| (i) Name of supported organization | (ii) EIN | (iii) Type of organization (described on lines 1- 10 above (see instructions)) | (iv) Is the organization listed in your governing document? | (v) Amount of monetary support (see instructions) | (vi) Amount of other support (see instructions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | |||||
|
Total |
||||||
| Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) | (a) 2021 | (b) 2022 | (c) 2023 | (d) 2024 | (e) 2025 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grant.") .. | 142,617,882 | 137,562,066 | 136,803,692 | 131,911,191 | 133,332,977 | 682,227,808 |
| 2 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf .... | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 3 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 4 | Total. Add lines 1 through 3 | 142,617,882 | 137,562,066 | 136,803,692 | 131,911,191 | 133,332,977 | 682,227,808 |
| 5 | The portion of total contributions by each person (other than a governmental unit or publicly supported organization) included on line 1 that exceeds 2% of the amount shown on line 11, column (f) .. | 0 | |||||
| 6 | Public support. Subtract line 5 from line 4. | 682,227,808 | |||||
| Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) | (a) 2021 | (b) 2022 | (c) 2023 | (d) 2024 | (e) 2025 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Amounts from line 4.. | 142,617,882 | 137,562,066 | 136,803,692 | 131,911,191 | 133,332,977 | 682,227,808 |
| 8 | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources... | 1,865,745 | 2,210,569 | 2,496,375 | 2,787,856 | 3,085,905 | 12,446,450 |
| 9 | Net income from unrelated business activities, whether or not the business is regularly carried on.. | ||||||
| 10 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.).. | 504 | 423 | 584 | 280 | 289 | 2,080 |
| 11 | Total support. Add lines 7 through 10 | 694,676,338 | |||||
| Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) | (a) 2021 | (b) 2022 | (c) 2023 | (d) 2024 | (e) 2025 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") | ||||||
| 2 | Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or facilities furnished in any activity that is related to the organization's tax-exempt purpose | ||||||
| 3 | Gross receipts from activities that are not an unrelated trade or business under section 513 ..... | ||||||
| 4 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf... | ||||||
| 5 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge | ||||||
| 6 | Total. Add lines 1 through 5 | ||||||
| 7a | Amounts included on lines 1, 2, and 3 received from disqualified persons | ||||||
| b | Amounts included on lines 2 and 3 received from other than disqualified persons that exceed the greater of $5,000 or 1% of the amount on line 13 for the year. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 7a and 7b.. | ||||||
| 8 | Public support. (Subtract line 7c from line 6.) | ||||||
| Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) | (a) 2021 | (b) 2022 | (c) 2023 | (d) 2024 | (e) 2025 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Amounts from line 6 | ||||||
| 10a | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources | ||||||
| b | Unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 taxes) from businesses acquired after June 30, 1975 | ||||||
| c | Add lines 10a and 10b | ||||||
| 11 | Net income from unrelated business activities not included on line 10b, whether or not the business is regularly carried on. | ||||||
| 12 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.) .. | ||||||
| 13 | Total support. (Add lines 9, 10c, 11, and 12.).. | ||||||
| Section A - Adjusted Net Income | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
||||
| 1 | Net short-term capital gain | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Other gross income (see instructions) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Add lines 1 through 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Depreciation and depletion | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Portion of operating expenses paid or incurred for production or collection of gross income or for management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for production of income (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Other expenses (see instructions) | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Adjusted Net Income (subtract lines 5, 6 and 7 from line 4) | 8 | ||||
| Section B - Minimum Asset Amount | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
||||
| 1 | Aggregate fair market value of all non-exempt-use assets (see instructions for short tax year or assets held for part of year): | 1 | ||||
| a | Average monthly value of securities | 1a | ||||
| b | Average monthly cash balances | 1b | ||||
| c | Fair market value of other non-exempt-use assets | 1c | ||||
| d | Total (add lines 1a, 1b, and 1c) | 1d | ||||
| e |
Discount claimed for blockage or other factors (explain in detail in Part VI): |
|||||
| 2 | Acquisition indebtedness applicable to non-exempt use assets | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Subtract line 2 from line 1d | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Cash deemed held for exempt use. Enter 0.015 of line 3 (for greater amount, see instructions). | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Net value of non-exempt-use assets (subtract line 4 from line 3) | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Multiply line 5 by 0.035 | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Minimum Asset Amount (add line 7 to line 6) | 8 | ||||
| Section C - Distributable Amount | Current Year | |||||
| 1 | Adjusted net income for prior year (from Section A, line 8, Column A) | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Enter 85% of line 1 | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Minimum asset amount for prior year (from Section B, line 8, Column A) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Enter greater of line 2 or line 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Income tax imposed in prior year | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Distributable Amount. Subtract line 5 from line 4, unless subject to emergency temporary reduction (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| Section D - Distributions | Current Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Amounts paid to supported organizations to accomplish exempt purposes | 1 | |
|
2
Amounts paid to perform activity that directly furthers exempt purposes of supported organizations, in excess of income from activity |
2 | |
| 3 Administrative expenses paid to accomplish exempt purposes of supported organizations | 3 | |
| 4 Amounts paid to acquire exempt-use assets | 4 | |
| 5 Qualified set-aside amounts (prior IRS approval required - provide details in Part VI) | 5 | |
| 6Total annual distributions. Add lines 1 through 5. | 6 | |
|
7
Distributions to attentive supported organizations to which the organization is responsive (provide details in Part VI). See instructions |
7 | |
| 8 Distributable amount for 2025 from Section C, line 6 | 8 | |
| 9 Line 7 amount divided by Line 8 amount | 9 | |
| Section E - Distribution Allocations (see instructions) |
(i) Excess Distributions |
(ii) Underdistributions Pre-2025 |
(iii) Distributable Amount for 2025 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Distributable amount for 2025 from Section C, line 6 | ||||
|
2
Underdistributions, if any, for years prior to 2025 (reasonable cause required-- explain in Part VI).
