Adult Christian Education Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
396075329
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2009
Location
Madison, WI, USA
Phone
6085795700
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$238,406
Expenses
$237,796
Assets
$257,020
Liabilities
$6,982

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Mary Brennan (President)
  • Jacqui Shanda (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Jeffrey Quinto (Executive Dir.): $91,862 total reported compensation
  • David Myhre (Secretary): $11,898 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Lead members in all christian denominations into a disciplined study of the scriptures. The bethel bible series lesson materials are the tool used to provide an encounter with the christ of the scriptures. Spiritual life is enhanced, lives are changed, and the participants are encouraged to see the blessings they have received in order to be a blessing in the world today.

What it reported doing in 2024

ACEF has one primary program: the Bethel Bible Series. The Bethel Bible Series is a Bible study and teacher-training program designed to help church members gain a deeper understanding of the biblical message and encounter the Living Christ through disciplined study of Scripture.ACEF has one primary program: the Bethel Bible Series. The Bethel Bible Series is a Bible study and teacher-training program designed to help church members gain a deeper understanding of the biblical message and encounter the Living Christ through disciplined study of Scripture. Since its founding, the Bethel Bible Series has been used by nearly 7,000 churches in the United States, crossing denominational lines and serving 47 Christian denominations. Congregations in every state have participated, and the total number of people reached through the program is estimated to be more than two million. ACEF conducts training seminars that teach both the biblical content and the administration of the Bethel Bible Series. On July 9-17, 2025, ACEF conducted its annual teacher training seminar by Zoom, with 58 pastors and church leaders participating from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Australia, Canada, and the United States. On September 3-6, 2025, ACEF conducted an introduction to the Bethel Bible Series at P.E.F.A Church in Marsabit, Kenya, attended by more than 200 pastors and church leaders. ACEF also completed a one-year church renewal project in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, on September 25, 2025. The project included 78 participants from 24 churches representing 13 denominations, who completed weekly Bethel Bible Series Old Testament and New Testament training. In April 2026, ACEF taught the Bethel Bible Series in Indonesia through three two-day introductory seminars in Semarang, Medan, and Nias Island. Approximately 240 pastors and church leaders participated, and their training continues through weekly Zoom sessions. In June 2026, ACEF celebrated the 65th anniversary of the Bethel Bible Series by producing two videos highlighting the history, reach, and continuing impact of the program and giving thanks for all that God has done through this ministry since its founding.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 86% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 78% for direct work, and 22% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 59
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.9%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 85.6%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $18.37 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Limited
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 38.9%; rating input score 39; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.3%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.08; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 43.6%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.9% per year; rating input score 0; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -11.6% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88.9% of revenue deployed · 85.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $204K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $92K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 39/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 40/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 43/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.