GOLD2023

Mustard Seed Communities Inc

Caring for the Most Vulnerable

Medfield, MA   |  www.mustardseed.com

Mission

Mustard Seed Communities (MSC) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for the most vulnerable populations throughout the developing world. MSC began in 1978 as a home for a handful of children with disabilities abandoned to the streets of Jamaica. Today, MSC provides loving, lifelong care to over 600 children and adults with disabilities, children affected by HIV/AIDS, and young mothers in crisis across Jamaica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. MSC manages sustainable agriculture initiatives and provides education, nutrition, and skills training programs to improve the economic, social, and spiritual conditions within marginalized communities. MSC is a faith-based organization inspired by the healing and caring ministry of Jesus Christ.

Ruling year info

1986

Executive Director

Betsy Fountain

Main address

29 Janes Ave

Medfield, MA 02052 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

58-1657207

NTEE code info

Developmentally Disabled Services/Centers (P82)

Christian (X20)

Youth Development Programs (O50)

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

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Inspired by the healing and caring Ministry of Jesus Christ, we aim through the positive interaction of caring, sharing and training, to uplift the most vulnerable members of society, especially disabled and abandoned children, and marginalized communities. There are very few, if any, resources in the developing world to provide adequate care for children and adults with disabilities. This is particularly true in marginalized communities. Mustard Seed Communities provides residential care for abandoned children and adults with disabilities who have nowhere else to go and no one to care for them. In addition, Mustard Seed provides jobs for individuals living in marginalized communities, giving them access to employment, skills training and hope for the future.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Caring for Children with Disabilities

Mustard Seed Communities has focused on abandoned children with disabilities primarily because these children are among the most vulnerable and defenseless in any society. Since 1978, MSC has provided care and shelter for children living with varying degrees of disabilities.

Children with disabilities are routinely abandoned in the countries where Mustard Seed Communities operates.
The children of MSC have disabilities that include cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, epilepsy, blindness, developmental delays, scoliosis, microcephaly, and progeria. Our objective is to provide these children with a safe and healthy place to live where they receive care and therapy. MSC’s core purpose is to advance the well being of children with disabilities.

Therapy is a key component of caring for children with disabilities.

Our children with physical disabilities are assessed individually. MSC staff then devises a personal care plan with specific goals for each resident. A minimum of one half hour each day is spent in direct one-on-one contact with every resident. The rest of their time is spent on more passive activities such as correct positioning that does not require constant supervision.

Activities in the therapy department include Passive Range of Motion, Active Assisted Range of Motion and Active Range of Motion Exercises, stretching, massages, self-feeding, tactile stimulation, positioning, vestibular stimulation, assisted ambulation, cognitive therapy, coordination, and multisensory stimulation.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

MSC strives to ensure that no person is ever abandoned twice. In Jamaica, there are no facilities - governmental or otherwise - available to take care of individuals with mental and physical disabilities after the age of 18. The vision for Jacob’s Ladder is to fill this void by providing 400 adults with mental and physical disabilities with a home where they can live in a safe and nurturing environment. Our apostolates that house adult residents aim to provide a place where they can learn skills and apply them directly in their daily lives. Our caregivers work with the residents and help them develop a sense of responsibility and dignity.

Population(s) Served
People with physical disabilities
People with intellectual disabilities

Where we work

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Mustard Seed Communities focuses on caring for abandoned children and adults with disabilities and those who suffer from HIV/AIDS because they are the most defenseless in any community. The objective is to provide a safe and healthy place to live where they receive lifelong care and proper access to medical treatment and therapy. MSC’s purpose is to advance the spiritual, developmental, and physical well-being of these children and adults.

MSC builds homes to accommodate children with disabilities and ensures that they will have a home for life. Mustard Seed continues to maintain and improve the health and well-being of the children and adults in our care and ensures that they receive the best therapies and education available to meet their changing needs.

Training is a critical strategic initiative of the organization. MSC staff members continually train in various therapies and caregiving techniques such as positioning, wheelchair seating and repairs, feeding techniques, prescription drugs and their contraindications, and behavioral modification through partnerships with volunteer professionals. Long distance training is conducted for caregivers in basic nursing care.

MSC regularly assesses the long-term needs of all residents through the Caring Resource Committee, a permanent committee which reviews every aspect of a resident’s well being and ensures that each resident is placed in a home that provides access to the services they require and where their peers encourage growth and development.

Mustard Seed’s model of care started in Jamaica and has been replicated in four other developing countries. MSC has expertise in providing homes and care that meet our residents needs and hiring and training caregivers that enable them to meet their full potential. More than 1,400 mission volunteers per year train caregivers, provide therapeutic intervention, complete work projects to improve the physical infrastructure of facilities, and develop friendships with residents, expanding the resident’s view of the world.

MSC began in 1978 as a home for children with disabilities on the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica, providing and has expanded to Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. More than 600 residents worldwide are living in a loving and caring environment that aids in their physical, mental, and spiritual development. There are plans to build new homes in the Caribbean and Africa to meet the need of providing homes for additional children with disabilities who have been abandoned.

Financials

Mustard Seed Communities Inc
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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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

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Mustard Seed Communities Inc

Board of directors
as of 01/23/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Terry Newton

Jack Griffin

Daphne Mahoney

Anne Kelly

Gregory Ramkissoon

Traug Keller

William Ballaine

Glenn Creamer

Garvin Augustine

Patrick Polking

Totlyn Mason

James Dressman

Joseph Corbett

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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? No
  • 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? No
  • 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

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 8/30/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

No data

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

No data

 

No data

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data