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Nonprofiteer
← BETTER WAY MINISTRIES

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by BETTER WAY MINISTRIES.

Totals

Total revenue
$1,632,294
Total expenses
$1,654,801
Contributions and grants received
$1,485,993
Grants paid
$571,123
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$135,384
Other revenue
$10,917
Total assets, end of year
$852,556
Total liabilities, end of year
$763,988
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$88,568
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,299,718
Management and general expenses
$355,083
Fundraising expenses
$0
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,299,718

Program services were 78.5% 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.

  • 1d · Related organizations

    $185,301

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $133,481

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $1,167,211

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $382,347

  • 2f · All other program service revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $12,235 · excluded $12,235

  • 6a · Gross rents

    real property $9,409

  • 6b · Less rental expenses

    real property $0

  • 6c · Rental income or loss

    real property $9,409 · personal property $0

  • 6d · Net rental income or loss

    total $9,409 · excluded $9,409

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    other assets $321,464

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    other assets $198,315

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $0 · other assets $123,149

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $123,149 · excluded $123,149

  • 10a · Gross sales of inventory

    $1,508

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $0

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $1,508 · excluded $1,508

  • 11d · All other revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $0

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $20,300 · program services $20,300

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $550,823 · program services $550,823

  • 4 · Benefits paid to or for members

    total $0 · program services $0

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $169,848 · program services $115,202 · management and general $54,646

  • 6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

    total $134,661 · program services $134,661

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $371,439 · program services $208,610 · management and general $162,829

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $57,539 · program services $39,027 · management and general $18,512

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $23,898 · program services $16,209 · management and general $7,689

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $2,735 · program services $1,913 · management and general $822

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $24,047 · management and general $24,047

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $74,053 · program services $68,610 · management and general $5,443 · fundraising $0

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $11,988 · program services $11,988

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $58,463 · program services $13,720 · management and general $44,743

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $1,449 · program services $340 · management and general $1,109

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $49,936 · program services $45,021 · management and general $4,915

  • 17 · Travel

    total $39,357 · program services $30,323 · management and general $9,034

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $38,554 · program services $34,699 · management and general $3,855

  • 24a · Other expenses: Licenses and subscriptions

    total $9,984 · program services $4,027 · management and general $5,957

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $15,727 · program services $4,245 · management and general $11,482 · fundraising $0

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $333,570 · end of year $191,304

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    end of year $333,696

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $6,990

  • 5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $7,909

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $420,773

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $213,527

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $432,693 · end of year $207,246

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $0

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    beginning of year $0

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $162,452 · end of year $120,310

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $17,108 · end of year $29,314

  • 22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $815,431 · end of year $734,674

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $70,316 · end of year $56,707

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $40,759 · end of year $31,861

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

Better Way Ministries, d/b/a Columbus Dream Center, is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to providing hope to low-income, homeless, and under-served individuals and families in Columbus, Ohio. The Dream Center forms partnerships with area churches, organizations, and individuals to fund and provide resources for its various outreach programs.

Activities or mission (Part I)

Provide hope to low-income, homeless, and under-served individuals and families.

  • Columbus Dream Center served the community through various events and programs including the following: Adopt a Block programming - parties during the summer in local communities to touch base with the kids and families of the area and continue connection during the non-school season. This programming also includes Super Saturdays where the Dream Center does smaller setting Adopt a Block parties. Hosting Meal Nights, Breakfast Serves and Meal Distributions to serve hot meals to the homeless community weekly. Brotherhood and Sisterhood - programming specifically geared toward young boys and girls in a small group setting. Holiday-specific outreach for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter

    Expenses $1,035,671 · Grants $471,159

  • The Columbus Dream Center responded to the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 with a Learning Extension Program where they offered a safe space for students to do remote school work with support and meals. In 2021, as schools returned to in person, the Dream Center desired to maintain connection with the students and launched the After School Program for students to continue with support on homework, receive snacks, and be connected with the volunteers and students in the area.

    Expenses $207,419 · Grants $99,964

  • Hilliard Dream Center - Medical Clinic - In October of 2023, the Columbus Dream Center launched a free medical clinic to assist those in the community with medical evaluations and services.

    Expenses $56,628

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Cris Gordon

    Executive Director

    Total calculated
    $155,966
    From this org
    $37,168
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $118,798
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $37,168
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $13,563
    Nontaxable benefits
    $105,235
    Filer's total
    $155,966
  • Steve Campbell

    President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 1 related
  • Todd Marrah

    Director

    Total calculated
    $75,108
    From this org
    $0
    From related orgs
    $11,590
    Other
    $63,518
    Hours/week
    1 + 20 related

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. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 1a · Housing allowance or residence for personal use
  • 1b · Written policy on the line-1a expenses
  • 2 · Substantiation required before reimbursing expenses
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

Schedule J, Part I, Line 1a Housing allowance or residence for personal use
Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 107, ministerial housing allowances are provided for qualifying ministerial employees. This is not included in taxable compensation. All officers met the qualifications for and received a ministerial housing allowance during the tax year.
Schedule J, Part I, Line 4b Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
Steve Campbell received a monthly retirement contribution as part of a nonqualified retirement plan. The total received for 2023 was $50,000.

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
14 July 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202501959349301300

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