ARM Ministries

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
134208938
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2019
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2019
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
Phone
806.370.5600
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Christianity
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$720,455
Expenses
$663,030
Assets
$219,292
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2019. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ALAN MEZGER (PRESIDENT EMERITUS)
  • REID KISLING (PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • ALAN MEZGER (PRESIDENT EMERITUS): $34,025 total reported compensation
  • REID KISLING (PRESIDENT & CEO): $2,520 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2019. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

ARM Ministries is a conciliatory instrument of God extending the biblically based reproductive work of His churches into all the world. and vision statements as an organization are intentionally very broad to allow for a maximum number of ministries to develop under the vision of almost any particular worker in almost any particular place. We also do not have an outcome-based approach to ministry as all our workers are contract workers, not employees; the relationship is more important than the function. Finally, our workers have freedom to pursue their ministry goals; supporting churches or denominations can mold those goals as they desire. 2. ### Workers are accountable primarily to sending partners. Sending partners should keep up with the work of each worker they support through ARM Ministries. We recognize t.

What it reported doing in 2019

All our program service work is essentially the same in every country we serve as we strive to fulfill the mission as described in part iii, line 1. Some countries may require this information to be stated sensitively so it is our preference to not specifically state the countries publicly but the public may be confidently assured that we operate in accordance with the laws of host countries as well as the laws of the united states. As of 2015, we have about 39 workers in about 15 countries. Almost all expenses are for living, travel, and ministry for each of our workers. Most live full time in the countries in which they work. All revenue comes from general donations to our organization with the understanding by the donor that the revenue is targeted for above stated mission. Thus, no revenue is actually generated by the program service but almost all is generally targeted for the program service. Program service work in foreign regions is further summarized on schedule f.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

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: 55
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.1%; rating input score 80
  • Program expense ratio: 87%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $172.89 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 8%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.33; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.5%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 80.1% of revenue deployed · 87% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $577K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $34K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2013 to 2019
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 54/100.