See instructions. |
||||
| 3 Excess distributions carryover, if any, to 2025: | ||||
| a From 2020....... | ||||
| b From 2021....... | ||||
| c From 2022....... | ||||
| d From 2023....... | ||||
| e From 2024....... | ||||
| fTotal of lines 3a through e | ||||
| g Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| h Applied to 2025 distributable amount | ||||
|
i
Carryover from 2020 not applied (see instructions) |
||||
| j Remainder. Subtract lines 3g, 3h, and 3i from line 3f. | ||||
| 4Distributions for 2025 from Section D, line 6: | ||||
| $ | ||||
| a Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| b Applied to 2025 distributable amount | ||||
| c Remainder. Subtract lines 4a and 4b from line 4. | ||||
|
5
Remaining underdistributions for years prior to 2025, if any. Subtract lines 3g and 4a from line 2. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions. |
||||
|
6
Remaining underdistributions for 2025. Subtract lines 3h and 4b from line 1. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions. |
||||
|
7 Excess distributions carryover to 2026. Add lines 3j and 4c. |
||||
| 8 Breakdown of line 7: | ||||
| a Excess from 2021..... | ||||
| b Excess from 2022..... | ||||
| c Excess from 2023..... | ||||
| d Excess from 2024..... | ||||
| e Excess from 2025..... | ||||
| Facts And Circumstances Test |
|---|
| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Schedule A, Part II, Line 10 Other Income | DESCRIPTION - OTHER REVENUE, COLUMN A - 504.0, COLUMN B - 423.0, COLUMN C - 584.0, COLUMN D - 280.0, COLUMN E - 289.0, COLUMN F - 2080.0; |
| Software ID: | 25022866 |
| Software Version: | 2025v4.2 |
| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Form 990, Part I, Line 1 BRIEF MISSION | WE MEASURE OUR GOALS AND THE IMPACT OF OUR WORK UNDER FIVE STRATEGIC PILLARS. PILLAR 1: ELIMINATE POVERTY THROUGH ECONOMIC SUPPORT AND GOAL SETTING. PILLAR 2: EMPOWER WOMEN THROUGH DIGNIFIED WORK AND DECISION MAKING. PILLAR 3: ADVANCE EDUCATION THROUGH RESOURCES AND MOTIVATION. PILLAR 4: BUILD COMMUNITY THROUGH GROUPS OF MUTUAL SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. PILLAR 5: PROMOTE WELL-BEING OF ALL AGES THROUGH OLDER ADULT INCLUSION AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL SUPPORTS. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4a | Total grants for the sponsorship program were $110.15 million in 2025. At the end of 2025, a total of 256,530 individuals in Africa, Asia and Latin America were supported through Unbound. They included 224,730 children and youth, 31,619 elders and 181 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 local Unbound teams to identify specific challenges they must overcome, set their own goals and formulate plans to achieve them. Unbound's sponsorship program connects sponsored individuals and their families with sponsors and supportive local communities of staff members and other families in three regions of the world: Africa, Asia and Latin America. Through sponsorship, individuals and families have resources and a solid support network to build their paths out of poverty. In 2025, Unbound had programs in 17 countries including Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.The organization concluded its outreach in the Dominican Republic in mid-2025. Sponsorship connects people across geographic, economic and social boundaries. It enables the development of relationships based on listening, encouragement and mutual respect. Sponsors - through their monthly financial contributions and communication 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 person reach their inherent potential. Sponsors can also write to their sponsored friends to offer encouragement and build rewarding relationships. Unbound had 197,832 sponsors from the U.S. and around the world at the end of 2025. Sponsored individuals and their families partner with local Unbound teams to make program and benefit decisions that help them identify needs, set goals and develop their potential over the course of their time in the program. Sponsored individuals and their families use financial assistance to help meet needs such as education, nutrition, housing improvements, technology, transportation and health care. They also have access to leadership and economic development opportunities related to financial literacy, skill development and income generation. The flexibility of the program and Unbound's cash transfer method of benefit delivery allow families to use the funds to address their distinct priorities. 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 shaping the sponsorship program and forming support networks to encourage each other and hold each other accountable. Small support groups of parents and guardians, mostly made up of mothers, are at the heart of the sponsorship program and key to its 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 of 15 to 30 members and often become leaders by serving their communities 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. Unbound's approach focusing on personal relationships has taught the organization how to do family-level micro-development through sponsorship. Sponsored individuals and families determine their own futures, while sponsors are connected through letter writing. Unbound seeks to go beyond transactional relationships to facilitate relationships built on mutual trust, respect, care and love. Outcomes of sponsorship vary but typically relate to education, improved health and nutrition status, dignified housing, skill and leadership development, and increased income through livelihood opportunities for families. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4a CONTINUED | Nine program characteristics Unbound's nine program characteristics are the fundamental attributes the organization strives to achieve in partnership with the individuals, families and communities it serves. They include empowerment, goal orientation, decentralized decision-making, capacity building, sustainability, economic self-sufficiency, mutual accountability and support, worldview and culture of learning. Monitoring and evaluation of programs Unbound is committed to learning from experience and ensuring that the organization's work makes a positive impact in the lives of children, youth, elders and families around the world. The organization asks two basic questions to earn donor trust and maintain a high standard of service: Did we do what we said we were going to do? This is program monitoring. Did it make a difference? This is program evaluation. Unbound distinguishes between monitoring and evaluation and maintains separate but complementary strategies. Monitoring: The principal purpose of monitoring is accountability. Monitoring keeps the organization accountable for its mission and strategic