Donors and Public 2015 Phil 3:14 Press toward the goal
Table of Contents Executive Summary Corporation Facts Board of Directors Vision & Missions Past Year s Accomplishments Programs Results Financials Report 2
Executive Summary To our Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, donors, and partners: The normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba has opened vast possibilities for transformation and give us the opportunity to further our efforts of implementing our programs to continue helping the suffering church of Cuba. For instance, the normalization process is favoring changes in religious freedoms and allowing the importing of new religious materials. The church of Cuba can play a vital role in this historical transition. Now more than ever we need to support the Cuban church in building a solid foundation for lasting positive change on the local, institutional and systematic level. The church in Cuba faces the challenge to emerge as one new, independent, holy, and passionate church for Jesus Christ. People will need their faith, families, and church communities to sustain them as they learn to participate fully in building a healthier, more equitable society. This is a new day for the church in Cuba. With The Solomon Program we want to come along side God and help the Cuban church to spread the gospel through the effective use of state-of-the-art technology and educational material I want to again thank you for expressing your love and concern through your faithful support of all our programs. Because of you, we are able to offer thousands of lost and hurting people in Cuba with what they desperately need: the love of Jesus. Grace, peace, and love be yours in abundance, Dr. Teo A. Babun, Jr. Chairman 3
Corporation Facts The following is the official registered information for the corporation: Mailing Address: P.O. Box 546135, Surfside, Florida 33154 Office & Warehouse: 7400 NW 7th Street, Suite 101, Miami, Florida 33126 Telephone 305-884-0441 Fax 305-260-4214 www.echocuba.org EIN 650510432 Founded 1994, Incorporated 1995 Fiscal Year ends December 31 DUNS 619076099 Wire Transfer Instruction Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. San Francisco, California Account.# 2681653875 ABA# 063107513 4
Board of Directors The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, which consists of eleven (9) Directors (there are candidates for the three open seats that will be filled in 2016). The Chairman is also the CEO or the organization and runs the daily operations of the organization. The Executive Committee consists of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Treasurer). Dr. Teo A. Babun, BG Consultants, Inc.; Chairman Frank W. (Skip) Allcorn IV, Coastal Construction Products; Vice-Chairman Danny Thomas, Harvest International; Treasurer Carlos C. Del Amo, Carlos Del Amo, P.A. Miguel T. Estevill, Christ Fellowship Missions Jose M. Garcia, President, Cargo Express International, Inc. John Babun, Sika Corporation Paul R. Williams, MD, International Healthcare Network Lourdes Garcia, Calvary Chapel Kendall Candidates for 2016 Francisco Saintero, FedEx Latin America Elizabeth Skjoldal, Ph.D., Baptist Health System Sandra Ripley Goodman, United Methodist Women Council Honorary Board Members Richard A. Dearolf, Director of Development for the University of South Florida. Rev. Dr. Marcos A. Ramos, Presidente, Centro para el Estudio-Religión de las Américas Roney J. Mateu, Principal, Mateu Architecture, Inc. Ashley McGuire, Catholic Journal Stephan N. Tchividjian, President of National Christian Foundation of South Florida Rev. Dr. Ken Smith, Senior Pastor of Princeton Presbyterian Church Cliff Deeds, FedEx Latin America (retired) 5
Vision & Missions Our Vision Be an organization of excellence in serving the vulnerable people in the Americas. EchoCuba Mission Equip and strengthen the independent Evangelical churches of Cuba through theological education and leadership training of their existing and future pastors and lay leaders. Calling and History 1994 EchoCuba is birthed through the partnership of a group of North American Evangelicals who felt a calling to help support the emerging independent Cuban Christian Church. 1999 Provided 20,000 pounds of dry milk packets to 4,000 children in eastern Cuba. 2008 Empowered and mobilized Cuban religious organizations and individuals to advocate for their right to practice religion freely by funding public concerts, movie showings, and by printing and distributing literature. 2012 EchoCuba changes focus to training and equipping Cuban pastors and lay leaders by providing biblical and theological resources to 400 pastors, and helps motivate them to become advocates of faith and community transformation for Christ. 2015 Partnered with Feed My Starving Children and evangelical denominations to deliver 1 million pre-packaged meals to vulnerable children, disabled individuals and elderly in Cuba and 3 million in El Salvador. 6
