Compassion Ministries

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
814574956
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2016
Location
Burnsville, MN, USA
Phone
9528908222
Rating
89
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,111,723
Expenses
$2,036,765
Assets
$3,590,000
Liabilities
$2,282,956

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RUSS COUWENHOVEN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MITCH BERNDT (MEMBER): $63,893 total reported compensation
  • MARK KLEMME (TREASURER): $26,688 total reported compensation
  • HAROLD YOUTZY (MEMBER): $4,849 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of compassion ministries is to build redemptive relationships within our communities by helping to meet physical, spiritual, and social needs, and by helping support other like-minded ministries both local and distant.

What it reported doing in 2024

1.) toys for tots - 253 families and 701 kids 2) emergency food shelf: 27,241 pounds of food distrubuted to over 400 families3) emergency food shelf - 415 families and 1401 individuals4) saturday food lines - 313,000 pounds of food distributed5) saturday food lines - 10,400 boxes of food distributed that feed approx 4 people each6) daily offer overstock bread & sweets from local stores - 63,720 pounds of food distributed7) 3100 pounds of clothing distrubted to local elementary, middle, and high schools8) prince of peace - 3400 lbs of textiles for their ministry9) bridging the gap approximately $750-$1000 of clothing for their single mom's retreat10) over 25,000 pounds of clothing and linens distributed to different ministries and schools 11) on-site spiritual ministry to customers/visitors/staff/volunteers

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 91
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 91.8%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 95.1%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: $49.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.5%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.76; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.64; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.9%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.2% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 26.5% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 51.8% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 91.8% of revenue deployed · 95.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $64K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 46/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 57/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 15/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 54/100.