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.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
6 people listed on the 990; $40K paid to officers and key staff.
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
| Name | FY2022 | FY2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 →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
Your first name shows with your question. Discovery Ministries answers here, for everyone.
served more than 1000 campers in 80 programs.
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $26K | $60K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $565K | $556K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $591K | $616K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $41K | $66K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $549K | $551K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $173K | $173K | ||
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $13K | $13K | ||
| Management feesLn 11a | $49 | $49 | ||
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $6K | $6K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $2K | $2K | ||
| Information technologyLn 14 | $5K | $5K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $1K | $1K | ||
| InterestLn 20 | $19 | $19 | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $35K | $35K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $21K | $21K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $31K | $31K | ||
| All other expensesLn 24e | $24K | $24K | ||
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $312K | $312K | $0 | $0 |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS Oct 3, 2025 | $324K | $388K | −$64K | $645K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024Filed with the IRS Oct 3, 2025 | $379K | $380K | −$647 | $709K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS May 18, 2023 | $361K | $302K | $60K | $710K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS May 4, 2022 | $502K | $405K | $97K | $648K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Jun 23, 2021 | $313K | $312K | $1K | $551K | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $313,091 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 3 of 4 board members independent, 4 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $313,091 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $311,690 across 12 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $616,499 assets, 9 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $550,794 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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