supportive community, addressing two significant components of poverty: lack of choices and isolation. In 2019, a local evaluation in Kisumu, Kenya, focused on understanding the factors that were stopping the members of the parent groups from taking loans from their group's cooperative called Borneka SACCO. They found out that 54% of the respondents had never taken a loan from the SACCO, mostly because they felt like the regulation that qualifies the members for larger loans limited them in terms of when and how much they could withdraw for a loan. The team and the SACCO members are reviewing as well as educating the members on the guidelines and regulations of the loaning process to help more members in need. In 2017, an evaluation measuring the empowerment of mothers of sponsored children was performed. It compared those mothers to mothers who are waiting for their children to be sponsored. The evaluation found that parents of children sponsored through Unbound displayed a stronger level of ownership of psychological assets - such as happiness, control, goal setting and self-esteem - than the wait-list parents did. Unbound mothers were members in community groups, organizations, networks or associations as well. Mothers and guardians in Unbound reported feeling they are having a greater impact on their communities. Thirty percent of Unbound mothers said they were involved in making decisions within their communities compared to 16% of mothers in the comparison group. Evaluation results showed how more women in Unbound are taking economic risks starting small businesses to enact change. More women in the Unbound program have their own businesses, and fewer women in the program are unemployed than mothers in the comparison group. More mothers in Unbound also reported having complete choice in deciding or changing their occupations. This evaluation was a follow-up to a 2013 global evaluation on the same topic. The 2017 study revealed that 9% of mothers of sponsored children believed they had the power to change their family's situation, and 63% reported they were active in solving problems in their communities, among other findings on participation and empowerment indicators. Unbound is now in the final year of a six-year longitudinal data collection on economic outcomes for sponsored members and their families. The evaluation includes both quantitative and qualitative data and follows families from the time they begin the program.”

“Elders in communities where Unbound works face challenges related to health, access to care and medicine, and loneliness. Unbound seeks to overcome these challenges through monthly benefits such as food assistance, help with health and medical expenses, home visits and group activities. In 2018, an evaluation was conducted to measure Unbound's impact with elders in relation to overcoming these challenges. The results were overwhelmingly positive. Sponsored elders experience a lessened sense of emptiness, encountered less frequent feelings of rejection, and underwent fewer moments of missing having people around than the elderly population who live in similar circumstances but are not part of the Unbound sponsorship program. Additionally, sponsored elders feel they can rely on other individuals when they have problems, believe they can trust others in their lives, and consider themselves close to others in contrast to those elders who were waiting to participate in the Unbound sponsorship program. Sponsored elders felt at ease when talking with more people about private matters, and they have more close friends to call on for help compared to non-sponsored elders. Sponsored elders did not worry as frequently about insufficient food intake, did not have to limit variety of food, and did not experience the same degree of hunger as elders outside the program who more frequently experienced these conditions. Lastly, the study revealed that sponsored elders had greater access to medicine and medical care than those elders who were waiting to be sponsored by Unbound. According to the survey, 66% of sponsored elders said they received needed medical care, compared to 40% on the waiting list. The results of this evaluation aid in our understanding of the effectiveness of the Unbound program's global impact with elders and help us make decisions to improve how the program serves elders globally.”

“Unbound recognizes sponsors and other benefactors not merely as donors but, first and foremost, as highly valued and respected members of the Unbound community. Both sponsors and sponsored persons have something to gain from the sponsorship relationship, and toward that end Unbound is committed to helping sponsors become more aware of the realities of global poverty and grow in human solidarity. The staff at Unbound take exceptional care in communications with sponsors, whether dealing with routine account matters or in the production of publications and digital content. The goal is for sponsors to be informed about what happens in programs so they understand how their contributions are being used and become more invested in the lives of those they help. On an ongoing basis, Unbound surveys sponsors whose sponsorship relationships have come to an end. Respondents are asked how they feel about their sponsorship experience and how likely they would be to recommend Unbound. In 2020, the results were: 1. Ninety percent indicate they were either very satisfied (59.9%) or satisfied (30.5%). 2. More than 91% indicated they were either very likely (64%) or somewhat likely (27.5%) to recommend Unbound. Perhaps the most significant indicator of a quality sponsor experience is that Unbound maintains a high sponsor retention rate. Unbound ended 2020 with a retention rate of 92%. Another indicator of a quality sponsor experience is the number of people, 31,951 in 2020, who sponsor more than one child or elderly person through the organization. Sponsors who travel on Unbound awareness trips have a special opportunity to deepen their experience by meeting their sponsored friends, learning about their sponsored friends' lives and cultures, and seeing firsthand the change individuals and families are creating with their support. In 2020, before the pandemic hit, 172 sponsored children and elderly were visited, With travel restrictions in place both in the United States and around the world, Unbound created other ways to keep sponsors and sponsored friends connected. We facilitated four virtual visits and for sponsors whose awareness trips were canceled, we were able to send video greetings from their sponsored friends. A total of 149 videos were sent.”

