Summary
Free Wheelchair Mission (FWM) provides free wheelchairs to the poor, crippled and disabled persons living in developing third-world countries. FWM believes that when Jesus Christ lived in this world, He had special love for the sick and crippled. They try to share the same concern now for the poor, especially those with physical immobility. The chairs are distributed free to those in need, regardless of one's religious affiliation if any. FWM is a nonprofit organization and donations are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. In addition, it is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Contact Information: [ Back to top ]
| Mailing Address: | 9341 Irvine Blvd.
Irvine, CA
92618-2618 |
| Website: | www.freewheelchairmission.org |
| Phone: | (949) 273-8470, (800) 733-0858 |
| Email: | You need to enable javascript to see the email |
Organization Details [ Back to top ]
EIN: 311781635
| CEO/President: |
Mr. Don Schoendorfer, Ph D |
Tax Deductible: |
Yes |
| Chairman: |
Mr. Jim Franklin |
Fiscal Year End: |
March 31 |
| Board Size: |
10 |
Financial info from: |
990 |
| Founder: |
Mr. Don Schoendorfer, Ph D |
Member of ECFA: |
Yes |
| Year Founded: |
2001 |
Member of ECFA since: |
2004 |
Free Wheelchair Mission (FWM) provides free wheelchairs to the poor, crippled and disabled persons living in developing third-world countries. FWM believes that when Jesus Christ lived in this world, He had special love for the sick and crippled. They try to share the same concern now for the poor, especially those with physical immobility. The chairs are distributed free to those in need, regardless of one's religious affiliation if any.
Don Schoendorfer’s approach was to engineer a wheelchair costing less than $52. His design was to use components that are manufactured in high volume for other products. By this method, they enjoy a low piece price cost. He removed every extra feature possible, ending up with the least expensive design that will satisfy a large portion of the world's need for wheelchairs. This wheelchair design lends itself to manufacture by highly efficient companies where assembly costs are relatively low.
Wheelchair Components:
- A LAWNCHAIR
For a wheelchair you need a chair. He selected the least expensive chair he could find - a molded plastic patio chair. Perfect! It's waterproof. It's durable. It's comfortable to sit in for long periods. It's washable. It's made in many countries. You can drill holes in the arms and legs so it can be mounted on the frame.
- MOUNTAIN BIKE WHEELS
A wheelchair needs wheels. Don selected 24 inch bicycle wheels. For added durability he selected bicycle tires made for mountain bikes. The difference between the ones they use and those on millions of bikes made around the world is a special wheelchair hub. Theirs is considerably stronger. The mountain bike tires allow their chair to transverse rocky, uneven, and even muddy terrain that would be impossible in a regular wheelchair. They are frequently asked about using inflatable instead of hard tires. Inflatable tires allow movement over terrain that would be impossible with a hard tire. There is almost no place on earth where the tools to repair a flat tire aren't available.
- Front Castors
You need castors for the front legs. Don found 8 inch diameter castors that are inexpensive but rugged enough for this wheelchair.
- Frame
For a wheelchair you need a frame. They started with steel conduit because he could bend it himself. Once he got something close, Don took it to a steel fabrication company in Los Angeles called Mark IV Metal Products. (www.markivmetal.com). There Gonzo Viana used his creativity and his years of experience to turn his crude design into something that could be mass-produced. The bends in the single piece frame follow the contours of the molded plastic chair. At the same time, the frame is something that can be made relatively inexpensively.
- Improvements from the original design
They found a new wheelchair supplier and they've made upgrades to the wheelchair. It is more effective and comfortable for a larger number of users.
Among the improved design features are side panels placed alongside the seat of the wheelchair, giving more protection from anything thrown up from the ground by the movement of the chair. The wheel has been fitted with a hand-rim to make the propelling of the chair easier and cleaner; the footrest has been repositioned for easier entry into the chair and more comfort while in the chair, the brakes are better, and the axle is larger, creating more strength and durability and propulsion once the chair is set in motion. The wheelchair is still relatively lightweight and is now more rugged and suitable to the locations where it's being utilized.
- Complete!
These parts, plus a few dozen nuts and bolts and miscellaneous pieces is all that it takes to make one wheelchair. Another benefit from this design is standardization. There are relatively few parts, so there is little to stock for repair.
CHAIR AND SHIPPING TO DEVELOPING COUNTRY UNDER $52
The plan was to ship the wheelchair in a kit - for two reasons. One reason is that they take up less space that way. They can pack 550 kits in a standard 40 foot container. The second reason is that in most countries the labor to assemble a kit will be very low. With little training, someone who is good with his or her hands can make three wheelchairs in one hour. Each kit also includes a bicycle tire pump and a couple of tire patches.
ASSEMBLY IS DONE ONSITE AFTER DELIVERY
Don made assembly instructions with photographs so someone who cannot read English can learn to assemble these kits. They supply an assembly tool kit (5 simple wrenches and air pump) with every 20 wheelchair kits.
Testing
FWM verified that volunteers in developing countries can easily manage wheelchair assembly. They shipped 43 wheelchairs in kit form to Luanda, Angola. Their assembly team consisted of 16 young Angolan volunteers using simple hand tools.
FWM is a nonprofit organization and donations are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. In addition, it is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Transforming lives through the gift of mobility
Program Accomplishments [ Back to top ]
For the fiscal year ended March 2008, Free Wheelchair Mission provided approximately 104,500 wheelchairs to handicapped people.
FWM has given wheelchairs to those in need in the following countries:
Latin America and the Caribbean
- Belize
- Cuba
- Costa Rica
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Trinidad
South America
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Peru
Eastern Europe
- Albania
- Armenia
- Belarus
- Moldova
- Romania
- Ukraine
Africa
- Angola
- Benin
- Cameroon
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- DRC
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Morocco
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Somaliland
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Middle East
- Afghanistan
- Iraq (via Kuwait)
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lebanon
- Pakistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- West Bank/Gaza
Asia and The Pacific
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- China
- Fiji
- India
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Nepal
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Tonga
- Viet Nam
Statement of Faith [ Back to top ]
FWM expresses its Statement of Faith as follows:
- We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.
- We believe that the Scriptures of the old and new testaments are the word of God.
- We believe in God the Father, an infinite Person of Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayers; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
- We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings, his substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into Heaven, perpetual intercession for his people and personal, visible return to Earth.
Mid 1970s Don Schoendorfer witnessed a crippled Moroccan woman crawling across a dirt road which planted a seed that germinated in 1999 when he invested his education and professional expertise as a PhD Mechanical Engineer to create a simple, rugged, and inexpensive wheelchair. The mental picture of the crawling woman's anguish and loss of dignity had haunted him for years until God opened a path for Dr. Schoendorfer.
This organization has not offered MinistryWatch.com with specific needs to be posted on the profile. At such a time that MinistryWatch.com receives a response from the ministry, it will be posted immediately.
Research Analysis
Transparency Grade [ Back to top ]
| Transparency Grade of : A |
| Criteria category | Grade | Other Comments |
| Timeliness: | 100 | 11/3/2008 2:08:25 PM: Organization made financial information available less than 5 ½ months after their fiscal year end. |
| Financial Information: | 100 | 11/3/2008 2:08:29 PM: Organization provided all financial information requested. Information was clear and thorough. |
| Foundational Clarity: | 100 | 11/3/2008 2:08:33 PM: Descriptive information was abundant and thorough. |
| Level of Cooperation: | | |
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MinistryWatch.com 5 Star Financial Efficiency Ratings [ Back to top ]
| Ranking Category | Rating | Overall Rank | Relief and Development Sector |
|---|
| Overall Efficiency Rating |  | 228 of 352 | 45 of 54 |
| Fund Acquisition Decision |  | 330 of 352 | 53 of 54 |
| Resource Allocation Decision | | 252 of 352 | 49 of 54 |
| Asset Utilization Decision | | 47 of 352 | 14 of 54 |
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2009 MinistryWatch.com Shining Light top ministry list2008 MinistryWatch.com Shining Light top ministry list
Free Wheelchair Mission listed by MinistryWatch.com as a 2008 Shining Light ‘Top 30’ Exemplary Ministry.
MinistryWatch.com desires to see overall giving to Biblical Christian values increase and as such we developed this format to highlight those ministries which are exemplary.
This ministry is one of the “best ministries” and outstanding examples when we consider Philippians 4:8 and weigh and take account of those ministries that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Identifying a diversity of the best ministries is challenging given the selfless work that so many do for the cause of Christ. No one is able to give to every ministry that one values as we are not possessed of unlimited resources. It is best to make an assessment of our options and make discerning decisions. MinistryWatch.com’s assessment looked at the following seven areas when considering those to make the list:
- Transparency
- Truth Claims
- Values/ Worldview
- Sectors/Functions
- Resourcefulness
- Red Flag Issues
- Consultation
A fuller explanation of our evaluation criteria is on the front page of MinistryWatch.com. A foundational premise was to shine a figurative light on those ministries that were "Christian" more than in name only. Ministries were chosen that were not just marketing to Christians as a market segment for "Christian donor money", but ministries that had theological underpinnings and Biblical values that determined their actions. Organizations that relied more on a secular motivation and means were excluded as well as those “ministries” that seem to view the organization as their own vehicle as a business to make money rather than a love to maximize ministry to others and to let their light shine for the glory of God.
Inclusion on this Shining Light list does not mean this ministry or other listed ministries are perfect. No ministry is perfect and any that look long and hard enough may find areas for improvement; as no doubt most legitimate ministries are aware of areas to improve and have their own to-do list. Only you can decide for yourself with confidence if a ministry shares your values and with your giving plan. As far as MinistryWatch.com’s assessment, given the criteria that we followed, this ministry rose to the top.
This is just another step in our mission of encouraging Christians to give more of their talents and resources to Kingdom-building efforts. In short, we wish to help spread the Gospel of Christ by helping Christians give more and more effectively to the works of the Lord. If the Lord uses our list as part of that process, we will have been a blessing to both those ministries who have been ‘good and faithful servants’ with the Lord’s resources and to Christian donors who are seeking to be good stewards of their giving.
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Q and A
- What if someone wants to copy your wheelchair design?
We encourage organizations to copy our design, or our passion. There are aspects of the design that we could patent, but doing so would hinder others from helping. We truly want to give a wheelchair to every human in need of one. That is a huge task, and we encourage anyone to help in any way.
- How will you distribute the wheelchairs?
We know that in the beginning we will have to show the world that our approach is valid. In order to do this, we will have to distribute many of the first wheelchairs ourselves. However, in the long-term, we prefer not to develop extensive distribution efforts of our own. We prefer to partner with organizations that have that expertise. As organizations see our success, they will gradually step forward and want to get involved.
- How will you decide who gets the wheelchairs?
Our philosophy is to provide wheelchairs to the poorest of the poor, at no cost. We make no exclusions on race, age, sex, religion, or nationality. Our distribution partners must also accept this philosophy.
- How long will the wheelchairs last?
That is a hard question! We often hear that plastic molded patio chairs crack if left in the sun and rain. We often hear that bicycle wheels rust if left outside. If someone did not care for the wheelchair these same things would happen. However, to most recipients the wheelchair may the best thing that ever happened to them, a gift that gives them some level of dignity, independence, and happiness. We feel that most recipients will care for their wheelchair, and not leave it in the sun and rain. Such being the case, we believe these wheelchairs will last years and years.
- Can I come see your operation?
Visitors are welcome, but call and make an appointment.
- Do you offer opportunities for volunteers to participate in the distribution of the wheelchairs in developing countries?
Our distribution partners are carefully reviewed and selected based on their ability to clear a container of wheelchairs through customs, transport the container, store and assemble the wheelchairs, and distribute them to the poorest of the poor. As a small yet growing organization, rarely do we get the chance to meet our partners before we ship a container, nor do we send volunteers over to assist in the distribution. Our partners are amazing in their ability to rally local volunteers to help them help themselves. We do, however, arrange opportunities for donors who contribute a full container to participate in the distribution of the container they have funded. In order to keep our cost per wheelchair as low as possible, we must ask volunteers willing to travel to also be willing to pay for their travel expenses. We know that it is a powerful experience to see and interact with the recipients of the wheelchairs and hope to offer this opportunity to anyone with the heart to make this kind of contribution. We fully hope to offer more opportunities for volunteers to travel to the field as we continue to grow as an organization.
- Does FWM distribute wheelchairs to the poor in the USA?
Many have contacted us asking us to please send our wheelchairs to recipients in the United States. Sadly, after some investigation, we find we are unable to do so.
Organizations like ours need liability insurance. We have such insurance that covers us as we distribute our wheelchairs in developing countries. It only costs a few thousand dollars. To get the same level of coverage to allow us to distribute our wheelchairs in the USA costs over $200,000 per year! We do not feel this is a good stewardship of our donors support at this time.
Please be aware that there are other organizations that operate in the U.S. who are working to service the need for wheelchairs.
We continue to search for opportunities to collaborate with large humanitarian organizations to help distribute our wheelchairs in the U.S. and abroad. We are making progress on an international level.
Our individual support and prayers continue to be with those who need wheelchairs in our own USA.
- What if someone wants to donate a used wheelchair?
We are not set up to renovate, ship, or distribute wheelchairs other than our own. There are at many fine organizations that will accept used wheelchairs. We recommend that you do a search on the web with key words "donate" and "wheelchair".