Tip of the Spears Ministries

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
852532547
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2022, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2021
Location
Midlothian, VA, USA
Phone
8043909200
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Counseling, Support Groups

Reported finances

Revenue
$564,106
Expenses
$478,977
Assets
$198,653
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVID MILLS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DAVID MILLS (PRESIDENT): $34,500 total reported compensation
  • RAY WAGEMAN (DIRECTOR): $23,000 total reported compensation
  • ROBERT BRAXTON (TREASURER): $5,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Sharpening men to become the husbands, fathers, and leaders god designed us to be. This is accomplished through experiences, weekly tribe meetings, and a weekly podcast.

What it reported doing in 2024

Experiences - held 5 large experiences in 2024: carry the fire/patch, warrior princess, a 7-year birthday event and start the fire. Carry the fire is an event which includes an overnight field training experience with the goal of making men better disciples of jesus christ and ready to defend and lead others to christ through discipleship, apologetics, and leadership training. Warrior princess and knight are campouts with children ages 6-17 with their fathers or father-figure. The 7-year birthday event celebrated and recognized tribe members and leaders for their accomplishments during the year and highlighted the growth and vision of the ministry. Approximately 370 attended this event in 2024. Start the fire is an introduction to men's alliance to men who may want to start a tribe.

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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 65
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 68
  • Sustainability: 53
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58.4%; rating input score 58
  • Program expense ratio: 75%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $27.7 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 67; 67th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 22
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 15.1%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.41; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 109.5% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 77% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 63.7% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 58.4% of revenue deployed · 75% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $359K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $34K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 58/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 19/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 28/100.