Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Cornerstone Ministries International

EIN 91-1550156 · Tustin, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood78 out of 100GovernanceGood80 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO SEEK THE LOST SHEEPS OF GOD AND COMFORT THEM, MAKE THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST, AND TO WORK TOGETHER IN HOLY SPIRIT, TO BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THE GOSPEL RESTRICTED NATIONS WHERE CHRISTIANS ARE BEING PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.

Income
$1.9 million
Spending
$1.8 million
Spent on programs
77%
Reserves
9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 98%
Employees
13
Volunteers
140
Highest pay
$57,600, executive director

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 (international, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 9.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 27% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    77% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 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

Good: 80 out of 100. Higher than 33% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    3 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • 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 (5)
  1. $256,631 spent. DELIVERING BIBLES AND CHRISTIAN LITERATURES TO PERSECUTED CHURCHES IN THE GOSPEL RESTRICTED NATIONS SUCH AS NORTH KOREA, CHINA, MINOIRITIES IN CHINA, ISLAMIC NATIONS, AND ISRAEL WITH THE COMBINED EFFORT OF OTHER PARTNERING MINISTRIES, MISSION ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUAL MISSIONARIES. HAVE DISTRIBUTED 139,390 BIBLES INCLUDING 102,052 CHINESE BIBLES,31,675 NORTH KOREAN BIBLES, 5,663 HEBREW AND ARABIC BIBLES. WE HAVE PUBLISHED 1,235 COPIES OF THE 'SOUTH AND NORTH KOREAN PARALLEL BIBLE' SO THAT NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES LIVING IN SOUTH KOREA CAN READ THE NORTH KOREAN BIBLES IN PARALLEL WITH THE SOUTH KOREAN BIBLE. WE PRINTED NORTH KOREAN BIBLES INCLUDING THE PARALLEL BIBLES IN PREPARATION FOR THE OPENING OF NORTH KOREA. WE ARE BROADCASTING 90 MINUTES OF CHRISTIAN RADIO PROGRAMS OVER SHORT AND MEDIUM WAVE TO REACH BELIEVERS AND CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN NORTH KOREA AND OVERSEAS. WE READ NORTH KOREAN BIBLES AT DICTATING SPEEED OVER RADIO. WE PRODUCED AND BROADCASTED OVER THE SHORT WAVE 90 MINUTES PER EVERY DAY AND PRODUCED 60 MINUTES WORSHIP SERVICE AND BROADCAST ON SUNDAY AND OTHER BIBLE TEACHING 30 MINUTES ON WEDNESDAY ON AM FREQUENCY.
  2. $243,592 spent. RAISING UP LEADERS IN THE RESTRICTED NATIONS FOR THEM TO MINISTER TO PROPOGATING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST BY HAVING BIBLES SCHOOL, SEMINARIES TEACHING, AND CONFERENCES ALONG WITH THE OTHER MINISTRIES, MISSIONARIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS. EQUIP POTENTIAL LEADERS AMONG KOREAN LIVING IN KOREA AND LIVING AROUND THE WORLD TO ENTER INTO THE RESTRICTED MISSION FIELD. 387 STUDENTS TOOK CLASSES ON-LINE AND OFF-LINE AT 10 TEACHING SITES IN 8 CITIES, 75 STUDENTS GRADUATED FROM 6 TEACHING SITES. WE PROVIDED SCHOLARSHIPS TO 15 STUDENTS, ADDITIONALLY SUPPORTED THE INSUFFICIENT FINANCES OF 2 BRANCH TEACHING SITES, AND SUPPORTED LOCAL PASTORS WHO ARE SERVING AS A LOCAL LEADER FOR CHURCH PLANTING AND MISSION. WE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT A THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE IN INDIA, AND PROVIDED LEADER'S TRAINING IN VIETNAM, AND SUPPORTED OTHER MISSION ORGANIZATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN ISRAEL. WE HAVE SUPPORTED BIBLE SCHOOLS IN THE FAR WESTERN PART OF CHINA TRAINING 12 STUDENTS.
