Ministry Spotlight: The Voice of the Martyrs
Organization falls to “Exercise Caution” rating, no longer files Form 990
Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), headquartered in Bartlesville, Okla., recently saw a significant drop in a number of its MinistryWatch ratings.
Its overall Donor Confidence Score (DCS) is now a 53, “Exercise Caution.” This is in large part because the organization no longer files a Form 990 with the IRS, which deducts 20 points from its DCS. In the MinistryWatch database, organizations that do not file a Form 990 are also not eligible to receive any stars rating financial efficiency, which deducts another 20 points.
According to its Guidestar profile, VOM is “not required to file an annual return with the IRS because it is a religious organization.” VOM told MinistryWatch that in 2014, the organization made a request to the IRS to be recognized as a “Mission Society.”
“Mission societies are not required to prepare and file a form 990, but VOM continues to prepare a pro-forma 990 each year and makes it available to anyone upon request,” the organization told MinistryWatch.
VOM has posted audited financial reports from 2021 to 2023 on its website, all of which include executive salaries and the names of board members. The ministry is also a member of the ECFA.
According to VOM’s audited financial statements, in 2021, the organization’s revenue was $94.5 million. In 2023, it dropped to $89.8 million. The organization also has a total of $89.4 million in net assets.
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VOM is a missionary organization that works to serve “persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ.” They do this through humanitarian aid, advocacy, Bible distribution and “support to families of Christian martyrs.”
MinistryWatch Donor Confidence Score: 53 (out of a possible 100) “Exercise Caution”
MinistryWatch Financial Efficiency Rating: 0 Stars (out of a possible 5 Stars)
MinistryWatch Transparency Grade: C
Revenue in Most Recent Year Available (from VOM’s 2023 audited financial report): $89,800,544
Five-Year Revenue Trend: Increasing (by 71.5%)
Percent of Revenue VOM Spends on Fundraising: N/A (no Form 990)
Percent Peer Group Spends on Fundraising: N/A
CEO/President: Cole Richards
President’s Salary and Other Compensation: $211,363
A complete MinistryWatch profile for VOM can be found here.
Find recent MinistryWatch articles mentioning VOM here.
