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← HIGHER THINGS INC

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by HIGHER THINGS INC.

What the amendment changed

Compared with the return it replaced , filed 13 November 2024. matched by us Only the Part I totals and the names listed in Part VII are compared. We relate returns by organization, tax year and form, and order them by each return's own timestamp; the filer's own "amended return" checkbox is a separate fact.

Total revenue
$1,252,652 changed to $1,235,372
Program service revenue
$922,824 changed to $905,544
Total liabilities, end of year
$240,883 changed to $258,163
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$392,272 changed to $374,992
Program services expenses
$778,441 changed to $780,518
Management and general expenses
$101,579 changed to $101,557
Fundraising expenses
$199,515 changed to $197,460
Program service expenses (Part III)
$778,441 changed to $780,518

Totals

Total revenue
$1,235,372
Total expenses
$1,079,535
Contributions and grants received
$308,864
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$905,544
Investment income
$10,751
Other revenue
$10,213
Total assets, end of year
$633,155
Total liabilities, end of year
$258,163
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$374,992
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$780,518
Management and general expenses
$101,557
Fundraising expenses
$197,460
Program service expenses (Part III)
$780,518

Program services were 72.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $308,864

  • 2a · Program service revenue: CONFERENCE REGISTRATIO

    total $779,656 · related or exempt $779,656

  • 2b · Program service revenue: EXHIBITOR INCOME

    total $70,648 · related or exempt $70,648

  • 2c · Program service revenue: SUBSCRIPTIONS

    total $36,017 · related or exempt $36,017

  • 2d · Program service revenue: RETREAT REGISTRATIONS

    total $19,223 · related or exempt $19,223

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $10,751 · excluded $10,751

  • 10a · Gross sales of inventory

    $24,002

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $13,821

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $10,181 · related or exempt $10,181

  • 11a · Other revenue: REBATES, REFUNDS AND R

    total $32 · related or exempt $32

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $32

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $78,253 · program services $7,825 · management and general $23,476 · fundraising $46,952

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $238,858 · program services $167,823 · management and general $3,752 · fundraising $67,283

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $11,193 · program services $6,968 · management and general $2,335 · fundraising $1,890

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $27,530 · program services $19,374 · management and general $919 · fundraising $7,237

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $26,092 · program services $13,542 · management and general $3,979 · fundraising $8,571

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $416 · program services $416

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $18,751 · management and general $18,751

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $25,199 · program services $12,595 · management and general $6,422 · fundraising $6,182

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $250 · fundraising $250

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $15,963 · program services $4,231 · management and general $6,467 · fundraising $5,265

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $33,563 · program services $8,903 · management and general $16,305 · fundraising $8,355

  • 17 · Travel

    total $83,147 · program services $37,941 · management and general $17,060 · fundraising $28,146

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $504,194 · program services $494,423 · management and general $221 · fundraising $9,550

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $892 · management and general $892

  • 24a · Other expenses: MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES

    total $15,234 · program services $6,477 · management and general $978 · fundraising $7,779

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $128,445 · end of year $172,569

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $854,806 · end of year $456,535

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $1,460 · end of year $35

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $11,016 · end of year $4,016

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $3,323 · end of year $17,354

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $773,249 · end of year $240,809

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $192,683 · end of year $352,254

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $26,472 · end of year $22,738

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

THE MISSION OF HIGHER THINGS IS TO MAKE THE GIFTS OF CHRIST JESUS KNOWN TO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE MISSION OF HIGHER THINGS IS TO MAKE THE GIFTS OF CHRIST JESUS KNOWN TO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.

  • WE HELD TWO CONFERENCES FOR YOUTH SERVING OVER 1,800 YOUTH, PASTORS, AND ADULT LEADERS. THE CONFERENCES PROMOTE A CHRISTIAN IDENTITY FOR THE YOUTH AND PROVIDE A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN MORE DEEPLY UNDERSTAND THEIR CHRISTIAN FAITH. CONFERENCES INCLUDE DAILY WORSHIP, CATECHESIS CLASSES, BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT. SMALLER RETREATS ARE HELD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH SIMILAR OBJECTIVES BUT ON A MUCH SMALLER, REGIONAL SCALE.

    Expenses $657,038 · Revenue $856,577

  • OUR CONTENT AREA PRODUCES VIDEO SHORTS, DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS, PODCASTS, CURRICULUM INCLUDING VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL PACKAGES, BIBLE STUDIES AND HOSTS VIRTUAL EVENTS.

    Expenses $123,480 · Revenue $59,180

As filed on the 2023 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • JEFFREY WARE

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $50
    From this org
    $50
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • DUANE BAMSCH

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $200
    From this org
    $200
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    10

  • REBEKAH CLAUSEN

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $500
    From this org
    $500
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • ELEANOR CORROW

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • ANTHONY PELLIGRINI

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • JOHN PLESS

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • RANDY STURZENBECHER

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $100
    From this org
    $100
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • JOEL FRITSCHE

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $50
    From this org
    $50
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • KURT WINRICH

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • ERICA JACOBY SORENSEN

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $115,330
    From this org
    $107,729
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $7,601
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
9 June 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202511619349300206

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