“THE FOLLOWING are examples of achievements in education as Unbound works with students in our scholarship program. Education can help reduce poverty, but tuition, supplies and transportation are expensive. Many students must choose between continuing their educations and providing much-needed income for their families. This leads to higher dropout rates at each level of school. Educational support provided by Unbound's scholarship program helps talented older students who, because of economic circumstances, are struggling to continue their educations. The program is based on principles of perseverance, leadership and service to the community. The scholarship program complements the educational support provided by the Unbound sponsorship program, with 46.9% of scholarship students also sponsored. Unbound scholarships have helped students in communities around the world achieve their educational goals. Students are able to complete their educations, follow their chosen career paths and be of service to the larger community. Scholarships are used for needs such as secondary, post-secondary and vocational school tuition, transportation, school supplies and books. Students are selected by local program staffs based on economic need, commitment to completing their educations, demonstrated leadership potential and interest in community service. Scholarship students participate in service projects as a requirement of the program. Scholarships are intended as supplemental assistance, and students and their families contribute what they can toward educational costs. In 2020, scholarship grants to Unbound field offices totaled more than $3.6 million. Scholarships were awarded to 9,312 students in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines, Tanzania and Uganda. Many scholars are sponsored youth who need extra financial help in addition to sponsorship support to complete their educations. Qualified non-sponsored students identified by local Unbound staffs as needing educational assistance are also eligible for scholarships and represent 53.1% of those receiving awards. Unbound scholars develop as leaders through community service. Scholars volunteer to tutor younger sponsored children, organize clubs and activities for the community, teach literacy and health workshops for Unbound mothers groups, plan celebrations for elders, help with correspondence between sponsored children and their sponsors or perform work related to their fields of study. In 2020, COVID-19 created a disruption in the scholarship program as education moved online. Scholarship students were encouraged to use funds for technological needs as related to schooling. The required service component was also adapted to allow for distance completion. Many scholars focused on COVID-19 prevention community initiatives while some have continued with tutoring assistance and community programing to sponsored members using virtual methods. Several former scholars work for Unbound as staff members after they graduate. They bring to their work a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective on the program and their communities. Monitoring program success Scholars are required to maintain good grades in addition to fulfilling service requirements. Unbound staffs monitor students to make sure they are meeting program requirements, and they provide annual reports on the scholarship programs. Examples of program success At various locations around the world, community-level evaluations are ongoing and being led by program staff in each country. The primary purpose of evaluations at the local level is to ensure continuous program improvements and adaptations to the ever-changing environment. In 2019, 14 local-level evaluations were conducted, including the following three examples. In Honduras, 99% of scholars stated that they believe they are achieving their acad”

“1. Gratitude and giving back: The feeling of gratitude and actively giving back were both connected and common across the ripple maps in Guatemala and the Philippines. Participants expressed how individuals and communities in poverty can focus internally on what little they have, but through Unbound they began to see their strengths and assets. This gratitude for what they had and for what was shared through Unbound spurred a desire to help others, whether family, friends or strangers. 2. Pride: A deep sense of pride and personal accomplishment came forward in the maps of both countries. It is a pride that comes from educational accomplishments and the ability to sustain one's family. However, it also comes from being part of, or associated with, the Unbound program itself (Philippines) or having a sponsor (Guatemala). 3. Education: Education and academic achievement show up in all ripple-effect maps created in Guatemala and the Philippines; however, their positioning and value differ between the two countries. Guatemalans viewed education as a key outcome and means to their most significant outcomes. Attaining an education meant gaining access to professional employment and caring for their families. It brought about satisfaction and pride. In the Philippines, however, alumni emphasized education as an end in itself. Having an education was the outcome. The most significant, long-term outcomes of the Unbound program were overwhelmingly real and intangible. Housing and health, education and work were all present in the lives of Unbound alumni, yet the core of the impact remaining for formerly sponsored members lies in a moral, character-centered, reflective and goal-oriented worldview. This intangible core appears to offer a foundation for the alumni to continue to build their own tangible ripples in providing for their families and assisting community members. One benefit of the ripple-effect-mapping method over separate evaluations of each outcome domain is that it more clearly demonstrates links between physical and psycho-social-spiritual development. This makes an excellent case for the personalized attention, program activities and relationships that complement tangible sponsorship benefits. These components can also be called benefits. "The beauty is that each family can choose what is needed in each moment," said one participant in Guatemala. Each individual tells a different story, but all are united in their experience with Unbound. So, while these experiences do cause us to recognize the significant influences of external factors in the lives of individuals, they also emphasize the remarkable flexibility of the Unbound program. It has the potential to contribute to an individual's path out of poverty in ways unlike a standard aid-distribution or community based development approach.”

“Change in uninsured annuity obligations $(91,848)”