Next Step Ministries Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
261110499
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2007
Location
Madison, WI, USA
Phone
8665342009
Rating
41
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Christianity
Affiliation
Christianity

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,988,344
Expenses
$2,005,953
Assets
$232,428
Liabilities
$226,067

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JAMES HOLLMAN (FINANCE/OPERATION DIR/PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • BARAK TSCHIRHART (MISSIONS DIRECTOR/TREASURER): $92,980 total reported compensation
  • TODD GEHRMANN (SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR/SECRETARY): $91,600 total reported compensation
  • NEIL ROWE (CREATIVE DIRECTOR): $67,612 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Next step ministries provides opportunities for students to explore their faith, experience god, and extend service to others, in the name of jesus christ.

What it reported doing in 2024

Next step ministries is a christ-centered, 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a heart to do youth missions differently. We are passionate about the experience students can have on a mission trip - serving others while encountering a living god who offers freedom and grace.we want to see people thriving, developing from within, and restoring dignity. To this end, we lead thousands of youth on one-week mission trips that connect them with sustainable community-led initiatives we support on a year-round basis.through years of intentional listening and learning we have been inspired to create a space where the beauty and power of short-term trips can connect to real sustainable community development. It's a tall task, and one we are continually learning and growing in, but it's also one that when done right, can provide an incredible god-sized experience for both students and communities alike.films - next step ministries provides original video series and study guides. Every year an original film series is produced that coincides with the evening messages. The film series is meant to reach others in yet another way with powerful stories of christ in action. While everyfilm series is different, it is our hope that students relate to the people in the film series and begin to understand that they are not alone.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 97% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 40
  • Transparency & Controls: 67
  • Accountability: 18
  • Sustainability: 20
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 44.5%; rating input score 45
  • Program expense ratio: 44.4%; rating input score 44
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 50%; rating input score 50; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 44
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: -0.9%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.12; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.97; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.7%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -7.5% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.5% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -3.4% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 44.5% of revenue deployed · 44.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 3 board members independent · 4 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $891K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $93K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2012 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 45/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 44/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 50/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 33/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 6/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 6/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.