Past Year s Accomplishments Here are several of the great things that happened in 2015: 1. We distributed Papyrus Audio Bibles, laptop computers, and Wi-Fi equipment with worship music, Bible stories, the Jesus film, and 600 new Bibles in 12 cities in Cuba. 2. More than 40,000 persons received the Gospel for the first time using our technology and materials. Local pastor s estimate that last year 129,000 downloads of our Christian media files took place. Thank you Lord. 3. 5,000 pastors & lay leaders were trained and a minimum of 20 persons each day visited one of the 18 training stations (seminaries, house churches, and churches) that we have helped to prepare with modern evangelicalfriendly equipment. 4. Eight short-term teams traveled to Cuba throughout the year and reported a number of people coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ, as their Savior. 5. We partnered with Feed My Starving Children and local evangelical denominations to deliver 5 containers with more than one million pre-packaged meals to vulnerable children, disabled individuals and elderly throughout the country. Success Indicators 2015 Results 2016 Goals Pastors and leaders trained 5,000 7,000 Receiving the Gospel- first time (persons) 40,000 60,000 Laptops & e-tablets for teachers & pastors 80 120 Bibles & Christian publications distributed Food assistance aid provided (meals) 8,000 1,000,000 Cities impacted with Christian materials 12 20 Short-term mission teams 8 12 12,000 2,300,000 7
Advocacy Programs Freedom of Religion & Social Programs Indicator 2015 Results Cubans participating in outreach 4,500 film showings Small business programs created 80 Freedom of religion activities 40 Nativity sets provided to children 8,900 2015 Result Indicators Indicator 2015 Results Short-term mission trip s participants 743 Churches and ministries visited by 30 short-term missionaries People impacted through our mission 8,000+ programs U.S. organizations partnering with us 10 Impact Our program advocating freedom of assembly and religious expression has funded and facilitated the showing of films such as The Jesus Film, The Passion of Christ, and Chronicles of Narnia, held community meetings, and evangelized hundreds of people. More than 4,000 Cubans have participated in film showings and outdoor Christian concerts. Youth come together to celebrate their faith and use these events as a catalyst to bring many others to Christ. Our Explore International ministry specializes in partnering groups with an established or a new church throughout Cuba. We seek to provide unique opportunities for U.S. churches to learn about the growing but suffering Christian church in Cuba and to partner with them to help provide support to those who need it most. Short-term mission programs are tailored to provide a comprehensive understanding of the struggles, joys, dreams and daily lives of fellow Christians and pastors. Conditions are still challenging in Cuba. Churches have been pushing the limits on what the government will allow for years but it is still dangerous for students, religious teachers and leaders especially in rural areas to be outspoken Christians. There is still the ever-present threat of government suppression of freedom and rights. Christians are often considered counter-revolutionary and this means that they may be unemployable, denied access to housing and put under surveillance. Key Goals * Serve the persecuted church through practical and spiritual assistance while leading Christians in the free world into fellowship with them. * Provide opportunities for individuals and churches to learn about the situation of the church, and invite them to participate in solutions. * Create awareness that will empower people who are seeking freedoms and greater human rights. Success Story Nativity Sets to Children The Cuban Government granted permission to celebrate Christmas and decorate homes and churches, a simple tradition we in the free world take for granted. However, the government owns and operates all of the department stores, and they do not sell Christian items. Most children in Cuba have never even seen a nativity scene, a beautiful reminder of an essential Christian story. Our response was to partner with a small shop of Christians in Jerusalem to produce 10,000 mini-nativity sets which were delivered to children on Christmas day.
