Global Encounters

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
208974266
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2014
Location
Redlands, CA, USA
Phone
8669815019
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Support N.E.C.
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$158,157
Expenses
$181,041
Assets
$94,658
Liabilities
$2,062

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BRIAN FOX (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ELIZABETH FOX (EXECUTIVE DI): $48,083 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Global encounters organizes and carries out international mission trips, primarily for teens and college age young people. The mission teams teach positive character traits and scripture lessons to children and teens, help with humanitarian aid projects, and take part in other volunteer work in foreign countries.

What it reported doing in 2025

To serve in foreign countries by sharing the gospel, teaching biblical truth, demonstrating christ's love, and meeting practical needs by working with and supporting those who have a long-term investment in the country. Also, to disciple young people by providing hands-on ministry opportunities and a team structure by bringing team members face-to-face with real needs and challenges through the types of ministry projects organized.

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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 75
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 44
  • Sustainability: 20
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.1%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 77.8%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -14.5%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.52; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 26.6%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.9% per year; rating input score 0; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.3% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 89.1% of revenue deployed · 77.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 6 board members independent · 1 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $141K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $48K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 26/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 34/100.