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ORCHARD AFRICA
Gilbert, AZ · EIN 161731124 · Form 990 · FY2022 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · www.orchardafrica.org
revenue
$1.4M
expenses
$1.3M
net assets
$334K
employees
6
volunteers
180
program ratio
91%
mission · from form 990

Orchard: Africa equips the church to care for the vulnerable.

profile · synthesized from sources

Orchard Africa is a nonprofit organization focused on empowering local churches in South Africa through economic development and community support initiatives. They serve vulnerable populations, particularly in underdeveloped areas, by providing training and resources to help churches become self-sustaining. Their work primarily takes place in the Western Cape and North West provinces.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2022

what they reported doing

Program narrative the organization filed with the IRS. Ordered by program spending.

  1. #1 primary $291K
    MINISTRY PROGRAM: Orchard: Africa believes that the Church is the primary channel through which to respond to poverty & injustice in Africa.Through the Ministry Program, Orchard: Africa empowers African church leaders with skills to provide emotional, physical, social & spiritual care to the vulnerable in their community. The Ministry Program provides church leaders with tools (programs) to actively lead and care for their community, and to restore hope through their churches. At the same time, the leaders in the Western church are empowered to respond in sustainable ways to the needs of the African church. During 2022, Orchard: Africa provided 32,530 training hours developing pastors and ministry leaders who serve vulnerable communities. More than 300 churches are implementing programs developed by Orchard: Africa and 54 of these churches have received funding from Orchard: Africa.
  2. #2 $251K
    EDUCATION PROGRAM : Orchard:Africa helps churches to start pre-schools to encourage love of learning from a young age, and to start after school learning programs, which include educational assistance, sport & recreational activities. The organization assists churches with basic entrepreneurial and life skills programs, which help school leaving children to develop vocational and income generating skills. To date 11,078 children have enrolled in Orchard: Africa sponsored pre-schools and there have been 1.1 million visits to after school learning centers. During 2022 Orchard: Africa provided 648 training hours to help entrepreneurs grow or start new businesses. A nine-month Women's Empowerment program provided mentoring, support and life skills to women from vulnerable communities.
named programs · 3 · from sources

what they call their work

Agripreneurship Projects
Trains church leaders in agricultural practices to help generate income for their communities.
Early Childhood Development Training
Provides training for preschool teachers to improve educational outcomes for young children.
Women's Development Program
Empowers women through training and resources to enhance their roles in the community and church.
activities · 7 groups

