Ministry Spotlight: Cross International
Joins growing number of ministries changing IRS status to “Association of Churches”
Cross International saw both its Donor Confidence Score and Transparency Grade drop this month because it no longer files its Form 990 with the IRS.
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The organization petitioned the IRS to change its tax category to an “association of churches” and, under this status, organizations are not required to file a 990. This change in their IRS category caused Cross International’s Ministry Watch Donor Confidence Score to fall from a 97 to a 72.
Cross International does still post its Form 990s on its website, but since the forms are not filed with the IRS, ministry, accountability groups like ProPublica, Guidestar and Ministry Watch are not notified of yearly financial changes within the organization. Failure to file the Form 990 makes this important financial information less accessible to donors and the public.
To read more about why MinistryWatch believes all Christian ministries should file a Form 990, click here.
According to the ECFA, which releases limited financial information on its partner ministries, Cross International had a revenue of $99.37 million in 2023, and its expenses were $99.39 million. From 2020 to 2023, the organization almost doubled its revenue from $52.6 million to 99.3 million.
Cross International is based in Pompano Beach, Florida, but works in over 17 countries around the world. According to its website, “Cross International was built on three foundational pillars of service: orphans and vulnerable children, children with disabilities, and crisis care.” It carries out ministry initiatives by providing food, clean water, medical aid, education, housing and more.
MinistryWatch Donor Confidence Score: 72 (out of a possible 100) “Give With Confidence”
MinistryWatch Financial Efficiency Rating: 5 Stars (out of a possible 5 Stars)
MinistryWatch Transparency Grade: C
ECFA Member? Yes
Revenue in Most Recent Year Available (2020 Form 990): $52,631,066
Five-Year Revenue Trend: Increasing (by about 14.8%, according to Form 990s on the ministry website)
Percent of Revenue Cross International Spends on Fundraising: 3%
Percent Peer Group Spends on Fundraising: 5%
CEO/President: Kelly Miller
President’s Salary and Other Compensation: $221,700 (in 2020)
A complete MinistryWatch profile for Cross International can be found here.
Find recent MinistryWatch articles mentioning Cross International here.
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