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25-775: The Dole Nutrition Institute offers self-produced health and nutrition segments. In 2008, the Web Marketing Association (WMA) awarded Dole Nutrition News (DNN) their International Advertising Competition Award for Outstanding Achievement in Internet Advertising - Best Food Industry On-line Newsletter Award. The Corporate Wellness Toolkit teaches businesses how to promote healthy eating and exercise. The kit includes signage, newsletters, videos, and instructional materials which encourage businesses to provide weight loss seminars, trainers, and healthier foods for their employees. The School Salad Days program

50-670: A Care Package is now called a "Food Pak", CHF's relationship-building tool, used to minister to children and families. In 2004, CHF began a partnership with Africa Renewal Ministries in Uganda, to form the first Mercy Network. A Mercy Network is a collection of like-minded churches that are pursuing gospel-centered Relational Mercy Ministry. CHF began resourcing churches in Uganda with Food Paks, and financial support to build homes for Bethany Village orphanage. Two years later, CHF expanded its reach by opening its second distribution center, located just outside of Chicago, Illinois. In its first year,

75-427: A calling to reach a lost world for Christ . ECFA members are located across the U.S. and U.S. territories and range from the very large national ministries to smaller local ministries and churches." Members are required to annually submit a renewal document which includes the recent copy of the audited financial statement (some smaller organizations are allowed to send in reviewed or compiled statements) and answers to

100-471: A goal to impact their communities with the gospel. To date, more than 1,100 churches have been trained by CHF through RME, resulting in a total of 46 Mercy Networks across five continents. Since its inception in 1991, CHF has placed a priority on efficiency, transparency and financial accountability, consistently ranking at the top of America’s most cost-effective charities. 97% of every donation to CHF goes to support programs that serve suffering children. CHF

125-466: A number of questions related to the membership standards. As an accrediting organization, ECFA provides a seal of approval to those members who adhere to Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship(TM) (Standard 7 is divided into five sub-standards). Voluntary resignations, mergers, and dissolutions are frequent reasons for terminations. However, ECFA's list of former members also includes terminations for failure to provide information or fully comply with

150-451: Is CHF's largest annual volunteer event. Each year, thousands of volunteers gather to wrap toys donated by corporate manufacturers or retailers, which are later distributed to children through local churches and organizations. The Children’s Champion Award exists to recognize those who have used their positions of influence in government, business, public life, and charity to ensure that children—children they may never meet—receive hope against

175-704: Is a Christian non-profit organization that resources and empowers local churches in the United States and around the world to meet the needs of their impoverished community members. CHF's mission is to "deliver hope to suffering children by equipping local churches for gospel-centered mercy ministry". CHF's ministry approach to families and support of local churches is summed up in the acronym F.A.C.E.: F eed, A id, C onnect, and E quip. By providing food and aid to domestic and international churches, CHF connects them to families in their community. CHF equips these churches through training and education. CHF developed

200-501: Is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and receives a 5 out of 5 Star Financial Efficiency Rating from Ministry Watch . CHF has repeatedly received a 4-star rating through Charity Navigator , their highest valuation possible. A Mercy Network is a collection of like-minded churches that are pursuing gospel-centered, relational mercy ministry. CHF's international Mercy Networks are formed with

225-484: Is no denying that this threat of government action was one of the stimuli" for the founding of the ECFA. ECFA was founded with the establishment of seven standards of accountability that covered board governance, the requirement for audited financial statements, the requirement for public disclosure of the audited financial statements, the avoidance of conflicts of interest, and standards regarding fundraising activities. It

250-677: The Children's Hunger Fund (CHF), an international non-profit organization. CHF is now including these materials in their Food Paks, 20 lb. boxes of staple foods, which are delivered to the homes of needy families. The donation included DNI's "Health & Wellness" brochure series and "What You Need to Eat Every Day & Why" in English and Spanish. For the children, "Dole's 5-A-Day the Color Way" coloring books and bookmarks help kids focus on their own nutrition and to make good food choices in

275-470: The Care Package program in 1998. For the first time, food was packed into cardboard boxes designed to assist a family in need. CHF’s desire was to encourage a more relational approach to helping the poor. Volunteers were trained to take the food to struggling families, visiting them in their own home, and establishing an ongoing, caring relationship through repeated home deliveries. What was then known as

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300-780: The Food Pak program as a method of delivering food into the homes of families in need. Food Paks, which can hold up to 20 pounds of non-perishable food and feed a family of four for up to a week, are packaged and prepared by volunteers in CHF distribution centers. Food Paks are later picked up by local churches, or shipped to international churches via sea containers. When the churches receive these boxes of food, they deliver them to families in their community. CHF calls this method of distribution Relational Mercy Ministry. As of 2013, CHF had distributed more than $ 1 billion in aid to children and families in need. Dave Phillips, founder and president, began

