Friends Of Kenyan Orphans

What Friends Of Kenyan Orphans does

Friends of Kenyan Orphans (FOKO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by Bud and Sue Ozar and registered in Michigan, USA. The organization raises funds from individual donors, recurring sponsors, Catholic parishes, employer matching-gift programs, and a small roster of foundation partners (BVM Sisters, Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, Bennett Foundation, Chestnut Hill College) to support education, housing, healthcare, and life-skills training for orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya. Its flagship program funds St. Clare School for Girls in Meru, which currently houses more than 340 girls and has graduated over a dozen cohorts into higher education; FOKO also supports a portfolio of partner institutions including St. Philomena's Home, St. Lucy School for the Blind, Mt. Carmel School, St. Francis School, St. Charles Lwanga, and Ripples International.

The core "products" are giving programs rather than technology: a Child Sponsorship tier at $500 per year providing home, healthcare, education, and safe environment; a Higher Education Sponsorship at $1,200 per year covering tuition, food, housing, and fees for one post-secondary student; Planned Giving through a dedicated portal accepting bequests, stock, and life insurance; and Employer Matching Gifts. Donations are processed through a website portal (friendsofkenyanorphans.ddock.gives) and parish or group fundraisers. FOKO discloses that 90 cents of every donated dollar reaches programs in Kenya based on 2024 figures, backed by independent auditor reports and IRS Form 990 filings.

The organization operates with 1-10 staff (Operations Manager, Data Manager, Content Developer/Donor Relations Coordinator) alongside a Board of Directors of roughly 15 members with professional backgrounds spanning investment management, corporate finance, education, pharmaceutical compliance, digital media, and federal law enforcement. In 2024, FOKO reported 1,350+ students impacted across supported programs, 16 high school graduates entering higher education (up 23% year-over-year), and zero pregnancies or school dropouts due to early pregnancy at St. Clare. The organization does not operate any technology platform, proprietary software, or AI/ML capability; its competitive position rests on mission-driven brand, founder credibility, board expertise, and 16+ years of operating history in Kenya.

Name

Friends Of Kenyan Orphans

Legal name

Friends of Kenyan Orphans

Website

https://friendsofkenyanorphans.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of Kenyan Orphans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds education, housing, and healthcare for orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya, primarily through St. Clare School for Girls and a network of partner schools, supported by individual sponsors, recurring donations, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Humanitarian Aid / Child Sponsorship Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADALAC

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

SECONDARYEDAIAOAH

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

SECONDARYBPAGADAD

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGADAL

Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

Keywords

• Child sponsorship programs
• International humanitarian aid
• Nonprofit fundraising services
• Orphan care services
• Education sponsorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Grosse Pointe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Funding from individual donors who make one-time or recurring contributions to support orphaned children in Kenya.
2. Child Sponsorship Program: Annual commitment of $500 per year providing home, health care, education, and safe environment for a sponsored child.
3. Higher Education Sponsorship: Annual commitment of $1,200 for post-secondary education sponsorship covering tuition, food, housing, and essential fees for one student during a school year.
4. Foundation and Grant Funding: Contributions from granting organizations including BVM Sisters, Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, Bennett Foundation, and others.
5. Employer Matching Gifts: Corporate donation matching programs where employers match employee donations to amplify contributions.
6. Planned Giving: Estate planning vehicles including bequests in wills, gifts of stock, or life insurance policies for long-term organizational sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Friends of Kenyan Orphans (FOKO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds in the United States and channels them into programs that house, feed, educate, and provide medical care to orphaned children in Kenya. Its sellable "offerings" to donors are structured sponsorships — including a $500/year Child Sponsorship and a $1,200/year Higher Education Sponsorship — alongside general donations, employer matching gifts, and planned giving, all directed toward long-term, family-style care from early childhood through post-secondary education.

Product overview

Friends of Kenyan Orphans (FOKO) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that operates as a charitable foundation rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of giving programs centered around supporting orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya. Core programs include the Child Sponsorship Program (Support St. Clare) providing $500/year per child for home, healthcare, and education, and the Higher Education Sponsorship Program providing $1,200/year for post-secondary students. FOKO directly supports St. Clare School for Girls and partners with other vetted organizations including St. Philomena's Home (for children with AIDS), Ripples International (safe house and school), St. Lucy School for the Blind, and Mt. Carmel School. Additional giving options include Planned Giving for estate planning, Employer Matching Gifts, and general donations where approximately 90% of funds reach Kenya programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Sponsorship Program An annual $500 recurring sponsorship in which individual donors fund the housing, nutrition, education, and medical care of a named orphaned child in Kenya, with annual renewal available to maintain continuity of support. It is targeted at individual US donors and families — including via parish and school partnerships — who want a personal, ongoing relationship with a specific child.
• Higher Education Sponsorship Program A $1,200/year recurring sponsorship that funds college, university, or vocational training tuition and associated living costs for sponsored Kenyan students transitioning out of the child sponsorship program. Targeted at individual sponsors and institutional supporters seeking to fund a specific student's pathway through higher education.
• General Donation Program One-time and recurring unrestricted donations accepted through FOKO's website, supporting the nonprofit's overall program operations for orphaned children in Kenya. Targeted at individual US donors and community members who want to contribute without committing to a specific sponsorship level.
• Employer Matching Gift Program Procedural service and information resource that helps individual donors submit matching-gift requests through participating employers, effectively doubling the value of their personal contributions. Targeted at US-based employees of companies with matching-gift programs who already sponsor or donate to FOKO.
• Planned Giving / Legacy Gift Program Structured giving channel that allows donors to include FOKO in their estate plans, bequests, or other planned-giving vehicles, providing long-term financial support to the organization's programs. Targeted at US donors considering legacy or estate-level philanthropy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,350+ students impacted annually across all supported programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ripples InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2021FOKO's first project with Ripples International funded a lighting safety project installing ten solar-powered, motion-detecting floodlights. Ripples is a school and safe house for orphaned children near St. Clare, including New Start Center for abandoned babies/toddlers, Tumaini Center for child abuse victims, and primary school for 200+ students.
• Chestnut Hill CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Provided full academic scholarships to St. Clare graduates including Mercy Thuranira who pursued Accounting. Co-founders Bud and Sue Ozar received honorary doctorates from Chestnut Hill College in 2016. Mercy Thuranira was a charter member of the College's Libris Society.
• Days for GirlsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided sustainable menstrual health options to St. Clare girls including backpacks and hygiene items.
• Our Lady of GraceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school organization mentioned in context of FOKO's broader support network for orphaned children.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Relief Services: Official US Catholic overseas relief agency, working extensively in Kenya on education, health, and youth welfare. Shares FoKO's Catholic mission alignment and Kenya field presence but at a global institutional scale.
• Free The Children / WE Charity: International development and youth-empowerment organization with significant education and child-welfare programming in Kenya and East Africa. Comparable child-focused mission and school-construction model, though broader in scope and operating geographies.
• Compassion International: Largest US-headquartered child-sponsorship nonprofit, operating in 25+ countries including Kenya. Same child-sponsorship construct but vastly larger scale and broader program portfolio; useful benchmark for what FoKO's model could scale into.
• World Vision: Major international humanitarian organization with significant Kenya operations and a long-running child sponsorship program. Overlapping mission and donor demographic; serves as a scaled reference point for FoKO's child-and-education focus.
• Save the Children: Global NGO focused on children's rights, education, and welfare with extensive Kenya programming. Overlapping mission, but operates at global institutional scale rather than FoKO's community/sponsorship-driven niche.

Emerging players

• African Library Project: US-based nonprofit supporting education in African countries through school library construction and book drives, including in Kenya. Comparable fundraising model (US donor base supporting African education) and beneficiary overlap, though narrower scope (libraries vs. comprehensive care).

Direct peers

• Mary's Meals: International nonprofit providing school meals and education support to children in developing countries, with a presence in Kenya. Comparable mission (sustaining school attendance among vulnerable children) and recurring individual-donor revenue model.
• Orphans Africa: Small US-based nonprofit focused specifically on supporting orphaned children in East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda). Closely comparable geographic and beneficiary focus, and similar size profile to FoKO.
• Kenya Education Fund: Nonprofit specifically focused on funding secondary and higher education for orphaned and disadvantaged youth in Kenya. Closest direct peer by both geography (Kenya-only) and program structure (scholarship/sponsorship funding education).
• Children Incorporated: US-based nonprofit operating child sponsorship programs for orphaned and impoverished children in developing countries, including Kenya. Closely comparable operating model: recurring per-child sponsorship donations funding food, clothing, healthcare, and education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvYf-3R3Ltfb7rdzXBJamgg
• Facebookfacebook.com/friendsofkenyanorphans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-kenyan-orphans
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsofkenyanorphans

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friends Of Kenyan Orphans