Nonprofit · EIN 26-2414132
MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL
Tax-exempt · LINDALE, TX 75771
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $250,375,032 | $191,394,677 | $58,980,355 | $440,418,875 | $10,467,088 | $429,951,787 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $287,144,079 | $157,056,453 | $130,087,626 | $382,848,734 | $12,379,303 | $370,469,431 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $155,091,550 | $145,692,310 | $9,399,240 | $252,387,216 | $12,065,384 | $240,321,832 |
| December 31, 2021 | 990 | $212,689,629 | $142,842,150 | $69,847,479 | $239,293,493 | $7,056,717 | $232,236,776 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $248,243,749
- Program service revenue
- $40,852
- Investment income
- $1,977,782
- Royalties
- $1,906
- Net rental income
- $7,700
- Net gain from sales of assets
- $14,363
- Net income from sales of inventory
- -$7,996
- Other revenue
- $112,649
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $12,315,701
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $2,188,865
- Other salaries and wages
- $38,396,531
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $50,116,527
- Professional fundraising fees
- $6,951,545
- Legal fees
- $420,620
- Accounting fees
- $97,625
- Occupancy
- $4,165,610
- Travel
- $9,676,404
- Depreciation
- $8,713,435
- Program services (functional)
- $149,634,312
- Management and general (functional)
- $15,764,843
- Fundraising (functional)
- $25,995,522
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $382,848,734
- Total assets, end of year
- $440,418,875
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $10,467,088
- Net assets, end of year
- $429,951,787
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $175,675,247
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $225,456,961
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $204,494,826
- Gross receipts
- $250,946,897
- Employees
- 605
- Volunteers
- 2,175
- Year formed
- 2008
- State of legal domicile
- TX
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DON STEPHENS | FOUNDER Trustee or director, Officer | 45 | $350,000 | $0 |
| NICOLAS ADAME | CFIO Officer | 55 | $305,305 | $42,657 |
| ROBERT CORLEY | COO Key employee | 55 | $271,939 | $40,608 |
| David Schwab | Secretary & General Counsel Officer | 45 | $300,000 | $0 |
| KERRY PETERSON | SR VP OF USNO/ASST. SECRETARY Officer | 55 | $226,783 | $25,489 |
| HENDRIK STORM | VP OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS Key employee | 45 | $243,552 | $0 |
| GERT VAN DE WEERDHOF | CEO END:03/25 Trustee or director, Officer | 55 | $218,625 | $12,177 |
| BRYCE WAGNER | EXECUTIVE DIR OF GLOBAL CORP PTSHPS Highest-paid employee | 45 | $206,232 | $2,579 |
| JONATHAN B FADELY | VP OF MARINE OPERATIONS Highest-paid employee | 45 | $189,315 | $17,195 |
| JUSTIN M GONZALEZ | VP OF OPERATIONAL DELIVERY Highest-paid employee | 45 | $188,839 | $17,352 |
| BRANDON KEAN | CONTROLLER Highest-paid employee | 45 | $175,011 | $28,626 |
| JONATHAN D DYSON | SR DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY & GOV. Highest-paid employee | 45 | $166,383 | $35,642 |
| NATHAN CLAUS | VP HOSPITAL OPERATIONS Key employee | 45 | $167,487 | $20,019 |
| LINDA PRUETT | P & C PROJECT MGR/ ASSIST. SECRETARY Officer | 55 | $72,471 | $13,529 |
| BERT VAN DIJK | VICE CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
23 more people on this return
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GARY BROWN | CHAIRMAN/ Interim CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 45 | $0 |
| JAN VAN DEN BOSCH | VICE CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 |
| PETER B SCHULZE | TREASURER/ Vice Chairman Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 |
| THOMAS LATKOVIC | VICE CHAIRMAN END: 06/25 Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 |
| ANN GLOAG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| DANIEL SHELLEY | DIRECTOR START: 06/25 Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| DR BERTHA AYI | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| DR CARRIE TIBBLES | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| DR EDWIN STEPHEN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| DR LOIC PFISTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| DR MICHAEL SPENCE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| DR MICHELLE WHITE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| FILIP RYGG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| GARY BELVIN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| GILBERT WALTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| GUY WADE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 3 | $0 |
| JAMES F COPPENS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| JANEEN UZZELL | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| LOIS BOYLE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| LUCY QUIST | DIRECTOR END: 06/25 Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| PHD MICHAEL LINDSAY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| PHD RONALD L GOODE | DIRECTOR END: 06/25 Trustee or director | 3 | $0 |
| REV JONATHAN WEAVER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 38 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GERT VAN DE WEERDHOF | CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 55 | $434,241 | $31,373 |
