Degage Ministries

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
381912094
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Phone
6164541661
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Neighborhood Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,634,734
Expenses
$5,428,979
Assets
$13,657,221
Liabilities
$5,313,024

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CLAIRE GROEN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • MICHAEL LUNT (PRESIDENT)
  • THELMA ENSINK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • THELMA ENSINK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $124,800 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To reflect the love of christ to all who come through our doors by building relationships and offering programs that foster dignity and respect.

What it reported doing in 2025

Degage ministries programs worked in conjuction with one another to offer overall assistance to 400-500 homeless and low-income individuals on a daily basis. During 2025 the following services and facilities were provided to patrons: * open door womens center provided a safe haven to adult women in crisis during the critical overnight hours. * the dining room offered low-cost and free meals while providing patrons an opportunity to build relationships and participate in community activities. * hygiene facilities such as showers, laundry, lockers, and haircuts.* assistance in obtaining formal identification and meeting other long-term and immediate needs was provided.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 77% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 79% for direct work, and 21% for grants.
  • 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 86.2%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.3 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd 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: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th 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: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -17.1%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.52; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.39; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.3%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.7% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.3% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.9% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 86.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $4.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $125K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 43/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 21/100.