Lighthouse Gospel Mission

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
596173284
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Riverview, FL, United States
Phone
813-677-5220
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Protestant
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,912,239
Expenses
$1,850,571
Assets
$1,018,801
Liabilities
$28,898

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANTHONY SAMUELS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANTHONY SAMUELS (PRESIDENT): $86,246 total reported compensation
  • JEANNETTE SAMUELS (SECRETARY): $51,276 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Through the love of Jesus, the Lighthouse Gospel Mission serves the hurting, hungry, and addicted in our communities through four avenues of ministry: Faith Home Ministry (18-month residential discipleship program for men and women), Lighthouse Freedom Center (Jesus-centered community-based church), Lighthouse Remnant Thrift Store (affordable used goods/clothing/furniture; proceeds support mission and ministries), and Operation Hope of Florida (food ministry distributing 2.4 million+ pounds per year; local distribution point for Tampa Bay ministries).

What it reported doing in 2024

Lighthouse freedom center church over the course of 2024, lfc shepherded and tended to the spiritual needs of 1,340 individuals monthly thorugh 2 weekly services. Additionally, over the course of the year in our weekly church services we led approximately 54 individuals to christ for the transformation and restoration of their lives, families and communities. We performed baptisms, baby dedications and conducted new members' classes. Additionally, we served our community by performing 5 marriage ceremonies preceded by premarital counseling with licensed and ordained ministers. We had 4 fellowship meetings through our women's group with 50-75 attendees at each and 4 meetings through our men's group. We also sent out 12 evangelism teams throughout the year. Additionally, we supported other minitries, outreaches, and individuals in various ways. All these actions focused on sharing the gospel of jesus christ and were successful in doing so.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 93% 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

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: 98
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 62
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 97.4%; rating input score 97
  • Fundraising efficiency: $245.34 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 93; 93rd 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.2%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.55; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.4%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 97.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 6 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $86K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 45/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 26/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 45/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 59/100.