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§ Private Profile · Bernardsville, NJ, USA
More Than Me Foundation is a company.
Key people at More Than Me Foundation.
More Than Me Foundation operates educational programs focused on empowering girls in vulnerable communities. The organization establishes and manages schools in underserved regions, providing comprehensive academic instruction, along with critical life skills and personal development initiatives. Its approach integrates a holistic curriculum designed to foster resilience and offer pathways to self-sufficiency for its students.
The foundation was established by Katie Meyler, an American activist, who initiated the organization after recognizing the profound need for accessible, quality education for young girls in post-conflict Liberia. Her dedication stemmed from a deep commitment to addressing systemic inequalities and providing opportunities for children facing extreme poverty and exploitation.
More Than Me serves young girls in areas challenged by limited resources and social vulnerabilities, aiming to cultivate future leaders and change-makers within their communities. The long-term vision is to replicate its successful educational model in other regions, ultimately contributing to a global network of empowered women through sustained access to education and support.
Key people at More Than Me Foundation.
The More Than Me Foundation was a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to educating vulnerable girls in Liberia's West Point slum, aiming to protect them from exploitation and poverty by providing schooling through the More Than Me Academy and partnerships with 19 government schools.[1][2][5][6] It operated as a 501(c)(3) charity focused on international relief, with tax-deductible donations funding its programs, though it faced significant scandals including staff-perpetrated rapes, inaccurate tax filings, and eventual shutdown due to financial pressures and governance failures.[1][4][6]
Financially, the organization reported revenues peaking around $2 million from contributions (95% of total), with assets up to $2.9 million and expenses on salaries (up to 38%) and executive compensation (up to 13%).[1] It ceased operations in 2019 after critical investigations revealed leadership lapses, inability to fundraise, and the need to allocate remaining funds to rape survivors.[6]
Founded around 2008-2009 (per its EIN filing in 2009), More Than Me was started by Katie Meyler, who launched it to get girls off the streets of Liberia's West Point slum and into school following her experiences there.[5][6][7] The idea gained traction through viral online campaigns, culminating in a 2014 win of a $1 million JPMorgan Chase grant via public voting on national TV, which funded the tuition-free More Than Me Academy opened that year.[2][6][7]
Early momentum included rapid expansion to 19 schools in partnership with the Liberian government, but pivotal scandals emerged: in 2014, senior staffer Macintosh Johnson was charged with raping at least 10 girls (potentially up to 30), many linked to the program, with revelations he had AIDS.[4][6] This led to founder Meyler's resignation, board changes, and independent probes by U.S. and Liberian panels, exposing transparency failures and governance issues.[4][5][6]
More Than Me operated outside core tech sectors, instead leveraging digital fundraising trends like viral social media campaigns and online voting competitions to amplify a traditional nonprofit model in international development.[6][7] Its 2014 Chase grant win highlighted early "gamified philanthropy" via internet platforms, influencing how charities used tech for donor engagement amid rising crowdfunding norms.[7]
Timing aligned with post-Ebola recovery in Liberia (2014-2016), where education gaps for girls were acute, but scandals exposed risks in rapid-scaling foreign aid nonprofits reliant on Western funding without robust local oversight.[4][6] Market forces like donor scrutiny post-#MeToo amplified fallout, pressuring transparency; the shutdown underscored how tech-enabled hype can accelerate growth but hasten collapse when trust erodes, impacting the global ed-tech and impact investing ecosystem's wariness of unvetted partners.[4][6]
More Than Me's legacy is one of ambitious impact derailed by profound failures, with operations fully shuttered by mid-2019 and remaining funds earmarked for 11 confirmed rape survivors.[6] No active revival is evident, as GuideStar notes it may have merged or ceased entirely.[5]
Shifting donor priorities toward accountable, locally-led initiatives will shape similar efforts, potentially via ed-tech platforms emphasizing AI-driven monitoring and blockchain transparency. Its influence may evolve as a cautionary tale, prompting stricter vetting in impact philanthropy and highlighting the need for hybrid tech-nonprofit models that prioritize survivor-centered governance over viral growth. This ties back to its core mission: true opportunity for vulnerable girls demands more than promises—it requires unyielding safeguards.