goals and measures the implementation and reach of its programs. Regular program monitoring is conducted to ensure fidelity in the organizational structure, development of programs, implementation of policies and the appropriate use of finances. Some of this monitoring happens across distance with regular communication and reporting, along with virtual meetings and conferences. Much of it happens with personal, on-site visits from Unbound's international headquarters staff, who traveled over 600 days in 2025. Unbound's monitoring activity includes: * Visits made annually to each project for staff development, program support and assessments * Financial audits conducted in each project * Program audits conducted in each project * Third-party legal assessments of program affiliates * Quality checks on letters, video messages and photos from sponsored friends to their sponsors * Tracking of member retirement rates and sponsor retention rates * Local programs collecting educational attendance and performance data and documenting the final educational levels achieved by sponsored members leaving the program * Group awareness trips and individual sponsor visits organized by Unbound provide opportunities for sponsors to meet their sponsored friends in person and see the difference their support makes. In 2025, 370 travelers participated in group awareness trips, with 397 sponsored friends receiving visits as part of 16 trips. Individual sponsor visits connected travelers with 27 sponsored friends. Governing board's role in monitoring outcomes On behalf of sponsored individuals, their families and Unbound sponsors and donors, the Unbound Governing Board thoroughly monitors the integrity and accountability of the organization's operations. The board proactively defines the outcomes expected from the organization. Management must then produce verifiable data proving progress toward the expected outcomes. With the board setting ethical and prudent limits, management chooses the appropriate means to achieve organizational ends. The board systematically monitors compliance with these executive limitations. In addition, the board regularly reviews progress toward quarterly, annual and multi-year strategic goals of the organization. As a result, the board confidently assures donors that their contributions achieve their promised objectives, and that the organization remains transparent and ethical. Evaluation: Learning is the focus of program evaluation, with over 30 professional evaluators on staff worldwide to assess progress. Unbound's commitment to outcomes-focused evaluation means looking beyond program outputs and activities to learn the results program participants experience. The organization has developed a three-tier system to evaluate outcomes of the sponsorship program to address learning and decision-making needs at all levels: individual, project/program and global. Individual outcomes: Poverty Stoplight Unbound is utilizing a methodology called Unbound's Goal Orientation powered by Poverty Stoplight to understand and communicate outcomes on an individual level. Poverty Stoplight is a mobile technology and social innovation platform developed by Fundacion Paraguaya that seeks to activate the potential of families and communities to lift themselves out of poverty. Using a survey of indicators across six dimensions of poverty - combined with personalized mentoring from staff - families identify and prioritize their needs, set clear goals, envision how to change their situations and continually evaluate their progress toward overcoming poverty. The methodology is not only a self-assessment survey but an intervention model, empowering families with the data and awareness to make decisions about their futures and engage support resources and effective solutions. Using Poverty Stoplight's standard dimensions also allows Unbound to understand the impact of our programs at a global level across different locations and contexts, and new programs may be developed at the community level in response to the similar priorities families identify. Using Unbound's Goal Orientation powered by Poverty Stoplight, which launched in 2020, sponsored families have completed 581,303 self-assessments tailored to their local realities to set personal goals and lead their families out of poverty. In 2025, there were 176,149 Poverty Stoplight surveys completed. One-to-One Communication Communication from sponsored individuals to their sponsors through letters or video messages provides direct feedback about how relationships and financial support make a difference. Sponsored children and youth, for example, often share about how they are progressing in school or how the financial support and other benefits of the program impact them and their families. In 2025, sponsored friends submitted 478,742 digital letters and 69,136 video messages for their sponsors, with 356,996 of the letters including additional photos beyond the required annual photo. Sponsors also have the option of writing to their sponsored friends to provide encouragement and share about their own lives. In 2025, there were 144,402 sponsor e-letters delivered to sponsored friends. Program outcomes: Programs at the project level are tailored to the needs of sponsored individuals and their families and the initiatives of Unbound in their communities. Families work with program staff to define and measure outcomes and utilize the results for continuous program improvement. With training and technical support from the evaluation team, these locally directed evaluations ask questions like: What is the program accomplishing? How are families different now? What could we do better? With 31 local evaluators bringing community-level expertise, Unbound programs around the world conduct evaluations in their contexts to study and report 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, interviews to document empowerment, mapping to capture the intended and unintended outcomes of programs, case studies to highlight success stories of entrepreneurs, and review of educational records of scholarship students to track career preparedness. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4a CONTINUED | Global outcomes: As an international organization, Unbound also recognizes the need to step back periodically and look at the big picture. Global evaluations explore questions of organizational outcomes for all program participants across borders and regions. These broad assessments help us tell our collective story and understand the effectiveness of our approach in key areas such as educational attainment, economic self-sufficiency, agency of Unbound families, entrepreneurship initiatives and achievements, empowerment of mothers and community participation. Each tier of our evaluation framework is important to understanding the whole of Unbound's impact and its complex contribution to individual goals around the world. Evaluation methods In 2021, Unbound engaged with The Canopy Lab, a consultancy firm, to conduct an external evaluation to better understand if the Unbound sponsorship program helps families exit economic poverty. The Canopy Lab designed a mixed-methods study that was administered in five program sites around the world. The Canopy Lab's analysis showed positive results in four of the five sites regarding a decrease in poverty over length of time of participation in the program. The fifth site yielded more complex results indicating increased perceptions of resilience in households with longer participation in the program; however, further analysis was needed to better understand the overall economic impact on families. Overall, longer participation in the program was found to have an association with a greater sense of ability to weather shocks like COVID-19. Another consistent finding was the higher likelihood of saving with participation in Unbound. A higher proportion of Unbound families engaged in savings compared to their communities. Moreover, for those households who did report engaging in savings, the evaluation found that families that have been in the program longer were less likely to save toward basic needs and more toward non-basic, goal-oriented and long-term needs. These encouraging signs regarding savings show concrete potential to improve the next generation's chances of exiting economic poverty. 5 strategic pillars of impact In 2024, in consultation with program partners around the world, Unbound defined five key strategic pillars of impact: eliminating poverty, empowering women, advancing education, building community and promoting the well-being of all ages. These pillars are the focal points of Unbound's 2025-30 strategic plan. Examples of program success Eliminate poverty Unbound works collaboratively to eliminate multidimensional poverty in the households of its program participants. As families identify their priorities, Unbound provides the resources and support they need to achieve their goals. Unbound's greatest impact in eliminating multi-dimensional poverty comes from the sponsorship program, where families receive direct cash transfers that they can use as they see best to meet their needs. Because our program model focuses on participant-led solutions to poverty, we put the decision-making power in the hands of the families we serve, centering their voices. Once a child or youth is sponsored, their family begins using Unbound's Goal Orientation powered by Poverty Stoplight. This process is about structured reflection, goal setting and action planning on the part of the family. Cash transfers With the introduction and adoption of individual bank account models, the vast majority, about 98%, of participating households have direct control over their personal benefits. Cash transfers promote dignity and create greater economic stability for families as they decide how and when to use their financial support. In 2025, $84.12 million in direct cash transfers went to individual accounts. Families achieving goals Using Unbound's Goal Orientation powered by Poverty Stoplight, sponsored families have reported over 1.3 million achievements over the last four years, making personal improvements in such areas as housing, health and employment. Economic outcomes of families In 2022, Unbound concluded a six-year longitudinal data collection on economic outcomes for sponsored members and their families. The evaluation included both quantitative and qualitative data and followed families from the time they began in the program. As part of the final year of data collection, participating families were also invited to reflect on their experiences and journeys by reviewing the highlights of the data collected in the past six years. Final analysis of this longitudinal study was initiated in 2023, and data trends and patterns from all study sites showed that the probability of Unbound families living in poverty had a declining trend from the first year to the sixth year of participation in the program. A 2025 analysis of achievements measured by Poverty Stoplight demonstrated progress in all dimensions between baseline and follow-up surveys, with the dimension of Income & Employment marking the greatest improvement globally by nearly 8 percentage points in green indicators. This reflects advances in job access, savings and financial resilience. Story of impact Setting goals with Poverty Stoplight: At 40 years old, Debora dreamed of a home of her own for herself and her son, Hamilton, in their rural Guatemalan community. An elementary school teacher and embroiderer, she had raised 17 year old Hamilton while living with her parents and grandmother and believed a home was beyond her reach. But taking the Poverty Stoplight survey helped her gain a better understanding of her situation and visualize a clear path forward. She set goals and started a small business selling chickens. Just over a year later, using savings from Hamilton's sponsorship and income from their business, Debora built a 387 square foot, two room home. Now confident in her progress, she has already set new Poverty Stoplight goals to obtain running water at her home and add rooms. Empower women Women and mothers participating in Unbound programs are empowered with financial resources and a supportive community. Funding accelerates their success as entrepreneurs and their ability to generate sustainable income for their families, while community support helps them develop self-confidence and leadership skills. Unbound believes mothers are the real experts in international development because they know their families and communities better than anyone. Put decision-making power in the hands of a mother, and she'll make a way to lead her family from poverty. By expanding access to banking and financial services for women, and promoting entrepreneurship and community engagement, both families and communities alike benefit from women's full, equitable participation in society. In one of Unbound's recent global program evaluations, 87% of active mothers reported that they believe they can make important decisions that change the course of their life. Unbound has several strategies that support the empowerment of mothers. Mothers have access to their child's sponsorship benefits via cash transfers. They take financial decision-making into their hands as local Unbound staff support them to set and work toward goals that benefit the entire family. To accelerate the success of female entrepreneurs, Unbound also awards grants to small businesses owned and operated primarily by women. Unbound mothers groups introduce mothers to a support network of like-minded women in their community. Here, they provide mutual accountability for reaching their goals, find improved access to learning and financial resources, and engage in small group savings and loans. Together, they work toward identifying problems in their communities and implementing solutions with the financial backing of small community development grants awarded to them by Unbound. