Northern Christian Radio

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
382436530
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Gaylord, MI, USA
Phone
9897326274
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,870,593
Expenses
$1,806,386
Assets
$2,380,542
Liabilities
$27,373

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PATRICK SCOTT (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • PATRICK SCOTT (CEO): $140,439 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 be a christ centered media ministry through which god is changing lives, strengthening families and impacting communities for christ in northern Michigan and ontario.

What it reported doing in 2025

Northern christian radio serves approximately 45 counties all over northern Michigan and ontario and is active in all areas. In april 2025, northern christian radio stations provided updates and much needed information to communities impacted by a major ice storm. This information included expected power outage times, how that work was continuing, and places to contact for emergency meals and shelter.wljn served as an emergency alert system broadcaster, providing regular testing and weather alerts. The organization also served as a samaritan's purse collection center, from which over 1,100 boxes were sent, and a thrive medical clinic "baby bottle boomerang" campaign collection center, helping raise more than $70,000. In addition, keys to freedom/gifts for kids served over 60 families of incarcerated parents. We promoted local church, nonprofit, and community activities through our community calendar; hosted five "lunches with listeners; and sponsored events such as faith night at the pitspitters game and the fatherhood walk. We also welcomed school-age field trips, career center (rehab) station tours, and a trail life service project, providing educational opportunities and community engagement throughout the year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 47
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 46
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 50.4%; rating input score 50
  • Program expense ratio: 51.4%; rating input score 51
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.84 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.4%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.32; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.8%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 50.4% of revenue deployed · 51.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $929K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $140K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 50/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 51/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 24/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 40/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 51/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 43/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 59/100.