Development Programs Leadership & Education Indicator 2015 Results Pastors and leaders trained 5,000 Recorded number of persons 40,000 receiving the Gospel for the first time Laptops & e-tablets for teachers 80 and future pastors 2015 Result Indicators Indicator 2015 Results Cities impacted with Christian materials Bibles & Christian publications distributes Internet & Wi-Fi equipment for theological centers 12 8,000 11 Impact 2015 was our 20th year of conducting a development program which gives seminary students, new pastors, and lay leader s access to Christian educational resources that are difficult to obtain in Cuba s challenging environment. We call this effort our Solomon Program. Through the Solomon we aim to build a solid foundation to advance religious freedom and ethical action within and among church communities. We also connect Christians in the United States with the church in Cuba, knowing that cross-cultural humanitarian aid and exchange build effective learning relationships. The severe shortage of bibles, Christian literature, and significant educational materials in Cuba combined with government restrictions on religious practice, together with the exorbitant cost of internet services, and other social and economic constraints makes the mission of expanding the Kingdom of God extremely challenging. By defining these challenges and understanding the current needs of the church, the Solomon Project aims to help meet the church s need for useful technological, theological, and educational resources. Key Goals * Increase Christianity s impact in Cuba by forming leaders through theological education and leadership training. * Provide churches and theological seminaries with the resources necessary to facilitate training of student pastors, build leadership, and expand their knowledge of God. * Facilitate training of Success Story: untrained pastors and leaders by providing state-of-the art Emerging Seminaries Graduate New Pastors resources such as computers and e-tablets in the most The seminaries that we work with vet the students effective way. before providing them with the important resources. The laptops and e-tablets are delivered through trusted travelers who also provide initial training to the recipients. Subsequent training is provided by seminary professors. Seminarians are able to access a wide array of theological instructional video, audio, and written materials to support their ongoing education. Through our development programs we supply Christian educators and students with laptops, e-tablets, audio bibles, and portable, battery-powered electronic devices that support the sharing of the Gospel in an off-the-grid environment, all preloaded with pastoral software and Christian-based literature. These tools and materials enhance training programs for current and future clergy and help them deepen their understanding of the gospel and spread the good news across Cuba in more effective and creative ways.
Relief Programs Disaster Relief, Humanitarian Aid,& Resiliency Indicator 2015 Results Partner International NGOs 13 Port resiliency programs conducted 3 People trained and graduating in disaster resiliency & preparedness Countries we helped in the Central America and Caribbean Region 96 15 2015 Result Indicators Indicator 2015 Results Food assistance aid (containers) 17 Community meals served 201,600 Emergency kits provided to victims 712 Nutritional pre-packed meals (packages) 65,280 Impact In 2015 we partnered with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) to help meet the needs of Cubans stricken by poverty and as a vehicle to reach people outside the churches. We also partnered with USAID to help mitigate a food crisis in areas devastated by the crop losses caused by the coffee rust epidemic in El Salvador. The overall purpose of our Relief Programs, branded as Americas Relief Team initiative (ART), is to provide humanitarian logistics assistance to benefit disaster victims and reduce the suffering of the most vulnerable groups in the Americas, and to provide tools and resources needed to increase their preparedness and self-sufficiency. Americas Relief programs include Ocean Freight Reimbursement to NGO partners, Limited Excess Property assistance, responding to hurricane emergencies with partners such as US Southcom, partnering with USAID in its Food for Peace Program, conducting independent humanitarian relief programs, and partnering with FedEx Global Citizenship on an international airport preparedness program we call PReP. Our programs are mostly conducted in the Central America and Caribbean region with emphasis in El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. Success Story Responding to a Food Crisis in El Salvador Key Goals *Facilitate implementation of the Port Resiliency Program (PReP) for all of the international airports in the LAC region. *Participate in the Food for Peace (FFP) Programs to reach millions of people in the Americas with lifesaving food aid. *Create strategic agreements with key non-profit and corporate partners to accomplish the Americas Relief Team mission. Food insecurity is a major problem in El Salvador. The country faces an ongoing food deficit and remains one of the most vulnerable countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Three dimensions of food security contribute to the underlying poverty that causes food insecurity: food availability, food access, and food utilization. Severe poverty and rising food prices put food outside the reach of many, making food access one of the most endemic problems in El Salvador. Malnutrition is especially serious among children living in poverty, impacting their physical, mental, emotional, and social development. Last year we provided 12 containers of prepacked dry meal packages to help 1,230 pregnant and lactating women, 359 individuals with disabilities, 2,860 elderly, and 11,441 malnourished children.
