Bible Truth Publishers Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
362464261
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Addison, IL, USA
Phone
6305431441
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Printing, Publishing

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$832,918
Expenses
$905,228
Assets
$3,353,166
Liabilities
$76,725

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • STEPHEN RULE (PRESIDENT, ASSISTANT TREASURER)
  • DONALD RULE (VICE-PRESIDENT, TREASURER)
  • DOUGLAS BUCHANAN (VICE-PRESIDENT, SECRETARY)

Highest reported compensation

  • STEPHEN RULE (PRESIDENT, ASSISTANT TREASURER): $68,870 total reported compensation
  • JOSEPH HAYHOE (ASSISTANT TREASURER): $63,531 total reported compensation
  • DONALD RULE (VICE-PRESIDENT, TREASURER): $56,440 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 exempt purpose of the organization is to promote and propagate the religious beliefs of its adherents through the printing and dissemination of these beliefs by means of books, pamphlets, tracts, periodicals and electronic media.

What it reported doing in 2025

To promote and propagate the religious beliefs of its adherents. Over 5,000,000 items of literature in multiple languages were produced and distributed. We would estimate that over half of these items reached different individuals in over 25 languages and in over 50 countries. Distribution includes free bibles sent to chaplains and prisoners throughout the u.s. Prison and juvenile detention systems. God alone can measure the lasting "achievement" of spiritual benefit in the hearts of the receivers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 90% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has grown recently. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 55
  • Accountability: 57
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.6%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 89.5%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 57.1%; rating input score 57; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -8.7%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.7; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20.9%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -13.3% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.2% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 89.6% of revenue deployed · 89.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $810K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $69K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.
  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 57/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 15/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.