  3. $464,376 spent. FACILITATING AND SUPPORTING MISSIONARIES FOR NETWORKING AND PARTNERING WITH OTHER MINISTRIES AND TRAINING PEOPLE TO BE MISSIONARIES IN KOREA AND IN THE RESTRICTED NATIONS. THE MISSION CONFERNCES WERE HELD IN JANUARY AND JULY WITH 728 PARTICIPANTS. A TOTAL OF 294 PEOPLE WERE TRAINED IN 10-12 WEEKS LONG COURSES TO PREPARE TO GO TO MISSION FIELD. THESE COURSES INCLUDES INNER HEALING, WORSHIP AND PRAISE, BIBLICAL FOUNDATION FOR MISSION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL DIASTER RESPONSE CLASSES. TRAINING TOOK PLACE IN INDO-CHINA NATIONS AND TRAINED 27 MIISIONARIES. IN 2024, 4,095 PEOPLE WERE EVANGELIZEDIN LAOS, CAMBODIA, MYANMAR, AND VIETNAM. AMONG THEM, WORKERS ARE PREPARING BASES FOR MISSIONS TO CHINA AND NORTH KOREA.
  4. $357,488 spent. NETWORKING WITH THE EXISTING LOCAL LEADERS AND PASTORS OF THE PERSECUTED CHURCH IN NORTH KOREA AND CHINA TO ASSIST THEM FURTHERING IN CHURCH PLANTING AND PASTORING CHURCHES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE FACILITATED AND ASSISTED THOSE PASTORS WHO WERE WILLING TO PLANT A CHURCH IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. DURING THE PANDEMIC PERIOD, TRAVEL BETWEEN NORTH KOREA AND CHINA WAS RESTRICTED. YET, WE WERE CONTINUING TO TRAIN NORTH KOREANS WHO ARE STRANDED IN CHINA. WE HAVE TRAINED 60 LEADERS IN CHINA, NORTH KOREA, AND SOUTH KOREA IN 2024. IN 2024, 27 CHURCHES WERE PLANTED IN 15 REGIONS. WE ALSO HAVE STARTED TRAINING LEADERS IN SOUTH KOREA TO MOBILIZE NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS FOR THE NK MISSION. WE IMPLEMENTED DIGITAL METHODS TO TRAIN NORTH KOREANS IN CHINA. IN 2024, GOD HAS ALLOWED TO SEND 2,564 SD CARDS, 624 USBs CONTAINING BIBLES AND THE TRAINING MATERIALS.
  5. $93,831 spent. PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO NEEDY PEOPLE IN NORTH KOREA, REFUGEES OF NORTH KOREA IN CHINA ALONG THE BORDER, DEFECTORS OF NORTH KOREA IN SOUTH KOREA, NORTH KOREAN ORPHANS AND NK WIDOWS IN CHINA, AND OTHER NATIONS. THROUGH HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, WE SHARED THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST AND TO MEET THEIR IMMEDIATE SURVIVAL NEEDS. WE ASSISTED THE NEEDY PEOPLE IN THE GOSPEL RESTRICTED NATIONS WITH FOODS, CLOTHES, MEDICINES, BASIC HUMAN NECESSARY ITEMS. WE ALSO PARTNERSING WITH OTHER MINISTRIES, NGO, MISSIONARIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS. WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE TO OUR CHURCH NETWORK AND HELPERS. RICE FLOURS WEREDELIVERED TO 235 FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORS THROUGH CHURCH NETWORKS. WE HAVE HELPED TO PROVIDE FOODS TO ORPHANS. WE SENT CHRISTMAS GIFTS TO NORTH KOREAN CHILDREN. WE ALSO HAVE PROVIDED HUMAN BASIS NECESSITY ITEMS TO THOSE NORTH KOREANS IN CHINA, RUSSIA, AND MONGOLIA TO SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

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 October 13, 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 September 1992.

    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 October 21, 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.