Financial Report Statement of Activities Revenue by Donation Type Revenue & Expenses 2015 Government Grants 147,534 Foundations 481,529 Missions Travel 196,387 2% 18% 58% 22% In-Kind Grants Contributions Projects Corporations 6,000 Other 23,524 In-Kind Donations 242,243 Total Revenue 1,097,217 Expenses Management & Operations 186,956 Program Services 783,214 Fundraising 13,409 Total Expenses 983,579 44% Revenue by Sector Mission Travel 18% Government 13% Corporations Other Foundations 2% 1% Functional Expenses 19% 1% 80% Program Services Management & General Fundraising Mission Travel Licenses Provided 2015 274 $203,939 2014 468 $202,633
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION DECEMBER 31, 2015 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Grants receivable Inventory Prepaid expenses and other current assets Total Current Assets PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET OTHER ASSETS Deposit Total Other Assets Total Assets $ 65,005 13,000 9,147 11,858 99,010 4,205 2,850 2,850 $ 106,065 LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable Accrued expenses Total Current Liabilities NET ASSETS - UNRESTRICTED Unrestricted Temporarily restricted Total Net Assets Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 2,204 3,008 5,212 17,521 83,332 100,853 $ 106,065
'-" STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015 Temporarily Unrestricted Restricted Total REVENUES Contributions $ 538,476 $ 110,000 $ 648,476 Grants 204,529-648,476 204,529 In-kind donations 242,243-242,243 Other 1,969-1,969 Net assets released from restriction 26,668 (26,668) - Total Revenues 1,013,885 83,332 1,097,217 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES Program services. 783,214 783,214 Management and general. 186,956 186,956 Fundraising 13,409-13,409 Total Functional Expenses 983,579-983,579 CHANGES IN NET ASSETS 30,306 83,332 113,638 NET ASSETS, BEGINNING OF YEAR (12,785) - - NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR $ 17,521 $ 83,332 $ 113,638
SCHEDULE OF FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015 PROGRAM SERVICES SUPPORTING SERVICES Government Private Program Total Program Management Total Functional Program Services Services Services and General Fundraising Expenses Business development 186 $ 681 $ 867 $ 4,967 $ $ 5,834 $ Charitable contributions - 953 953 1,796-2,749 Conferences and training - 9,967 9,967 449-10,416 Depreciation - - - 4,322-4,322 Employee benefits 8,709 16,063 24,772 7,268 808 32,848 General 204 247 451 922-1,373 Marketing - 37 37 648-685 Office 3,517 9,251 12,768 39,843 4,427 57,038 Professional support 3,375 64,695 68,070 52,588-120,658 Program activities 114,085 419,571 533,656 - - 533,656 Rent and utilities 4,410-4,410 37,913 4,213 46,536 Salaries 35,655 70,628 106,283 35,645 3,961 145,889 Travel 6,672 14,308 20,980 595-21,575 Total Functional Expenses $ 176,813 $ 606,401 $ 783,214 $ 186,956 $ 13,409 $ 983,579 80% 19% 1.4% 100%