ELCA Youth Ministry Network
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 341865352
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2012–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Owatonna, MN, United States
- Phone
- 612.460.5345
- Rating
- 80
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Protestant
- Affiliation
- Christianity
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $784,266
- Expenses
- $852,027
- Assets
- $310,590
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
People named in this filing
- REV TODD BUEGLER (EXECUTIVE DI)
- DAN JACOB (BOARD MEMBER)
- REV HEATHER HANSEN (BOARD MEMBER)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Our Mission:** The ELCA Youth Ministry Network exists to strengthen and empower adult youth ministry leaders in service to Christ. **Our Vision:** We see a future where children, youth and family ministry in the ELCA flourishes and becomes ever stronger. This happens because as a community we will focus on: Spiritual renewal Quality continuing education. Adult youth ministry leaders; equally valuing lay, rostered, volunteer and paid. Healthy, supported and networked ministries in all areas of the church. The current and potential cultural and spiritual diversity of our communities. Therefore, the Network seeks to welcome **all** persons. We make special effort to welcome those have been historically marginalized. _(...from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages... Rev. 7:9b)_.
What it reported doing in 2024
The network extravaganza in 2025 drew over 600 professional and volunteer youth ministry leaders together for 4 days and 3 nights of quality education, networking, support and spiritual growth. General sessions exposed the group to nationally known speakers and music groups and focused on encouragement and inspiration. Over 45 workshop options gave opportunities for individual and congregational teams to learn specific skills. A large exhibit hall showcased over 70 resource providers and vendors. Evening events and receptions gave youth ministry leaders opportunities to meet, share experiences, network and develop supportive relationships with each other.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 95% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- 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
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 85
- Transparency & Controls: 90
- Accountability: 64
- Sustainability: 34
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 98.7%; rating input score 99
- Program expense ratio: 90.8%; rating input score 91
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
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: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Limited
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -8.6%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.36; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 98.7% of revenue deployed · 90.8% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $774K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 9 people listed
- Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
- Schedules: 2 filed schedules
- Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
- 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 17/100.