| Mark Shrime | Int. Chief Medical Officer End: 12/16/2024 Key employee | 45 | $328,143 | $21,914 |
| DON STEPHENS | FOUNDER Trustee or director, Officer | 45 | $300,000 | $0 |
| ROBERT CORLEY | COO Highest-paid employee | 55 | $261,210 | $35,739 |
| JITZE KRAMER | VP OF GLOBAL BRANDING END: 9/30/24 Highest-paid employee | 55 | $262,804 | $29,989 |
| Ebenezer Puplampu | CPO Key employee | 45 | $246,188 | $32,766 |
| NICOLAS ADAME | CFO Start: 01/08/2024 Officer | 55 | $235,571 | $31,858 |
| PAUL OWEN | Secretary & GENERAL COUNSEL End: 7/16/2024 Officer | 55 | $247,863 | $15,090 |
| KERRY PETERSON | VP ADVANCEMENT/ASST. SECRETARY Officer | 55 | $205,481 | $28,253 |
| BRANDON KEAN | CONTROLLER Highest-paid employee | 45 | $176,312 | $22,290 |
| Dave Shwadlenak | VP of Information Technology Highest-paid employee | 45 | $163,001 | $30,894 |
| Barney Goodall | Interim CFO End: 1/7/2024 Officer | 45 | $192,104 | $0 |
| Nathan Jansen | Managing Director Highest-paid employee | 45 | $179,246 | $0 |
| David Schwab | Secretary & General Counsel Start: 9/3/2024 Officer | 45 | $108,065 | $0 |
| LINDA PRUETT | P & C PROJECT MGR/ ASSIST. SECRETARY Officer | 55 | $72,109 | $7,473 |
| BERT VAN DIJK | VICE CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| GARY BROWN | CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| JAN VAN DEN BOSCH | VICE CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| PETER B SCHULZE | TREASURER/ Vice Chairman Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| THOMAS LATKOVIC | VICE CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| ANN GLOAG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| DR BERTHA AYI | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| DR CARRIE TIBBLES | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| DR EDWIN STEPHEN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| DR LOIC PFISTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| DR MICHAEL SPENCE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| DR MICHELLE WHITE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| FILIP RYGG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| GARY BELVIN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| GILBERT WALTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| GUY WADE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| JAMES F COPPENS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| JANEEN UZZELL | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| LOIS BOYLE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| LUCY QUIST | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| PHD MICHAEL LINDSAY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| PHD RONALD L GOODE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| REV JONATHAN WEAVER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 22 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GERT VAN DE WEERDHOF | CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 55 | $347,777 | $27,653 |
| FRED GROTE | CFO END: 9/30/23 Officer | 55 | $290,354 | $24,120 |
| DON STEPHENS | FOUNDER Key employee | 45 | $300,000 | $0 |
| ROBERT CORLEY | COO Key employee | 55 | $248,251 | $39,252 |
| PAUL OWEN | GENERAL COUNSEL Officer | 55 | $235,505 | $32,587 |
| Mark Shrime | International Chief Medical Officer Key employee | 45 | $234,926 | $15,337 |
| JITZE KRAMER | VP OF GLOBAL BRANDING Key employee | 55 | $184,628 | $34,899 |
| KERRY PETERSON | VP ADVANCEMENT/ASST. SECRETARY Officer | 55 | $190,388 | $23,130 |
| Ebenezer Puplampu | CPO Key employee | 45 | $180,292 | $32,528 |
| Dave Shwadlenak | VP of Information Technology Key employee | 45 | $172,758 | $16,839 |
| Jonathan Dyson | Director of IT Strategy and Governance Highest-paid employee | 45 | $147,310 | $23,300 |
| AMY NYQUIST | DIR. OF DVLPMT PHILANTHROPY Highest-paid employee | 45 | $139,655 | $27,048 |
| CECILIA VILLA | SENIOR DIRECTOR - DEVELOPMENT Highest-paid employee | 45 | $148,525 | $13,934 |
| Jennifer Bullington | SEN. PROGRAMS DESIGN DIR. Highest-paid employee | 45 | $141,251 | $19,350 |
| Grady Nichols | IT OPERATIONS DIR. Highest-paid employee | 45 | $137,818 | $6,309 |
| LINDA PRUETT | EXEC. ASSIST./ ASSIST. SECRETARY Officer | 55 | $60,051 | $9,502 |
| GARY BROWN | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| PETER B SCHULZE | CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| PHD RONALD L GOODE | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| GUY WADE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| LOIS BOYLE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| BARNEY GOODALL | INTERIM CFO START: 10/1/23 Officer | 55 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2021: 24 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THOMAS STOGNER PART YEAR | former CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 45 | $293,404 | $18,255 |
| DON STEPHENS | FOUNDER/PRESIDENT EMERITUS Key employee | 45 | $300,000 | $6 |
| FRED GROTE | CFO Officer | 55 | $218,935 | $24,571 |
| PAUL OWEN | GENERAL COUNSEL (PART YEAR) Officer | 55 | $216,345 | $21,673 |
| ROBERT CORLEY | COO (PART YEAR) Key employee | 55 | $162,657 | $21,576 |
| JITZE W KRAMER | VP OF GLOBAL BRANDING Key employee | 55 | $161,022 | $23,066 |
