Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Millions of people who live in the toughest places don't know Jesus. They suffer from hunger and malnutrition. The lack of clean water and poor sanitation spread disease. Impoverished or displaced people lack basic necessities such as shelter and clothing. Disaster, war, and famine magnify their problems.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Clean Water
Shortages of safe, clean water and lack of sanitation and hygiene programs create the most significant source of suffering on earth. Unto works with community leadership in areas of need to develop and carry out clean water and sanitation projects.
As the humanitarian ministry of Cru, Unto has leveraged strategic global partnerships to relieve suffering through our Clean Water Program:
- For more than 25 years
- In more than 75 countries
- With access to Cru’s 190-country network
Partnerships with people like you make it possible for Unto to provide humanitarian assistance and coaching to our Cru national partners, giving them access to people who might otherwise be unreachable.
In many cases humanitarian aid is the main reason authorities allow ministry to continue in some of the toughest places on earth.
Food and Agriculture
Around the globe, hunger and malnutrition claim lives and cripple communities. Unto works with local partners to deliver meals and supplies to communities that need food most.
As the humanitarian ministry of Cru, Unto has leveraged strategic global partnerships to relieve suffering through our Food and Agriculture Program:
- For more than 25 years
- In more than 75 countries
- With access to Cru’s 190-country network
Partnerships with people like you make it possible for Unto to provide humanitarian assistance and coaching to our Cru national partners, giving them access to people who might otherwise be unreachable.
In many cases humanitarian aid is the main reason authorities allow ministry to continue in some of the toughest places on earth.
Critical Aid
Impoverished or displaced people need basic care to help them build a better future. Unto and our partners throughout the developing world provide necessary supplies including health-related items, blankets, clothing, shoes, and tarps for temporary shelter.
As the humanitarian ministry of Cru®, Unto has leveraged strategic global partnerships to relieve suffering through our Critical Aid Program:
- For nearly 30 years
- In more than 75 countries
- With access to Cru’s 190-country network
Partnerships with people like you make it possible for Unto to provide humanitarian assistance and coaching to our Cru national partners, giving them access to people who might otherwise be unreachable.
In many cases humanitarian aid is the main reason authorities allow ministry to continue in some of the toughest places on earth.
Where we work
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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of active missionaries
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Extremely poor people, Homeless people, Immigrants, Internally displaced people, Refugees and displaced people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
"Missionaries" in this context relates to the number of Unto missionary staff members, including the President and CEO, who raise funding to cover the costs of their salary and other expenses.
Number of water projects built
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Extremely poor people, Homeless people, Immigrants, Refugees and displaced people, Internally displaced people
Related Program
Clean Water
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number of water projects (new wells and well repairs) was lower in 2020 due to COVID.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn 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?
Our mission is to express the kindness of Jesus in the toughest places on earth by relieving suffering, restoring dignity, and revealing hope.
We accomplish our mission, in partnership with international Cru ministries, through Food and Agriculture, Clean Water, and Critical Aid Programs. Our partners at Cru work in more than 190 countries around the world.
To help enhance Cru's mission, our five-year vision goals (ending in August 2023) are to serve people simultaneously in 50 countries in the toughest places and to be the preferred humanitarian partner for Cru ministries in the United states while being able to respond to select crises as they arise.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Four strategic focus areas have been identified within the five-year strategic plan. Each area has key performance indicators.
The areas are: move prayer to be central to who we are; Implement Building Powerful Ministry Teams training across Unto; address unresolved conflicts; and equip staff to succeed. This detailed plan is available for review if anyone is interested in doing so.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
A SWOT analysis in April 2020 shows the following strengths:
- A strategic plan and risk management and financial controls are in place.
- We have the complete support of Cru, the largest parachurch organization in the world; serving in 191+ countries.
- 85% of staff, including the CEO, are missionary staff and secure their own sponsors for salary which reduces overhead and program cost.
- Solid branding and strong messaging that inspires people to become engaged with the ministry.
- Growing donor base across all value streams.
- Field teams are nationals in countries where we serve who are vetted and trusted indigenous Cru staff and like-minded partners.
- Well established volunteer network that engages approximately 20,000 volunteers across the United States annually.
- Strong institutional bent toward partnership with other organizations.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In February 2020 the ministry changed its name from Global Aid Network (GAiN) to Unto. This name change was supported by a year and a half of market study and implementation. The transition was successful and staff and donors are adopting and adapting well.
The most recent version of the ministry's annual report is available on the website at unto.com/about/financial-accountability/
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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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
The humanitarian programs at Unto are crucial to the strategy of equipping Cru partners as they seek to express the kindness of Jesus in tangible ways to people they serve. For nearly 30 years, Unto has leveraged strategic global partnerships and the service of dedicated volunteers to relieve suffering in more than 75 countries to express the Great Commandment and advance the Great Commission through humanitarian kindness. By enhancing the ministry of international Cru partners with humanitarian assistance and coaching, Unto helps provide them with access to people groups who might otherwise be unreachable. We also help our partners build credibility in the eyes of governments and authorities. In many cases humanitarian aid is the main reason ministry is allowed to continue.
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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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What significant change resulted from feedback?
Each year Unto Field strategists visit our Cru partners to determine the humanitarian needs for their area that will enhance the ministry strategy for that area. Based on the ministry strategy, Unto will provide coaching and resources customized for each community. The annual plan for each community dynamically changes based on successes, failures, and ongoing needs assessments. It is worth noting the the needs regularly outpace the money available to meet those needs. If more money were available, more needs could be met.
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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
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
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
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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
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Unto, Inc
Board of directorsas of 03/14/2022
Mark Gauthier
Cru
Term: 2019 -
Al Goff
Unto
Doug Briley
Warren Douglas Advertising
Charles Chappell
The Hershey Company
Dr. Jennifer Culver
MD
Darryl Lamar Smith
Cru
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? No -
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? 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
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data