Ankerberg Theological Research Institute
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 621138444
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2021
- Location
- Chattanooga, TN, USA
- Phone
- 4238927722
- Rating
- 76
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $5,629,133
- Expenses
- $6,605,420
- Assets
- $4,462,611
- Liabilities
- $1,429,638
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- DR JOHN ANKERBERG (President)
- DARLENE ANKERBERG (CEO)
Highest reported compensation
- DR JOHN ANKERBERG (President): $131,819 total reported compensation
- HEATHER JUNDI (Accounting Manager): $113,000 total reported compensation
- AMY DEAN (Director of Marketing and Web): $109,928 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The mission of the ankerberg theological research institute is to reach viewers and listeners for the gospel of christ through radio tv, and internet evangelism via the john ankerberg show.
What it reported doing in 2025
The john ankerberg show is a weekly half-hour nationwide television program whose purpose is to demonstrate that christianity is true so that our viewers will embrace it for themselves and learn to share it effectively with others. The formats of choice for this apologetics ministry are informal debates between representatives of differing belief systems, and documentary-styled presentations on major issues in society to which the historic christian faith has something of consequence to say. The programs are designed to reach and appeal to a thinking audience of christians and non-christians alike.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 80% for direct work, and 20% for grants.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 79
- Transparency & Controls: 77
- Accountability: 75
- Sustainability: 17
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 88.5%; rating input score 89
- Program expense ratio: 75.4%; rating input score 75
- Fundraising efficiency: $12.69 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
- Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
- Requires narrative reports: Fail
- Conducts field audits: Fail
- May suspend future funding: Fail
- Requires financial reports: Fail
- Conducts site visits: Fail
- Requires grant agreements: Fail
- May require repayment: Fail
- Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 57.1%; rating input score 57; 11th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -17.3%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.68; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.32; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 8.4%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 88.5% of revenue deployed · 75.4% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 4 of 7 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $5M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $132K · 9 people listed
- Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
- Filing history: 15 filing years from 2011 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
- 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.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
- Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 57/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 44/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 23/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 25/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 39/100.