325-751: The Midwest region trained 64 churches and agencies for Relational Mercy Ministry in their communities. However, this office was closed in July 2018. CHF's Southwest region was started in 2009 with the addition of a San Antonio distribution center, and expanded in 2016 by opening a Dallas distribution center. In 2013, CHF launched Rethink Mercy Equipping (RME)—these workshops train churches to reach out to their communities through Relational Mercy Ministry. Once trained, churches receive resources, such as Food Paks, and join like-minded churches in Mercy Networks, with

350-593: The collective annual revenue of ECFA member organizations is reported to be nearly $ 34 billion. The organization has, since its inception, been based in the Washington, D.C. area with offices presently in Winchester, Virginia . In 1977, Senator Mark Hatfield , who since 1973 had been a member of the board of World Vision , told evangelicals that they needed to formalize some means for financial accountability or government legislation would be required. At

375-846: The future. In 2012 at the Natural Products ExpoWest convention in California, the Dole Nutrition Institute was awarded the NutrAward for its product entry as the Best New Finished Product – a portobello mushroom powder containing 20,000 IU of vitamin D2 per gram. The product was marketed to provide a simple vegan dietary solution to meeting vitamin D deficiency . Children%27s Hunger Fund Children's Hunger Fund ( CHF )

400-547: The help of a central NGO which acts as the hub for churches in the area. Children's Hunger Fund Mercy Networks exist in 24 countries as of 2016: CHF accepts volunteers from churches, community groups, and schools into distribution centers in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, and Dallas. Volunteers pack Food Paks on an assembly line, as well as bag bulk food, wrap toys, and sort donated product. CHF has an average of over 24,000 volunteer visits annually. America's Toy Wrap

425-484: The ministry community concerning a series of legislative proposals prepared by his staff. ECFA formed the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations to assist in this process. The Commission included a variety of religious representatives, including Judaism and Islam. In addition to the religious panel, there was also a legal panel, and a non-profit panel. In April 2011, ECFA named members to

450-687: The ministry in 1991, working out of his garage with only one employee. They served eight churches composed of 200–300 families. In response to the 1992 Los Angeles riots , CHF increased its food distribution program in South Central Los Angeles. When the 1994 Northridge earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asked Children's Hunger Fund to participate in relief efforts. CHF launched

475-523: The odds. 2011 2010 2009 2006 Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability ( ECFA ) is an American financial standards association representing Evangelical Christian organizations and churches, which qualify for tax-exempt , nonprofit status and receive tax-deductible contributions. Founded in 1979, ECFA accredits over 2,700 member organizations which have demonstrated compliance with its financial standards. As of 2022 ,

500-567: The philanthropic and religious sector." The call for more regulation was also a reaction to public pressure caused by several media reports about scandals related to misuse of funds in charities. In 1979, the ECFA was founded by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the US branch of World Vision ( World Vision International is not a member of ECFA). World Vision's president Stan Mooneyham stated, "There

525-487: The same time, Texas Congressman Charles Wilson had drafted a bill that would have required ministries to disclose "at the point of solicitation." A group of representatives from more than thirty evangelical groups met in December of that year to formulate a plan. At that meeting, Hatfield's chief legislative assistant told them that "a voluntary disclosure program" would "preclude the necessity of federal intervention into

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550-457: The standards would be accredited and granted a seal of approval. The ECFA members are organized charities in the US, typically 501(c)3 Evangelical nonprofits and churches. Members range "from evangelism in foreign jungles to race car driver evangelism, from ministry to the elderly, children, the impaired, to those in the military, those on the streets, and to many in between. All members are fulfilling

575-601: The standards. A notable former member is Gospel For Asia (one of EFCA's charter members), whose membership was terminated in October 2015 after allegations of donation misuse. In a 2004 survey, ECFA was seen by respondents as an effective accreditation program that provided assurance of financial propriety for its members. In January 2011, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee , asked ECFA to facilitate responses from

600-415: Was believed that the proposed standards of accountability generally exceeded the requirements of law. Charities that met those standards and paid the membership fee were granted a seal of approval. Membership fees were based on donated income. Evangelical charities could apply for accreditation and were required to submit information that would be reviewed and evaluated against those standards. Those meeting

625-535: Was designed to encourage healthy eating habits and promote daily fruit and vegetable consumption in California public schools. The pilot program was launched in 2006 with the donation of fifty full-service portable salad bars to public schools in California. DNI gave these schools nutrition information, worked with schools to develop fruit baskets to be sold as fund-raising alternatives, and helped schools plant on-site "edible gardens". In 2007, Dole Nutrition Institute donated nearly 250,000 nutrition-focused publications to

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