Ministry Spotlight: Set Free Alliance
Set Free Alliance drops to 0 stars—but assures donors its investments were strategic and the future is bright.
Set Free Alliance, formerly known as Water of Life, dropped from a 3-Star Financial Efficiency Rating to 0 Stars. As of its most recent publicly available Form 990, the ministry has a negative net worth, making it impossible to assign it a valid financial efficiency rating.
Photo via Set Free Alliance Facebook page
The drop in its Financial Efficiency Rating also affected its Donor Confidence Score.
MinistryWatch recently reported on another ministry with a negative net worth, Whole Word Institute.
A negative net worth means the amount of a ministry’s liabilities exceeds the value of its assets. In most, but not all cases, a ministry with a negative net worth is in a precarious situation. It means that the organization has financial obligations – usually debt or accounts payable – that it doesn’t have the current ability to pay.
Emily Scurry, COO of Set Free Alliance, said that in 2024, the ministry focused on investments for future growth—and they’re already paying off. “We invested in a new CRM, updated our website, and hired additional staff members. These investments proved sound as Set Free grew over 18% in 2025. We also returned to a positive net worth that will be reflected in our 2025 990,” she said.
Set Free Alliance is a relief ministry working to “serve people by meeting their most basic human needs.” Working primarily in India, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, Set Free Alliance prioritizes “immediate challenges in order to make a long-term impact and an eternal difference.”
With numerous projects and partnerships, Set Free Alliance works to end child slavery, offer medical aid, provide fresh water, and plant churches.
One of the ministry’s projects is Sown & Sewn, a fashion line crafted by young women rescued from slavery. Set Free Alliance provides transformation through clothes with “lives being restored, purpose being planted, and something beautiful growing from what was once broken.” Each dress is made through Set Free’s vocational tailoring program, where survivors are equipped with employable skills.
In April, Set Free Alliance hosted “Greenville: A Night of Fashion” to debut the clothing line and raise awareness for its cause.
Set Free Alliance dropped to a 78 Donor Confidence Score—still a “Give With Confidence” rating. It is deducted points for not posting audited financial statements and for its lack of a financial efficiency score. The Donor Confidence Score (DCS) is determined by the answers to 14 questions, only one of which is based on financial numbers. The rest is determined by transparency measures, board composition, etc. That’s why it’s important to look at all three components of a ministry’s scores—efficiency, transparency, and donor confidence.
A negative net worth is not always an indication of financial inefficiency, but it should be a temporary condition.
Set Free Alliance earns a C Transparency Grade—it files a Form 990 with the IRS and has membership with the ECFA, but does not post audited financial statements on its website.
MinistryWatch Donor Confidence Score: 78 (out of a possible 100) “Give With Confidence”
MinistryWatch Financial Efficiency Rating: This ministry has a negative net worth, making it impossible to assign it a valid Financial Efficiency Rating.
MinistryWatch Transparency Grade: C
ECFA Member? Yes
Revenue in Most Recent Year Available: $4,162,557
Five-Year Revenue Trend: Increasing (by about 24%)
Percent of Revenue Spent on Fundraising: 17%
Percent of Revenue Peer Group Spends on Fundraising: 5%
CEO/President: Sarah Kelley
President’s Salary and Other Compensation: $107,163
A complete MinistryWatch profile for Set Free Alliance can be found here.
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