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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: September 2024 Expires: September 2026

Mercy Ships

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
Accreditation seal
(903) 939-7000
Post Office Box 1930
Garden Valley, TX, 75771
https://mercyships.org
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Mercy Ships meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Complaints


Number of complaints processed by BBB WGA in the last 36 months: 1

The organization addressed the complaint issues brought to its attention: 1

(This complaint involved a donation refund request).

Stated Purpose:
"to bring hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor."

Year, State Incorporated:
2008, TX

Mercy Ships is an international faith-based organization with a mission to increase access to healthcare in the developing world. Through the deployment of hospital ships, the Africa Mercy and Global Mercy, Mercy Ships works with host nations to help fill the gap in healthcare systems by providing direct medical services to underserved communities as a well as a variety of education and training programs for medical professionals and support staff.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, Mercy Ships's program expenses were:

Ship and field operations $146,544,334
Total Program Expenses $146,544,334

Chief Executive
Gert van de Weerdhof, Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*
$375,430

Chair of the Board
Gary Brown

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Retired, Chief Executive Officer, CIBC First Caribbean International Bank

Board Size
24

Paid Staff Size
450

*2023 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Grant proposals, Internet, Direct mail appeals, Radio, Special events, Telemarketing, Foundation grants, Corporate solicitation

Fundraising costs were 16% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $195,090,461, 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 Mercy Ships's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Source of Funds
Loss from translation adjustments $-408,283
Fee revenue $34,404
Sales and other revenue $4,159,844
Investment income, net $14,962,056
In-kind contributions $35,548,909
Contributions $159,541,552
Total Income $213,838,482

Programs: 75% Fundraising: 16% Administrative: 9%

Total Income $213,838,482
Total expenses: $195,759,669
  Program expenses $146,544,334
  Fundraising expenses $30,917,944
  Administrative expenses $18,297,391
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $18,078,813
Beginning Net Assets $367,848,412
Other Changes In Net Assets $985,377
Ending Net Assets $386,912,602
Total Liabilities $18,070,174
Total Assets $404,982,776

Note 1: As noted in the financial section above, "other changes in net assets" refers to cumulative translation adjustments.

Note 2: According to the organization's 2023 audited financial statements, Mercy Ships received in-kind contributions totaling $35,548,909 in the form of professional and medical services ($26,327,811), medical supplies ($5,230,181), general supplies ($3,333,013), information systems ($599,317), and marine operations ($58,587).

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance