Nonprofit · EIN 16-1731124
ORCHARD AFRICA
Tax-exempt · GILBERT, AZ 85296
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $1,923,413 | $1,420,035 | $503,378 | $639,327 | $13,521 | $625,806 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $1,256,823 | $1,434,946 | -$178,123 | $153,481 | $21,015 | $132,466 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $1,511,711 | $1,538,932 | -$27,221 | $540,981 | $157,531 | $383,450 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $1,903,603
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $0
- Net rental income
- $7,505
- Net income from fundraising events
- $12,305
- Other revenue
- $19,810
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $558,551
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $100,792
- Other salaries and wages
- $334,208
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $481,825
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Occupancy
- $34,262
- Travel
- $16,936
- Program services (functional)
- $1,306,428
- Management and general (functional)
- $60,051
- Fundraising (functional)
- $53,556
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $153,481
- Total assets, end of year
- $639,327
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $13,521
- Net assets, end of year
- $625,806
- Gross receipts
- $1,968,269
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 145
- Year formed
- 2005
- State of legal domicile
- AZ
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Tessendorf | CEO & Co-Founder Orchard: Africa Trustee or director, Officer, Key employee, Highest-paid employee | 40 | $28,971 | $72,000 |
| Michael Tessendorf | Senior Pastor & Co-Founder - Orchard: Africa Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $0 | $0 |
| Brian La Mew | Executive Pastor - Orchard Africa Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $0 | $0 |
| Scott Gates | Owner - Awake Window & Door Company Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Herbert Fluharty | Owner - MGI Services Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Diane Wagner | Owner - Heritage Tractor Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 6 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Tessendorf | CEO & Co-Founder Orchard: Africa Trustee or director, Officer, Key employee, Highest-paid employee | 40 | $67,453 | $42,000 |
| Michael Tessendorf | Senior Pastor & Co-Founder - Orchard: Africa Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $0 | $0 |
| Brian La Mew | Executive Pastor - Orchard Africa Trustee or director | 40 | $0 | $0 |
| Scott Gates | Owner - Awake Window & Door Company Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Herbert Fluharty | Owner - MGI Services Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Diane Wagner | Owner - Heritage Tractor Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 8 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Tessendorf | CEO & Co-Founder Orchard: Africa Trustee or director, Officer, Key employee, Highest-paid employee | 40 | $30,406 | $72,000 |
| Michael Tessendorf | Senior Pastor & Co-Founder - Orchard: Africa Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $0 | $0 |
| Brian La Mew | Executive Pastor - Orchard Africa Trustee or director | 40 | $0 | $0 |
| Scott Gates | Owner - Awake Window & Door Company Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Herbert Fluharty | Owner - MGI Services Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Diane Wagner | Owner - Heritage Tractor Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Ric Leutwyler | CEO - Evidence Solutions Inc Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Nathan Buchalski | Director Trustee or director | 0 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 1166 E WARNER RD STE 101, GILBERT, AZ 85296-3065
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- Michelle Tessendorf, 1166 E Warner Rd, Suite 101, Gilbert, AZ 85296
- Signed the 990
- Michael Tessendorf, Chairman
- Phone
- (480) 966-9037
- Website
- orchardafrica.org
Mission
Orchard: Africa equips the local church to care for the vulnerable. The organization develops programs that include meeting daily needs of food security, sustainable small scale agriculture, health & hygiene, educational, life skills, entrepreneurial and other sustainable and on-going projects with community involvement. Church leaders and churches in the developing world are empowered to implement these programs in order to respond to poverty and injustice and their outworking in local communities.
Program accomplishments
- Food & Agriculture Program : Orchard: Africa equips & funds local churches to run daily meal programs for vulnerable children. The organization also equips and empowers churches to develop church vegetable gardens and to teach vertical farming methods to congregation members, in order for them to produce food for themselves and thus bring sustainable food security to a community. To date over 14 million meals have been served in vulnerable communities. During 2025 71,541 pounds of food were distributed. Training in small scale agriculture was provided for 5,369 individuals and 535 new community gardens were started.Expenses $411,809 · grants $170,769
- MINISTRY PROGRAM: Orchard: Africa believes that the Church is the primary channel through which to respond to poverty and injustice in Africa. Through the Ministry Program, Orchard: Africa empowers African church leaders with skills that enable them to provide emotional, physical, social and spiritual care to he vulnerable in a 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. In conjunction with this, Western church leaders are empowered to respond in sustainable ways to the needs of the church in Africa. During 2024, Orchard: Africa provided 43,241 training hours and equipped 432 Pastors and Ministry leaders who serve in vulnerable communities.Expenses $284,006 · grants $182,943
- EDUCATION PROGRAM : Orchard Africa assists churches to start pre-schools so that children are encouraged to love learning at a young age. Churches are also empowered to start after-school learning programs whiich include educational assistance, sport and recreational activities. Orchard:Africa also assists churches to run entrepreneurial & life skills programs which provide school leavers to develop vocational and income generating skills. Orchard: Africa sponsored pre-schools have provided education for 12,749 children to date, and over 1.1 million visits have been made to after school learning centers.Expenses $269,806 · grants $120,524
- Orchard: Africa empowers local churches and church leaders to be the response to poverty & injustice, by equipping the church to implement Care programs which include orphan intervention, homed based care and development programs for young mothers. Orchard: Africa also equips the the local church to implement administrative, development and fundraising activities.Expenses $340,807 · grants $84,314
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | 990 on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 16-1731124
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 2005
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $639,327
- Income (IRS master file)
- $1,968,269
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $1,923,413 | $1,420,035 | $639,327 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2024 | $1,256,823 | $1,434,946 | $153,481 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2023 | $1,511,711 | $1,538,932 | $540,981 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $1,410,552 | $1,323,676 | $491,917 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 16-1731124).
Questions about ORCHARD AFRICA
- What is the EIN of ORCHARD AFRICA?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of ORCHARD AFRICA is 16-1731124.
- Is ORCHARD AFRICA tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2005.
- Are donations to ORCHARD AFRICA tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does ORCHARD AFRICA file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of ORCHARD AFRICA due?
- The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did ORCHARD AFRICA last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of ORCHARD AFRICA?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names Michelle Tessendorf.
- Who are the officers and directors of ORCHARD AFRICA?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 6 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $28,971 (Michelle Tessendorf, CEO & Co-Founder Orchard: Africa).
- How much revenue does ORCHARD AFRICA have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $1,923,413, expenses of $1,420,035 and total assets of $639,327 at year end.
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