Mission
Blessman International, their donors and volunteers focus on offering South African children and young adults God’s love and eternal hope through faith formation and programs to: • feed hungry people, • foster food-secure communities, • and offer dignity through provision of basic water and sanitation needs. Vision - Within the next ten years, every child in Limpopo, South Africa, will have access to food, water and sanitation, and hope through Jesus Christ.
Ruling year
2002
CEO
Dr. James Blessman
Main address
2557 106th St
Urbandale, IA 50322 USA
Formerly known as
Blessman Ministries
EIN
42-1523757
NTEE code
Food Service, Free Food Distribution Programs (K30)
Christian (X20)
Economic Development (S30)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Feeding Program
60,000 children are fed weekly through a network of feeding centers
Del Cramer Child Development Center
Empowering the future leaders of South Africa through education and fostering relationships with Christ that goes far beyond their physical needs to break the cycle of hopelessness and poverty. Over 150 children are fed a hot meal daily and are provided with computer and life skills training in this after school program
Church Planting
Blessman International staffs and funds two local churches - Lighthouse Church and Hope Christian Church. These churches are providing ministry to children and adults.
Water and Sanitation Projects
Blessman International drills water wells and builds safe, sanitary toilet facilities for school and for rural communities. Each well or block of four toilets costs $15,000.
Lethabo Sewing and Training Center
Lethabo Sewing and Training Center focuses on job creating for women employing four local women and providing them the opportunity to earn a fair wage, learn new skills, and express themselves creatively. Products are marketed and sold locally in South Africa and online in the U.S. In addition, the center produces school uniforms for children who cannot afford them.
Bakery and Del Cramer Child Development Center
The bakery provides employment to local women and provides bread for children being fed in our Del Cramer Children's Campus after school program.
Mountain View Training and Research Farm
Farming operation that provides fresh vegetables to our feeding programs and jobs for local men. This campus is being prepared to house local students and adults for farm training in vegetable, chicken, and tilapia farming.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of meals served or provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, People of African descent, At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Feeding Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of people reached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of water projects built
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of communities provided clean water
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of people with improved water access
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of youth programs offered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of hygiene kits distributed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of youth mentored
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of children served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients who complete job skills training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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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
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BLESSMAN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Board of directorsas of 02/03/2023
Dr. James Blessman
Blessman International, Inc.
Term: 2002 - 2023
Glenn DeStigter
Retired, CEO The Weitz Company
Term: 2022 - 2024
Carole Beth Blessman
Blessman International, Inc.
Jeff Ostrander
Reach Church
Forrest Ridgeway III
Bike World
Barb Halverson
E.T. Video
Richard Mathson
Raccoon Valley Partners McDonalds
Jim Blessman
Blessman International, Inc.
Scott Blessman
Albaugh, LLC
Glenn DeStigter
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
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 ? No -
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? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
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
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
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