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4a CONTINUED | Support in small groups Mothers groups were first established in India in 2001 and have grown organically across Unbound programs around the world. There are over 11,000 active Unbound mothers groups worldwide. These groups are mostly made up of and led by the mothers of sponsored children. The groups serve as spaces where women encourage and support each other while holding each other accountable. In a 2025 Unbound global evaluation, women reported they grew in confidence and self-esteem through participation in these groups. Nearly 35% of the women evaluated held a leadership position in their group, developing their leadership and public speaking skills. Financial resources Women participating in Unbound programs have access to financial resources: Many women open a bank account for the first time to manage their cash transfers. Seventy percent of the women Unbound works with in Guatemala have a bank account registered in their name, compared to only 24% of women with children on the waitlist. Ninety-one percent of Unbound small business support grants were awarded to women (mothers, aunts or grandmothers of sponsored children) in 2025, with a total of $183,107 awarded. According to one of Unbound's global evaluations, participation in mothers groups in Lima, Peru, is associated with a 20-percentage-point increase in entrepreneurship after two to five years. Unbound participants worldwide have formed 641 cooperatives, including credit and multi-purpose co-ops, which are largely managed by mothers. In Nairobi, 60% of sponsored women accessed credit in the past year, compared to only 34% of women with children on the waitlist. Combined total savings of $6.2 million is held largely by mothers in Unbound's small groups and cooperatives, and available for families to access microloans for business capital or other needs. Story of impact Innovative solutions to poverty: A collective of mothers in Unbound's programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America were empowered to review and select grant proposals funded by a new $500,000 Innovation Fund. This milestone placed mothers, as trusted community leaders, at the forefront of shaping sustainable solutions to poverty. Approximately 10-12 grants ranging from $20,000-$60,000 were awarded for initiatives addressing urgent needs that had been identified by the very people experiencing them. Approved proposals included such things as funding for an agricultural school in El Salvador, creating a water supply system for a community in Guatemala, skills development and certification for marginalized women in Tamil Nadu, India, and equipping a technical center for children with special needs in Tanzania. Advance education Through resources and motivating support services, marginalized children and youth are able to increase their educational attainment levels to above national averages. Unbound sponsorship improves access to education and continuity through supporting sponsored children's transition to different levels of education, especially secondary to tertiary levels. * In Bhagalpur, India, 82% to 94% of sponsored children completed secondary or higher education at the point of retirement from the program. * In Delhi, India, over 90% of the sponsored youths either enrolled in higher education, are preparing for competitive exams or transitioning to work. * In Bhagalpur, school dropout rates declined significantly over time (from 16.7% to 6.4% in three years). * In Nairobi, Kenya, 94% of youth aspired to college/university education; nearly all set and actively followed educational goals. * In Kisumu, Kenya, over 90% of sponsorship funds were directed to education and learning materials. * Remedial and supplementary education in Delhi consistently improved attendance, engagement, confidence and academic outcomes. Story of impact Keeping futures bright: Josias lost his mother to a terminal illness at age 4. He never knew his father, and an aunt in rural Guatemala, Silvia, took him in. Now 10, Josias has dreams of becoming a teacher, and Silvia is determined to support his education, though her embroidery work provides only a small income. When Josias was sponsored a little over a year ago, it motivated him to work harder in school. The monthly support now covers his school expenses, and Silvia has saved some for his future studies. Josias' strong grades earned him the title of "distinguished student, he serves as his school's flag bearer. Build community Unbound's community support groups, largely led by mothers and referred to as mothers groups, provide a network of support and accountability for families. These groups are where the potential to drive change - at the individual, family and community levels - is activated. Mothers build their confidence as leaders in these groups, realize their potential and find their voice. Community-led solutions to poverty Unbound's Agents of Change grants are utilized by the small groups to address problems in their communities. Working together, group members learn how to write grant proposals, engage with local leaders, manage budgets and implement initiatives that make their communities safer, healthier and more accessible places for all. These grants have a multiplying effect, as they often motivate additional investment from governments, schools, community members and local businesses. From improving school classrooms and building sanitary latrines, to making water more accessible and parks safer, Agents of Change initiatives multiply Unbound's impact to include whole communities. By activating mothers as changemakers, a more sustainable outcome in community development can be achieved into the future, even without the presence of Unbound, and extend to influence the broader society. With 2025 as the second full year Agents of Change was active in all Unbound programs and available online as a donor choice, 521 initiatives were completed with $742,413.04 in funding disbursed to programs and an estimated 278,341 families impacted by initiatives in their communities. Benefits of community participation Beyond the benefits the communities received from completed projects, a 2020 internal evaluation of participating groups reported experiencing an increase in psychological assets of agency. There is a significant