CHRISTEL HOUSE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Giving kids that need the most help the best chance.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Christel House is a holistic model that helps impoverished children transform their lives and break the cycle of poverty. Christel House focuses on "the whole child," providing robust K -12 education, character development, health care and nutrition, family assistance, career guidance and job placement. Our students receive care and support for up to 18 years.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Academic Programs
Education has always been the pathway to a better life. Academic achievement and character development are central to the Christel House model.
We provide an emphasis on excellence.
High expectations of students and teachers.
Focus on English language fluency.
Longer school day and year.
Technology, arts, sports and culture.
Items provided to all students: Textbooks, transportation, school supplies, uniforms, nutrition.
Health and Nutrition
Students receive two nutritious meals and a snack daily, regular medical and dental care, and when needed, counseling from social workers and mental health professionals.
Community Outreach
Students return to their families and communities each night. Christel House offers a variety of workshops on topics, including: family planning, parenting skills, conflict resolution, substance abuse, nutrition and hygiene to improve the lives of parents and community members.
Character Development
Character development is a key part of the Christel House model.
Core values of Respect, Responsibility, Independence and Integrity are woven into daily lesson plans. In addition, service learning and social responsibility are part of the character program.
College & Careers
To ensure success, Christel House College & Careers program begins career planning in grade school, offering career models.
We provide guidance on post-secondary studies.
Graduates work, study or do both.
Assistance continues up to five years after high school graduation.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of unique website visitors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth, People of African descent, People of Asian descent
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Will be reinstating Google Ad Words in 2019
Rate of student attendance during the reporting period
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Social and economic status
Related Program
Academic Programs
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Average daily attendance rate of students K-12.
Number of new donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
New Annual Fund donors. Excludes Timeshare payroll deduction and Events (Christel House Open, Art Show, Passport to Prosperity and Virtual Walk)
Number of donors retained
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This is Annual Fund donors only. Excludes timeshare payroll deduction and Events (Christel House Open, Art Show, Passport to Prosperity and Virtual Walk)
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Christel House transforms the lives of impoverished children around the world — breaking the cycle of poverty and building self-sufficient, contributing members of society.
Children don't choose to live in poverty. Most grow up never realizing their human potential. Instead they face physical and psychological trauma - hunger, malnutrition, disease, low self-esteem and lack of opportunity. Christel House offers a pathway for students away from multi-generational poverty and creates self- sufficient, productive citizens of the world who give back to their communities. Christel House has learning centers around the world - two in India, one in Jamaica, one in Mexico, one in South Africa and three charter schools in Indianapolis.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Christel House addresses the root causes of poverty through a holistic human development model. Christel House focuses on the "whole child," providing robust K-12 education, character development, health care and nutrition, family assistance, career guidance and job placement.
Christel House almost becomes a child’s surrogate parent through its long-term approach, comprehensive services and College & Careers program. For 18 years – from early childhood through high school, college and into launching a career – we support and nurture each child’s potential. Character development is just as important as academic learning. Our College & Careers program guides our graduates through post-secondary studies, vocational/or job certifications or into the workforce. Christel House operates with rigorous business principles, clearly defined goals and metrics to measure our success. We are committed to high degrees of accountability and transparency at every level of the organization.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
High measures of accountability, complete transparency and rigorous business practices define Christel House as a charity.
100% of all donations directly benefit the children of Christel House. Overhead and fundraising costs are provided by the organization's Founder. Christel DeHaan has generously supported Christel House financially and is bequeathing most of her assets to fund its general, administrative and fundraising expenses far into the future. This structure leverages her resources most effectively and enables expansion. A growing number of corporate, foundation and individual donors in the United States and globally support Christel House as well.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Christel House currently has nine learning centers around the world. Two in India (Bangalore and Atal Nagar), one in Mexico City, Mexico, one in Cape Town, South Africa, and four public charter schools in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA). Our newest school, Christel House Jamaica opened in the Fall of 2020. Nearly 6,000 students are being served (including College & Careers graduates).
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
CHRISTEL HOUSE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Board of directorsas of 01/20/2023
Steve Ross
Retired CEO of Edcon (Republic of South Africa)
Term: 2021 -
Nancy Gillespie
Retired Human Development Economist, World Bank
Martha D Lamkin
Retired President and CEO, Lumina Foundation for Education, Inc.
Dennert O Ware
CeloNova BioSciences, Inc.
Cheryl Wendling
Emeritus
Donald E Knebel
Barnes & Thornburg LLP - Emeritus
Guido Neels
Operating Partner, EW Healthcare Partners
Gail Shiel Mahoney
Principal, Shiel Design Company
Matthew Will
Director of External Relations and Associate Professor of Finance, University of Indianapolis
Gordon S. Gurnik
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Hilton Grand Vacations
Don Harrill
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Orange Lake Resorts Florida
Judy Kleiner
Former Senior Vice President, KBC Financial Products
Lucas Montarce
Vice President and CFO of Lilly's International Business Unit, Eli Lilly and Company
Bart Peterson
President and CEO, Christel House
Stephen Ross
Board Chair, Christel House International; Retired CEO of Edcon (Republic of South Africa)
Olivier Chavy
President, Travel + Leisure Club and Panorama
Dennert O. Ware
Retired Executive Chairman of the Board, CeloNova BioSciences, Inc.
Rebecca Rich
Chief of Staff to the CEO of Teach for All
Awais Sufi
Chief Executive Officer of SchoolSmartKC
Matthew B. Murphy
Founder, Emboss Partners
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data