what they do

  • Short-Term Mission & Service Trips 5 activities
    • Conducting virtual mission trips
      Conducts 2-5-day virtual mission trips for teams of 10-25 participants to explore South Africa's culture, land, and people, and learn about community development efforts.
    • Conducting virtual mission trips
      Conducts 2-5-day virtual mission trips for teams of 10-25 participants to explore South Africa's culture, land, and people, and learn about community development efforts.
    • Organizing mission and vision trips to South Africa
      Organizes 5-day virtual mission trips and 9-10 day in-country mission trips for teams and individuals to support local churches in South Africa through activities like gardening, volunteering with mothers, and empowering leaders. The organization also operates guesthouses in Somerset West and Mahikeng, South Africa, for participants.
    • Organizing mission and vision trips to South Africa
      Organizes 5-day virtual mission trips and 9-10 day in-country mission trips for teams and individuals to support local churches in South Africa through activities like planting gardens, volunteering with young mothers, encouraging preschool teachers, and empowering leaders. The organization also operates guesthouses in Somerset West and Mahikeng, South Africa, for mission trip participants.
    • Organizing mission trips to South Africa
      Organizes 9-day or 10-day in-country mission trips for participants to serve alongside staff at regional Impact Centers, supporting local churches through activities like planting gardens, volunteering with young mothers, encouraging preschool teachers, and empowering leaders. The organization also operates mission houses/guesthouses in Somerset West and Mahikeng, South Africa, for these participants.
  • Women's Leadership Development Programs 4 activities
    • Community development programs
      Launches community vegetable gardens, offers network gatherings for pastors, provides empowerment programs for women facing gender-based violence, conducts young parent workshops, and offers youth development courses for future leaders. Over the past three decades, the organization has served tens of thousands of adults and children through relief, reconstruction, and development programs.
    • Empowering women and youth
      Offers empowerment programs for women facing gender-based violence, young parent workshops, and youth development courses for future leaders. The organization also piloted and developed a Women's Development Program through its Western Cape Impact Center.
    • Empowering women and youth
      Offers empowerment programs for women facing gender-based violence, young parent workshops, and youth development courses for future leaders. The organization also piloted and developed a Women's Development Program through its Western Cape Impact Center.
    • Supporting community development programs
      Supports various community development initiatives including launching community vegetable gardens, empowering women facing gender-based violence, and offering workshops for young parents and youth development courses for future leaders.
  • Basic Needs Provision for Youth and Families 4 activities
    • Distributing food and supplies to church-based programs
      Distributes nearly 1 million meals annually to church partner feeding programs, along with curriculum, books, and school supplies for preschools, and gardening supplies (seedlings, compost, tools) for agriculture programs. Over the past 30+ years, the organization has distributed over eleven million meals to children and adults.
    • Distributing food and supplies to church-based programs
      Distributes nearly 1 million meals annually to church partner feeding programs, along with curriculum, books, and school supplies for preschools, and gardening supplies (seedlings, compost, tools) for agriculture programs. Over the past 30+ years, the organization has distributed over eleven million meals to children and adults.
    • Distributing food and supplies to church-based programs
      Distributes nearly 1 million meals annually, along with curriculum, books, school supplies, and gardening supplies (seedlings, compost, tools) to church partner feeding programs and preschools in South Africa. Over the past 30+ years, the organization has distributed over eleven million meals.
    • Providing food and supplies to church-based programs
      Distributes nearly 1 million meals annually, along with curriculum, books, school supplies, and gardening supplies (seedlings, compost, tools) to church partner feeding programs and preschools in South Africa. Over the past 30+ years, the organization has distributed over eleven million meals.
  • Christian Leadership Peer Networks 2 activities
    • Facilitating church leader networks
      Operates the Orchard Network, which holds monthly gatherings for church leaders to provide encouragement and renewal, and offers network gatherings for pastors.
    • Facilitating church leader networks
      Operates the Orchard Network, which holds monthly gatherings for church leaders to provide encouragement and renewal, and offers network gatherings for pastors.
  • Garden-Based Education Programs 2 activities
    • Launching community vegetable gardens
      Launches community vegetable gardens as part of its programs.
    • Launching community vegetable gardens
      Launches community vegetable gardens as part of its programs.
  • Preschool and Kindergarten Readiness Programs 2 activities
    • Supporting early childhood education
      Provides early education curriculum, supplies, and grants to support nearly 2,000 children each year. This includes Early Childhood Development training for pre-school teachers from the Orchard Network, covering topics like brain development, child milestones, nutrition, and creative play.
    • Supporting early childhood education
      Provides early education curriculum, supplies, and grants to support nearly 2,000 children each year. This includes Early Childhood Development training to pre-school teachers from the Orchard Network, covering topics like brain development, child milestones, nutrition, and creative play.
  • Uncategorized 9 activities
    • Operating Impact Centers and networks for churches
      Operates the North West Impact Center and the Western Cape Impact Center, serving networks of churches in rural villages and informal townships in South Africa. These centers facilitate monthly gatherings for church leaders to provide encouragement and renewal, and have developed programs like the Women's Development Program.
    • Operating Impact Centers and the Orchard Network
      Operates the North West Impact Center and the Western Cape Impact Center in South Africa, serving networks of churches in rural villages and informal townships. These centers facilitate network gatherings for church leaders and develop programs such as the Women's Development Program.
    • Operating Impact Centers in South Africa
      Operates the North West Impact Center, serving a network of churches in mostly rural villages in the North West Province, and the Western Cape Impact Center, serving a network of churches in informal townships, including Khayelitsha. These centers are central to equipping churches to care for vulnerable populations.
    • Operating Impact Centers in South Africa
      Operates the North West Impact Center, serving a network of churches in mostly rural villages in the North West Province, and the Western Cape Impact Center, serving a network of churches in informal townships, including Khayelitsha. These centers are central to equipping churches to care for vulnerable populations.
    • Organizing mission trips to South Africa
      Organizes 9-day or 10-day in-country mission trips for participants to serve alongside staff at regional Impact Centers, supporting local churches through activities like planting gardens, volunteering with young mothers, encouraging preschool teachers, and empowering leaders. The organization also operates mission houses/guesthouses in Somerset West and Mahikeng, South Africa, for these participants.
    • Providing capacity building for church leaders
      Provides training and on-site coaching to church leaders in Africa on topics such as small-scale agriculture, early childhood education, small business development, orphan care, and church strengthening through Impact Centers. This includes thousands of hours of skill-building training annually and specific Early Childhood Development training for pre-school teachers.
    • Providing training and capacity building for church leaders
      Provides thousands of hours of skill-building training annually to African church leaders through Impact Centers in areas such as small-scale agriculture, early childhood education, small business development, orphan care, and church strengthening. This includes on-site coaching to help partner churches launch and sustain outreach programs.
    • Providing training and capacity building for church leaders
      Provides thousands of hours of skill-building training annually to African church leaders through Impact Centers in areas such as small-scale agriculture, early childhood education, small business development, orphan care, and church strengthening. This includes on-site coaching to help partner churches launch and sustain outreach programs.
    • Training and capacity building for church leaders
      Provides thousands of hours of skill-building training annually to African church leaders through Impact Centers, covering areas such as small-scale agriculture, early childhood education, small business development, orphan care, and church strengthening. This includes on-site coaching to help partner churches launch and sustain outreach programs and Early Childhood Development training for pre-school teachers.
financials · form 990 · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$1.41M
Contributions & grants$1.41M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.32M
Program expenses91%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$417K
Grants paid out$596K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$492K
Cash$492K
Investments$0
Liabilities$158K
Net assets$334K
Liquid reserves4.5 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2022 · YoY revenue +42.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022

who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Michelle Tessendorf CEO & Co-Founder Orchard: Africa 40 $103K
board members · 7
  • Brian La Mew — Executive Pastor - Orchard Africa
  • Diane Wagner — Owner - Heritage Tractor
  • Herbert Fluharty — Owner - MGI Services
  • Michael Tessendorf — Senior Pastor & Co-Founder - Orchard: Africa
  • Nathan Buchalski — Partner - Plante Moran
  • Ric Leutwyler — CEO - Evidence Solutions Inc
  • Scott Gates — Owner - Awake Window & Door Company
relationships · 6

who they work with

  • Baylor University Partner — Students from the university led Early Childhood Development training at Orchard Africa's Cape Town Impact Center.
  • Orchard: Africa Impact Centers Partner — Works with Impact Centers to equip the church to care for the vulnerable.
  • Pastor Simphiwe Tsewu Partner — Joined the Orchard Network in May 2025 and regularly attends monthly gatherings.
  • The Orchard Community Network — Community of monthly givers supporting the organization's mission
  • WhatsApp Partner — Platform used for team discussions during virtual mission trips.
  • churches Partner — Equips churches to serve as agents of change for vulnerable populations.