increase felt in community inclusion after the completion of projects. Participants also have significantly more interaction with people from other social groups and significantly fewer perceived restrictions to socialization than people who did not participate in the Agents of Change grants. Story of impact Supporting healthy families: Women in the rural Ntumburi community of Meru, Kenya, had been traveling nearly 5 miles for prenatal and postnatal care because the local clinic lacked basic services like vaccinations. With transportation costs out of reach for most, many expectant and new mothers went without protection from preventable diseases. In 2024, an Unbound mothers group called "Blessings" submitted an Agents of Change proposal addressing the need, and it was funded by a generous donor honoring the memory of his late wife. The group purchased a certified vaccination refrigerator for the clinic, which allowed it to offer a wide range of vaccinations for tetanus, measles, typhoid and other diseases. The initiative has benefited an estimated 2,000 families, helping ensure healthier mothers, infants and children. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4a CONTINUED | Promote well-being of all ages Unbound is the largest U.S.-based international development organization offering sponsorship of older adults, working with over 30,000 individuals aged 60 and older globally. The organization is strategically positioned to respond to challenges of a demographic shift toward an increasingly aging population resulting from improvements in global health care and declining birthrates. Unbound's goal is to find innovative and cost-effective solutions that can, in the future, be replicated by other public and private institutions to answer these demographic challenges. Though Unbound's elder program shares similar characteristics with its child and youth sponsorship model, sponsored elders have not been as deeply integrated into the education, economic and goal-setting initiatives that are hallmarks of the organization's impact with other age groups. When surveyed, the most frequently cited challenges elders in Unbound programs face include adjusting to an increase in their health and medical needs as they age and finding ways to deal with declining mental health spurred by isolation or neglect. With access to sponsorship benefits via direct cash transfers, sponsored elders are being guided to set goals in areas that promote their well-being. They are making improvements in their nutrition, housing and access to health services, among other areas. Unbound continues to see ways to work with elders to further strengthen their immediate care networks and reduce feelings of loneliness or isolation. The organization is adapting Unbound's Goal Orientation powered by Poverty Stoplight methodology and its small-group model to include dependent older adults and their caregivers. In 2025, more than 700 Unbound solidarity groups shared learning and mutual support specifically for older adults and their caregivers. Evaluating programs for older adults 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 benefits that provide resources for food, help with health and medical expenses, home visits and group activities. In 2025, the program in Guatemala evaluated its targeted interventions for the social support of older adults, finding that trainings and group activities were attended at a rate of 74% by caregivers to support their elderly family members. These interventions improved caregivers' skills, and the application of learnings strengthened emotional connections with the older adults. Over half the population of older adults also demonstrated positive emotional health scores and high self-esteem. Diabetes pilot program Unbound and Nebraska-based nonprofit Chronic Care International in 2023 launched the first of a two-phase noncommunicable disease study focused on improving the health of diabetes patients in the Philippines who are living in poverty. The pilot program established a low-cost model of patient-centered care for elders living with diabetes. The program provides medication, monitoring, education and community support for the participating sponsored elders. Results continue to be monitored and patient outcomes have exceeded expectations, with 92% of program participants successfully managing their diabetes. Story of impact Embracing life: Sponsored elder Guillermo, 72, found strength through family and support for managing his Type II diabetes. He is a part of a noncommunicable disease pilot program in the Philippines, which is working to establish a global health care model for the practical management of diabetes for people living in poverty in developing countries. In addition to receiving regular checkups and free medication, Guillermo has made many positive lifestyle changes - he stopped smoking, avoids consuming soft drinks, lessens his food intake and monitors his blood-sugar levels - helping him to embrace life and enjoy time with his family. Feedback from sponsors Unbound offers a practical way for sponsors, donors and volunteers to make a personal and direct impact as partners in a global community. Through walking with a child and family, youth, elder or community on their path out of poverty, supporters have an opportunity to expand their worldviews and be part of creative solutions to poverty. Unbound recognizes sponsors and other supporters not only as donors but, first and foremost, as full partners who make a direct impact and transform lives in a global community of compassion. Both sponsors and sponsored individuals have much 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. On an ongoing basis, Unbound surveys sponsors about their sponsorship experience. In 2025, the results were: * 91% indicated they were either very satisfied (62%) or satisfied (29%) - Satisfaction survey given to current sponsors. * 91% indicated they were either very satisfied (68%) or satisfied (23%) - Exit survey given to exiting sponsors. For the Sponsor Satisfaction Survey, 98% of sponsors indicated that sponsorship had made an impact on them in ways such as informing their worldview, having the chance for a practical way to help someone in need and enrichment of their lives, among other impacts. This question is also on the exit survey, where 99% of exiting sponsors indicated that sponsorship has impacted them by informing their worldview, having the chance for a practical way to help someone in need and enrichment of their lives, among other impacts. Unbound also asked sponsors how likely they would be to recommend the organization to a friend or colleague. Survey responses from the satisfaction survey in 2025 yielded a "Net Promoter Score" in the "Excellent" range. Likewise, survey responses from the exit survey in 2025 yielded a "Net Promoter Score" in the "Favorable" range. The metric is commonly used by companies and organizations to gauge loyalty. Yet another indicator of a quality sponsor experience is the number of people - 32,171 at the end of 2025 - who sponsor more than one child, youth or elder through the organization. Perhaps the most significant indicator of a quality sponsor experience is that Unbound maintains a high sponsor retention rate. Unbound ended 2025 with a sponsor retention rate of 92%. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4b | Following are examples of achievements in the Unbound Scholarship Program. Unbound's founders believed that people living in poverty have ideas, skills and leadership capabilities to confront the challenges they face, and with access to resources and a supportive community, they could succeed. The Unbound Scholarship Program is one way that vision is being realized today. The Unbound Scholarship Program supports the advancement of education for both sponsored and non-sponsored individuals. The program exists to make higher education, vocational or technical skills training more accessible to marginalized, aspiring youth and adult learners, including mothers of sponsored children. As scholars, students not only receive financial support to reach their academic potential, but also opportunities to develop their soft skills, act as role models and be servant leaders in their communities. The scholarship program assists students from underserved communities with resources to pursue secondary, post-secondary and vocational education. Along with academics, the program focuses on service to the community and leadership development. It includes a selection process for applicants that recognizes students with financial need who demonstrate a participatory attitude, perseverance, commitment to service and a desire to be leaders in their communities. While education reduces poverty, its cost can be prohibitive. Many students must choose between paying for school and using the income they earn from part-time or full-time work to provide for their families. This leads to higher dropout rates at each level of school. Unbound scholarships make an education that was once out of reach accessible. Scholarships help students in communities around the world achieve their educational goals, follow their chosen career paths and serve the larger community. In 2025, scholarship grants to Unbound program sites totaled $3.9 million. Scholarships were awarded to 8,886 students in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Scholarships help with needs such as tuition and other school fees, technology, internet access, transportation, books and supplies. Students contribute what they can toward their educational costs, as Unbound scholarships are intended as supplemental assistance. The percentage of educational costs covered by the scholarship amount varies depending on location. Many scholars are Unbound sponsored youth who need financial help in addition to sponsorship support to complete their educations. In 2025, 55% of scholarship students were also sponsored. Qualified non-sponsored students are eligible for scholarships and represent 45% of those receiving awards. Unbound scholars participate in community service as part of the program. Examples of service may include tutoring children, teaching literacy and health workshops, planning activities for elders, helping with correspondence between sponsored children and their sponsors, providing technology expertise, and performing office work or other tasks related to their fields of study. Mothers of sponsored children have also been recipients of Unbound scholarships. In the Telangana program in India, for example, many mothers expressed regret that they didn't have opportunities to continue their studies when they were growing up. As a result, in 2022 the staff created the innovative Kalala Sakaram Scholarship Program for mothers of sponsored or formerly sponsored children. "Kalala Sakaram" in the Telugu language means "Dreams Come True." In 2023, the program had 42 mothers participating and striving to meet their educational goals. A number of former scholars have joined Unbound as staff members after they graduated. They bring to their work a wealth of knowledge and a special perspective on the program and their communities. In addition, it has been noted that some former scholars, because of their experiences in the scholarship program, have been inspired to choose career paths that contribute to the social and economic development of their communities (or rather are service-oriented). Students are choosing careers such as those in the fields of social work, psychology, education, health care and working with nonprofit organizations. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4b CONTINUED | Monitoring program success Scholars are required to maintain good grades in addition to fulfilling program requirements. Local Unbound teams monitor students to make sure they are meeting requirements. They also provide annual reports on the scholarship programs in their areas. Examples of program success Nineteen local-level evaluations of the scholarship program have been conducted since 2019. These evaluations utilized a variety of methods, combining quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, focus groups and archival data reviews. Most evaluations aimed to assess the impact of scholarship programs on academic performance, leadership development, community engagement and personal growth. Academic Performance Most scholars meet academic performance requirements, though several programs noted challenges with collecting and reporting grades or standardized measures of performance. In Santa Ana, El Salvador, 82% of students met academic criteria, and in La Paz, Bolivia, 88% felt the scholarship helped them complete their studies. In Honduras, 66% reported being "very satisfied" with their academic progress, and in Guatemala most scholars met the minimum grade criteria. In Cartagena, Colombia, 92% of scholars showed high academic performance and 99% completed the academic term. Service Commitment and Community Impact Scholars consistently reported that community service enhanced their leadership, confidence and social skills - e.g., Cartagena, La Paz and Zamboanga, Philippines. Community members expressed appreciation for service projects undertaken by the students, such as tutoring younger kids in the community. In Legazpi, Philippines, 95% of community service supervisors rated the students' contributions there as impactful and relevant to the organizations they volunteered with. However, barriers to completing the required service included academic workload, distance and unclear expectations (Madagascar; Zamboanga). Leadership and Personal Development Evaluations highlighted growth in leadership, empathy and social responsibility. In Santa Ana, 97% said service helped prepare them for professional life. In Zamboanga, 80% of scholars performed service aligned with their skills and interests, enhancing career readiness. In Costa Rica, 57% of community members reported that they perceive and rely on scholarship students as leaders in their communities. In addition, 61% reported being motivated and encouraged by the activities, projects and behaviors of scholars. In terms of personal development, scholars noted that community service helped them cultivate empathy, build connections and increase their awareness of others. Seventy-eight percent of scholars in Antioquia, Colombia, reported an improvement in self-awareness and personal well-being since they started the scholarship program. Stories of impact Scholars at work in their communities: For many living in poverty across the globe, ambitions often take a back seat to immediate, pressing needs like food, shelter and medical care. Expanding access to education is key to reducing global poverty. Unbound scholars are given the opportunity to pursue careers that can be life-changing, while developing important leadership skills and giving back to their communities. Education and skills development increase job readiness: No matter one's age or stage of life, whether sponsored through Unbound or not, participants in the Unbound Scholarship Program can realize their dreams of an education and a better life for themselves and their families. While completing their educations - whether for secondary school, vocational training or higher education - scholars also complete meaningful leadership development and service-learning activities that set them up to be leaders in their communities. For James Musyoki, sponsorship and a scholarship helped him to realize his dream to one day be able to support himself financially. A scholarship helped James with school and transportation fees and rent during college. After graduation, he secured a role as a social worker with Unbound's Nairobi program in Kenya, giving him the opportunity to serve his community and empower other families to become self-sufficient. As a child, Jonathan often accompanied his father, who was an electrician, to work, and this is how his passion for electricity and electronics formed. Determined to overcome the poverty he experienced growing up, he attended ITCA-FEPADE School of Engineering in El Salvador, utilizing scholarship funds to study as a technician in electrical engineering. Today, Jonathan, works in various areas of the electrical trade, including installing photovoltaic (PV) systems, a growing industry in El Salvador. May, a mother of six and food vendor in the Philippines, wanted to secure a better livelihood for her family. With encouragement from local Unbound staff and a scholarship, she returned to secondary school to complete 12th grade. She enrolled in college and prepared to earn a Bachelor of Science in information technology. She is proud to be a positive example to her children, showing that education is important at any age. Nancy, the middle of five siblings, was in her final year of high school in Guatemala and determined to become the first in her family to attend college. She believes that without support from Unbound's scholarship program, continuing her education wouldn't have been possible. As a scholarship student, she gained leadership skills through workshops and community service. Nancy volunteered with fellow scholars to keep their community clean by collecting and recycling trash, all experiences that taught her the value of giving back. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 15b PROCESS TO ESTABLISH COMPENSATION OF OTHER OFFICERS AND KEY EMPLOYEES | THE COMPENSATION FOR THE OTHER OFFICERS (TREASURER AND SECRETARY), AS WELL AS ALL OTHER EMPLOYEES, IS DETERMINED THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS INVOLVING HR-LED TALENT REVIEWS AND EMPLOYEE'S DIRECT MANAGEMENT TEAM. THESE DECISIONS FOLLOW UNBOUND'S ESTABLISHED COMPENSATION FRAMEWORK AND PLANNING GUIDELINES. ALL COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS ARE PLANNED, APPROVED, AND DOCUMENTED WITHIN THE ADP WORKFORCE NOW COMPENSATION MODULE. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b Review of form 990 by governing body | AN INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTING FIRM PREPARES THE 990. THE 990 IS THEN REVIEWED BY THE ORGANIZATION'S PRESIDENT/CEO AND FINANCE PERSONNEL. ANY QUESTIONS AND/OR CONCERNS THE ORGANIZATION'S PRESIDENT/CEO AND FINANCE PERSONNEL HAVE ARE ADDRESSED AND ALL NECESSARY CORRECTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS 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. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c Conflict of interest policy | 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 THE PRESIDENT & CEO, PEOPLE EXPERIENCE TEAM, OR CONFIDENTIALLY THROUGH UNBOUND'S INDEPENDENT REPORTING SERVICE. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a Process to establish compensation of top management official | The compensation for the President/CEO was reviewed and determined at the July 2025 meeting of the Board of Directors. Prior to the discussion, the President/CEO and non-voting members of the Board excused themselves from the meeting. Before the meeting, the Vice President of People Experience provided the voting directors with relevant compensation data to support their determination. Using Comp Analyst, an independent compensation subscription platform, the Board reviewed market data for comparable positions. The Board also considered other factors such as compensation of executives at similar sponsorship organizations, as well as the President/CEO's performance evaluation. Following the review, the voting directors approved the annual salary for the President/CEO. Documentation supporting the Board's decision was retained by the People Experience department. At the October 2025 Board of Directors meeting, the Board determined that the timing of the President/CEO compensation review would be changed from July to January beginning in 2026. This adjustment aligns the President/CEO compensation review with the organization-wide annual compensation review cycle. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 19 Required documents available to the public | 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. |
| Form 990, Part XI, Line 9 Other changes in net assets or fund balances | CHANGE IN UNINSURED ANNUITY OBLIGATIONS - -64667; UNREALIZED GAIN/LOSS ON FOREIGN CURRENCY - 6171; Total - -58496; |
| Software ID: | 25022866 |
| Software Version: | 2025v4.2 |