Discovery Ministries

Tax-deductible

Eminence, MO501(c)(3)ReligionEIN 43-1284018Revenue $324K in FY2025

On file with the IRSdmchallenge.org17043 State Rte E, 65466-6485 · Eminence, MOTax-exempt since Feb 1984Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Discover Ministries exists to enable individuals and groups to grow to be like Christ through challenge and recreation.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 30 volunteers and 12 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $18K a year · 5% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$26K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$324K
-15% vs prior year
Spent
$388K
To programs
100%
Net assets
$645K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$324K
FY2025▼ -15%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$313K
FY2022$502K
FY2023$361K
FY2024$379K
FY2025$324K
Expenses
$388K
FY2025▲ +2%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$312K
FY2022$405K
FY2023$302K
FY2024$380K
FY2025$388K
Net assets
$645K
FY2025▼ -9%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$551K
FY2022$648K
FY2023$710K
FY2024$709K
FY2025$645K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending January 2025) · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 1984.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $388K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

7 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Assistant Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Joel Bates’s $27K as Assistant Secretary is at the 26th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2133 $100K–1M religion nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2022FY2021
Joel Bates$27,085$40,065

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Discovery Ministries executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Helps people grow like Christ through challenging recreation.

Questions for Discovery Ministries

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $388K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

served more than 1400 campers in 45 programs.

$388Kprogram expense

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$324K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$148K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$140K
Other incomeLn 4–11$32K
Money outPt IX
$388K
Ln 25
Programscol B$388K
Owns and owesPt X
$645K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$105K
Total assetsLn 16$670K
LiabilitiesLn 26$26K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$148K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$140K
Investment incomeLn 3$4K
Other incomeLn 4–11$32K
Gains on assetsLn 7$450
Total revenueLn 12$324K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$23K
SavingsLn 2$82K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$105K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$565K
Other assetsLn 15$202
Total assetsLn 16$670K
LiabilitiesLn 26$26K
Net assetsLn 32$645K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 512
VolunteersI 630
Fiscal year endsHeaderJanuary
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$212K$105K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$519K$565K
Total assetsLn 16$732K$670K
LiabilitiesLn 26$23K$26K
Net assetsLn 32$709K$645K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$178K$178K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$3K$3K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$1K$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$14K$14K
Management feesLn 11a$303$303
Accounting feesLn 11c$1K$1K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$6K$6K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$20K$20K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$2K$2K
TravelLn 17$1K$1K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$34K$34K
InsuranceLn 23$25K$25K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$70K$70K
All other expensesLn 24e$31K$31K
Total functional expensesLn 25$388K$388K$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $324K$388K−$64K$645K 990 PDF
FY2024 $379K$380K−$647$709K 990 PDF
FY2023 $361K$302K$60K$710K 990 PDF
FY2022 $502K$405K$97K$648K 990 PDF
FY2021 $313K$312K$1K$551K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $323,882 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $188,118$147,784
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $143,527$139,980
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $7,246$3,719
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $40,385$32,399
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $379,276$323,882
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $176,221$195,259
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $203,702$193,056
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $379,923$388,315
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$647−$64,433
Part VI · Governance 3 of 4 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members3
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $323,882 across 8 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $1,254 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$147,784
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$147,784
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $139,980$139,980
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $3,269$3,269
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $450$450
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $31,145$31,145
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $176,098 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$323,882
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $388,315 across 15 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $177,575$177,575
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $2,760$2,760
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,315$1,315
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $13,609$13,609
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $303$303
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $1,363$1,363
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $5,938$5,938
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $19,769$19,769
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $2,360$2,360
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $2,105$2,105
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,404$1,404
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $34,012$34,012
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $24,601$24,601
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $70,056$70,056
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $31,145$31,145
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $388,315 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$388,315
Part X · Balance sheet $670,213 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $32,776$23,103
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $179,724$82,134
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$172
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $519,390$564,602
X-15 Other assets$202
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $731,890$670,213
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $4,757$25,657
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year −$112−$112
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $22,789$25,545
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $709,101$644,668
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $731,890$670,213
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $644,668 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$323,882
XI-2 Total expenses$388,315
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$64,433
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$709,101
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$644,668

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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