| GARY PARKER | CMO - Volunteer Support Key employee | 45 | $180,284 | $0 |
| KERRY PETERSON | ASSISTANT SECRETARY Officer | 55 | $160,534 | $10,210 |
| GERT VAN DE WEERDHOF | CEO Officer | 55 | $156,250 | $0 |
| AMY N NYQUIST | DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT PHILAN Highest-paid employee | 45 | $125,417 | $21,765 |
| CECILIA VILLA | SENIOR DIRECTOR - DEVELOPMENT Highest-paid employee | 45 | $127,507 | $9,220 |
| STEPHANIE SPARKS | VP RESOURCE DVLPMT (PART YEAR) Highest-paid employee | 45 | $130,667 | $3,945 |
| JAMES PATERSON | MARINE EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT Highest-paid employee | 45 | $119,129 | $13,955 |
| ANGELA S FADELY | VP OF INT. HUMAN RESOURCES Highest-paid employee | 45 | $122,037 | $9,210 |
| LOIS BOYLE | DIRECTOR (PART YEAR) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| GARY BROWN | DIR./TREASURER (PART YEAR) Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| RONALD L GOODE PHD | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| PETER B SCHULZE | CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| GUY WADE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| ROSA WHITAKER-PART YEAR | PRESIDENT (PART YEAR) Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| LELAND PARIS | DIRECTOR (PART YEAR) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| ROLAND DECORVET | DIRECTOR (PART YEAR) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| BRADLEY GAULTNEY | DIRECTOR (PART YEAR) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| ROBERT WALDROP | DIRECTOR (PART YEAR) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- PO BOX 2020, LINDALE, TX 75771-2020
- In care of
- % FRED GROTE
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- MICHELLE WHITE, PO BOX 2020, LINDALE, TX 75771
- Signed the 990
- NICK ADAME, CFO
- Phone
- (903) 939-7000
- Website
- WWW.MERCYSHIPS.ORG
- Return prepared by
- Forvis Mazars LLP
Mission
MERCY SHIPS OPERATES HOSPITAL SHIPS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THROUGH PROFESSIONAL VOLUNTEER MEDICAL AND NON-MEDICAL CREW, PROVIDING FREE SURGICAL CARE TO PATIENTS AND TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR DOCTORS, NURSES, AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. MERCY SHIPS ALSO PARTNERS WITH THE COUNTRIES WE SERVE TO HELP CREATE MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FURTHERING OUR REACH OF HOPE AND HEALING.
Program accomplishments
- MERCY SHIPS FOLLOWS THE 2,000-YEAR-OLD MODEL OF JESUS, BRINGING HOPE AND HEALING TO THE FORGOTTEN POOR. IN 2025, MERCY SHIPS CONTINUED PROVIDING MEDICAL SERVICES AT NO COST, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: - SPECIALTY SURGERIES PERFORMED 5,019 - PATIENTS EVALUATED DURING FIELD CONSULTATION FOR SURGERY 7,093 - HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TRAINED AND MENTORED 1,061 - TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANT TRAINING HOURS 305,400 - DENTAL PROCEDURES 31,863 - VOLUNTEER CREW 2,152 - CREW NATIONALITIES REPRESENTED 75 - TRAINED IN NUTRITIONAL AGRICULTURE 12Expenses $149,634,312 · grants $12,315,701 · revenue $32,856
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
- 26-2414132
- 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
- 2008
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- International, foreign affairs and national security (Q33)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $440,418,875
- Income (IRS master file)
- $250,946,897
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $250,375,032 | $191,394,677 | $440,418,875 | XML |
| 990-T | December 2025 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2024 | $287,144,079 | $157,056,453 | $382,848,734 | XML |
| 990-T | December 2024 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2023 | $155,091,550 | $145,692,310 | $252,387,216 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $133,883,712 | $136,875,817 | $246,524,346 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | $212,689,629 | $142,842,150 | $239,293,493 | XML |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2018 | – | – | – | 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 26-2414132).
Questions about MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL
- What is the EIN of MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL is 26-2414132.
- Is MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2008.
- Are donations to MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL 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 MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL 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 MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL 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 MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names MICHELLE WHITE.
- Who are the officers and directors of MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 38 people; 14 received compensation from the organization, the highest $350,000 (DON STEPHENS, FOUNDER).
- How much revenue does MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $250,375,032, expenses of $191,394,677 and total assets of $440,418,875 at year end.
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All nonprofits in LINDALE · Texas · International, foreign affairs and national security