About ICM

International Care Ministries—Transforming the Futures of the Ultra-Poor

Focused, Efficient, Effective and Scalable: ICM takes a business approach to fighting poverty. Our holistic strategies have brought life transformation to more than two million people in the Philippines and beyond.

About Us – A Christian Nonprofit Serving The Ultra-Poor

Since 1992, International Care Ministries has worked to combine the best practices of the business and academic worlds with the passion and heart of a Christian non-profit. From our offices in Hong Kong and Manila, and through our networks in the Philippines and beyond, ICM’s vision is to provide help, hope, and change, and to see ultra-poor families released from physical, emotional, and spiritual bondage.

ICM’s business approach to fighting poverty means we are focused, effective, efficient and scalable.

See Where We Work

Innovation—Becoming a Trusted, Effective Charity

Innovation is at the heart of ICM. With our commitment to research and impact measurement, we learn by doing. While the core of ICM’s strategy, partnership with local churches to serve the ultra-poor, does not waver, we use trial and error to keep improving our programs.

Innovation for ICM means maximizing impact and minimizing cost. We are relentless in pursuing more efficient ways to utilize your generous donations and to create the biggest life change for the greatest number of people.

7 Lessons in Poverty Alleviation during the Pandemic

How an NGO continued its mission to help the poor in unprecedented times What does it take to pivot and innovate during one of the biggest global crises…

A History of Steadfast Hope

It has been a long journey from ICM’s humble beginnings as a group of poor pastors in the Philippines. Take a look at the road that took us from there to where we are today: one of the most efficient, impactful, and effective charities helping the poor in the world.

1992

A group of poor Filipino pastors in Bacolod City, Philippines, is moved by the stark needs of their neighbors. With aid from Sharon Tan and funding from Hong Kong donors, they implement feeding and education programs in two communities, and International Care Ministries is born.

1997

David & Deanna Sutherland begin their journey with ICM, sponsoring a medical treatment, and conducting their first ministry visit.

2001

ICM expands to Dumaguete and Koronodal, then to Bohol and General Santos. During this period of great innovation, ICM’s leadership experiments with dozens of strategies to bring transformation, including: feeding, open air medical clinics, pig raising, computer training schools, evangelistic film showings, and more.

2005

ICM hosts our first fundraising banquet in Hong Kong, raising critical funds for a rapidly growing ministry. Volunteers and self-funded staff launch the Hong Kong fundraising office.

2008

The global financial crisis challenges ICM’s funding. This is a time of rapid innovation at ICM; in addition, the board and leadership team are able to cut costs by 20%. This period sees the advent of ICM’s core program, Transform, which moves ICM’s offerings from a series of disparate programs to a uniform, scalable, education-based initiative across all of its geographies.

2009

ICM expands to Palawan and opens a strategic office in Manila.

2013

Typhoon Haiyan causes extreme devastation across large parts of the Philippines. ICM’s pre-positioned pastor networks and supplies allow us to be among the very first responders, showing the potential of church-based distribution networks to be among the most impactful nonprofits and paving the way for ICM to develop effective strategic partnerships with international NGOs and funders. ICM expands to Panay, Dipolog and Cebu.

2014

Learning from international best practices, ICM launches Prevail Savings Group Strategy to develop sustainability among Transform graduates. Eventually, ICM’s savings group network grows to be the largest in the Philippines and one of the top 20 savings group networks globally.

2016

ICM pilots Family Academy, our early childhood education strategy, and begins to roll out this scalable approach to investing in children’s futures. During its first six years, Family Academy graduates 10,000 children.

2017

ICM celebrates graduating our one millionth Transform beneficiary, and our 25th anniversary year. ICM also begins a research partnership with Professor Dean Karlan, of Yale University and Innovations in Poverty Action, to run our first research randomized controlled trial, with results published in The Economist and the Freakonomics podcast. This partnership continues today, with ICM conducting more than a dozen RCTs to measure the impact of our work.

2019

ICM plans our first international pilot to test the impact of Transform outside of the Philippines. Partnering with BBT Uganda, ICM prepares to launch in early 2020. ICM also receives a groundbreaking grant from the prestigious Global Innovation Fund to conduct a five-year Transform Innovation Lab, piloting and scaling innovations within Transform.

2020

The COVID-19 pandemic and harsh lockdowns hit the Philippines; a hunger crisis looms, and there is an increase in extreme poverty for the first time in decades. ICM immediately pivots to provide food, hygiene, and vegetable seeds to millions of families, and innovates to deliver programs amid lockdowns and uncertainties to families who are suffering.

2021

ICM launches our second international pilot in Guatemala, and expands within the Philippines to Davao, Tacloban and Butuan. Typhoon Odette hits in December and displaces millions of families, as ICM provides short and long-term relief and recovery efforts alongside its core program. ICM celebrates 1.5 million Transform graduates, 10,000 Family Academy graduates, and 10,000 medical case patients treated.

2024

ICM celebrates the graduation of our two millionth beneficiary!

Today

ICM reaches hundreds of thousands of people every year with sustainable transformation and hope for the future.

Leadership team

David Sutherland

CEO and Board Chair, ICM & former CFO Morgan Stanley

Meet David

Michael Coman

Chief Strategy Officer

Meet Michael

David Jones

Chief Development Officer

Meet David

Dr Melinda Kelly

Chief Health Officer

Meet Dr Melinda

Arlene de Leon

Chief Administration Officer

Meet Arlene

Daniel Mayhugh

Chief Operation Officer

Meet Daniel

Louise Joachimowski

Executive Director – Hong Kong

Meet Louise

Platinum Seal of Transparency

We have earned the 2025 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, affirming our commitment to transforming lives through a business-minded approach. Our research-backed Transform program creates sustainable impact for ultra-poor families in the Philippines, breaking the cycle of poverty one family at a time.

Certified Transparent 2025 Seal of Approval from Excellence in Giving

Recognized as Certified Transparent 2025 by Excellence in Giving, one of only 775 nonprofits nationwide committed to the highest standards of financial transparency and accountability. Our research-backed Transform program creates sustainable impact for ultra-poor families across the Philippines, Uganda, Guatemala, Burundi, and Cambodia.

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