Truth For Life

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
341787585
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2023
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2023
Location
Cleveland, OH, US
Phone
888-588-7884
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Christianity
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$23,970,675
Expenses
$21,135,992
Assets
$34,715,598
Liabilities
$1,293,880

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ALISTAIR BEGG (PRESIDENT/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • ALISTAIR BEGG (PRESIDENT/CEO): $378,645 total reported compensation
  • ROBERT BUTTS (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $258,446 total reported compensation
  • MICHAEL COSTLOW (DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS): $159,066 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Truth For Life’s mission is to teach the Bible with clarity and relevance so that unbelievers will be converted, believers will be established, and local churches will be strengthened. The Bible teaches that the Christian life is one of ongoing growth as we become more like Christ. It is our desire that the preaching on Truth For Life would assist believers in their understanding of Scripture and the responsibilities of Christian living. Local churches will be strengthened. The local church is a primary means through which discipleship occurs in a Christian's life. The sermons and materials we offer are meant to supplement, not substitute, the regular preaching of the Word that exists in the local church. We encourage listeners to be active members in their local church and to commit financially in support of them before considering giving to our ministry. If you need help.

What it reported doing in 2023

Truth for life, the bible-teaching ministry of alistair begg, produces and distributes a daily bible-teaching program to listeners in all major radio markets across the u.s. Through approximately 1,900 radio outlets. Listeners in the u.s. And from around the world can access the program for free online at truthforlife.org, mobile device apps, podcast, through facebook, apple itunes, spotify, youtube, and by way of amazon fire and roku tv. Truth for life is committed to delivering clear, relevant bible-teaching without cost as a barrier and makes alistair's entire teaching archive free online. Each month, over six million messages are downloaded for free by listeners across the globe. (continued on schedule o)followers of the ministry can also share alistair's teaching or access the daily blog through facebook, twitter, and instagram. For listeners who prefer to own truth for life's bible teaching messages a usb can be purchased at cost, with no mark up, thanks to the generous and faithful giving of the ministry's donors. Truth for life is fully dedicated to teaching the bible with clarity and relevance so that unbelievers will be converted, believers will be established, and local churches will be strengthened.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 76% for direct work, and 24% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 92
  • Sustainability: 67
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.5%; rating input score 76
  • Program expense ratio: 86.5%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $24.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • 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: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 11.8%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.64; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.4%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.9% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 76.5% of revenue deployed · 86.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $18.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $379K · 11 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $114K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2016 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 55/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 53/100.