The Life Way World Mission Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
954432541
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Commerce, CA, USA
Phone
3237251231
Rating
56
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Christianity
Affiliation
Christianity

Reported finances

Revenue
$401,150
Expenses
$348,341
Assets
$126,129
Liabilities
$381

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

Leadership & pay

2 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • YOUNG K KIM (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • SIMON S KIM (SECRETARY)
  • YOUNG K KIM (PRESIDENT)

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 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Part iii. Statement of program service accomplishments 1.the organization's mission a). Published monthly newsletters, "the life way gospel news," for propagation of christianity (mission work). B). Distributed newsletters to churches, mission organizations, and individual volunteers to distribute to markets and free newsstands in the following locations: 50%: California 45%: other states in USA 5%: overseas (korea, russia, south africa, canada, & guatemala) c). Visited homeless people on the streets (regularly) and jails in the los angeles area (7 times in 2010) to proselytize to inmates and comfort the underprivileged. D). Held prayer sessions for volunteers and supporters in the los angeles area. E). Prepared 700,000 copies of evangelical flyers written in english and spanish, distributed by volunteers who evangelized to people, with an emphasis on downtown los angeles.

What it reported doing in 2025

Last year, the organization issued and distributed over 10,000 copies of their monthly newsletter "the life way gospel news" free of charge to over 6 countries worldwide including russia, south africa, canada, korea, guatemala, and U.S.a.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Affiliate network. The nonprofit sent 73% of its reported program spending through affiliated organizations.

The verdict

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

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 52
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 6
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 54.6%; rating input score 55
  • Program expense ratio: 62.9%; rating input score 63
  • 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: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th 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: 13.2%; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.36; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18.4% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17.8% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 22.5% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 54.6% of revenue deployed · 62.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 2 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $219K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 2 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2014 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 55/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.