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Underground Ministries

EIN 61-1850476 · Mount Vernon, WA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood78 out of 100GovernanceFair58 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

UNDERGROUND MINISTRIES OPENS NEW RELATIONSHIPS OF EMBRACE AND TRUST BETWEEN GANG-AFFECTED PRISIONERS AND THE COMMUNITIES TO WHICH THEY RETURN, FOR OUR MUTUAL TRANSFORMATION AND RESURRECTION.

Income
$1.2 million
Spending
$854,410
Spent on programs
88%
Reserves
6.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 71%
Employees
12
Volunteers
287

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 68% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 27% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 87% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    88% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Fair: 58 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $267,109 spent. UNDERGROUND MINISTRIES CLARIFIED ALL OUR EXISTING OPERATIONS AND ENERGIES INTO THREE PROGRAM CATEGORIES: 1) DIRECT REENTRY: OUR LOCAL, ONGOING WORK OF PRISON-REENTRY RELATIONSHIP AND ACCOMPANIMENT AMOUNG GANG-AFFECTED MEN AND WOMEN RELEASING TO SKAGIT COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES CONTINUED TO GROW. NOT ONLY TO SERVE MORE INDIVIDUALS, BUT OUR FORMERLY INCARCERATED REENTRY NAVIGATORS DEVELOPED GREATER PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, LASER TATTO REMOVAL, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS PROBATION OFFICES, RECOVERY HOUSING AND EVEN STATE REPRESENTATIVES. ONE NAVIGATOR FOUNDED A GANG YOUTH INTERVENTION GROUP, OUR JOURNEY, TO EXTEND OUR REENTRY REACH TO YOUTH WHO HAVE BEEN PUSHED OUT OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND INTO THE STREETS' GANG RECRUITMENT. DIRECT REENTRY ALSO GAINED SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FROM THE WA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO EXTEND GREATER DIGITAL NAVIGATION, TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT, BASIC NEEDS AND WORKPLACES READINESS FOR THOSE WE SERVE. UNDERGROUND MINISTRIES CLARIFIED ALL OUR EXISTING OPERATIONS AND ENERGIES INTO THREE PROGRAM CATEGORIES: 1) DIRECT REENTRY: OUR LOCAL, ONGOING WORK OF PRISON-REENTRY RELATIONSHIP AND ACCOMPANIMENT AMOUNG GANG-AFFECTED MEN AND WOMEN RELEASING TO SKAGIT COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES CONTINUED TO GROW. NOT ONLY TO SERVE MORE INDIVIDUALS, BUT OUR FORMERLY INCARCERATED REENTRY NAVIGATORS DEVELOPED GREATER PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, LASER TATTO REMOVAL, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS PROBATION OFFICES, RECOVERY HOUSING AND EVEN STATE REPRESENTATIVES. ONE NAVIGATOR FOUNDED A GANG YOUTH INTERVENTION GROUP, OUR JOURNEY, TO EXTEND OUR REENTRY REACH TO YOUTH WHO HAVE BEEN PUSHED OUT OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND INTO THE STREETS' GANG RECRUITMENT. DIRECT REENTRY ALSO GAINED SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FROM THE WA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO EXTEND GREATER DIGITAL NAVIGATION, TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT, BASIC NEEDS AND WORKPLACES READINESS FOR THOSE WE SERVE.
  2. $488,211 spent. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS NOT LISTED PREVIOUSLY: 2) ONE PARISH ONE PRISONER: THIS PROGRAM TAKES OUR LOCAL REENTRY PRACTICES AND MOBILIZES CHURCHES TO PRACTICE THEM WITH JUST ONE PERSON RELEASED FROM PRISON INTO THEIR COMMUNITY, OVER TWO YEARS. OUR OPOP DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS EXPANDED OUR PROGRAM FROM 20 "PARISH TEAMS" TO 40 THIS YEAR. AND WE COMPLETED A SIGNIFICANT VIDEO INTERVIEW SERIES TO ENRICH ALL 24 MONTHLY LEARNING MODULES WITH A VARIETY OF PERSONAL TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS. PART OF OUR STATE CONTRACTS CONTRIBUTED TO STAFFING TO EXPAND PARISH RECRUITMENT IN CHURCH NETWORKS AND BUILD OUR PLATFORM IN CONFERENCE CIRCUITS. 3) MOVEMENT BUILDING: OUR MISSION TO CAST VISION BEYOND JUST OUR TWO PROGRAMS, WHILE ALSO INVESTING IN OUR DATABASE AND BACK-END COMMUNICATIONS, INVESTED IN A NEW BACKEND SOFTWARE FOR RECURRING DONATIONS, DONOR, AND VOLUNTEER TRACKING, INTEGRATED WITH OUR NEWSLETTERS COMMUNICATIONS. OUR NEWSLETTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA WILL NOW DEPLOY MORE OF OUR ORIGINAL VIDEO MATERIAL, IN TANDEM, BOTH RESOURCING THE WIDER NETWORK OUT THERE WHILE INSPIRING MORE DONORS TO GIVE AND INVEST IN OUR WORK.
  3. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS NOT LISTED PREVIOUSLY: 2) ONE PARISH ONE PRISONER: THIS PROGRAM TAKES OUR LOCAL REENTRY PRACTICES AND MOBILIZES CHURCHES TO PRACTICE THEM WITH JUST ONE PERSON RELEASED FROM PRISON INTO THEIR COMMUNITY, OVER TWO YEARS. OUR OPOP DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS EXPANDED OUR PROGRAM FROM 20 "PARISH TEAMS" TO 40 THIS YEAR. AND WE COMPLETED A SIGNIFICANT VIDEO INTERVIEW SERIES TO ENRICH ALL 24 MONTHLY LEARNING MODULES WITH A VARIETY OF PERSONAL TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS. PART OF OUR STATE CONTRACTS CONTRIBUTED TO STAFFING TO EXPAND PARISH RECRUITMENT IN CHURCH NETWORKS AND BUILD OUR PLATFORM IN CONFERENCE CIRCUITS. 3) MOVEMENT BUILDING: OUR MISSION TO CAST VISION BEYOND JUST OUR TWO PROGRAMS, WHILE ALSO INVESTING IN OUR DATABASE AND BACK-END COMMUNICATIONS, INVESTED IN A NEW BACKEND SOFTWARE FOR RECURRING DONATIONS, DONOR, AND VOLUNTEER TRACKING, INTEGRATED WITH OUR NEWSLETTERS COMMUNICATIONS. OUR NEWSLETTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA WILL NOW DEPLOY MORE OF OUR ORIGINAL VIDEO MATERIAL, IN TANDEM, BOTH RESOURCING THE WIDER NETWORK OUT THERE WHILE INSPIRING MORE DONORS TO GIVE AND INVEST IN OUR WORK.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since July 2018.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.