About
Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) is a disaster relief organization headquartered in Doral, Florida. Its objective is to deliver the most aid, to the most people in need, in the shortest amount of time, and with the least cost to donors. GEM is a US 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 45-3782061).
Mission
GEM was established in response to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. Using speed, efficiency, and local expertise, the organization has deployed over 387 disaster relief missions in 76 countries and all 50 US states. It works through a partnership model of donors, volunteers, and local stakeholders, and states that 97% of every dollar donated goes to mission-related activities.
What they do
GEM organizes its missions across four categories:
- Disaster relief: responses to hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and earthquakes, including Hurricane Melissa, the Texas floods, the LA County wildfires, Hurricanes Helene, Milton, and Beryl, the Maui wildfires, and the Turkey earthquake
- Conflict zones: relief in the Russia-Ukraine war and Palestinian civilian relief in Gaza
- Communities in crisis: support for communities facing ongoing hardship
- Tribal impact: programs serving tribal communities
Scale and impact
On its efficiency and impact page, GEM reports (citing official United Nations dashboards) that it leads all international agencies in the food securities cluster in Ukraine for food kit deliveries, accounts for a large share of water bottle and livelihood aid distributions in Ukraine through its GEM-HGBF partnership programs, and ranked #1 among NGOs and UN agencies for light and medium humanitarian home repairs in Ukraine in 2024. GEM also states it is the largest NGO distributor of food in Gaza. The organization reports being 4-star rated by Charity Navigator across all four rating categories (Accountability and Finance, Impact and Results, Leadership and Adaptability, and Culture and Community).
History
GEM was established in response to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake by founder Michael Capponi. Its IRS tax exemption ruling dates from December 2011, per ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. From an initial focus on disaster response, it has grown into a global operation with prepositioned teams that respond to disasters worldwide.
Financials
According to IRS Form 990 filings compiled by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, GEM reported total revenue of $162.9 million (nearly all from contributions and grants), total expenses of $131.8 million, and total assets at year end of $50.4 million for calendar year 2023. This continued rapid growth from $21.0 million in revenue in 2020, $34.7 million in 2021, and $139.2 million in 2022. GEM publishes tax reports and compliance documents on the financials section of its website.
