Insight for Living/ Chuck Swindoll 
Summary
Insight for Living is the Bible-teaching radio ministry of author and pastor Charles R. Swindoll. The Insight for Living broadcast can be heard worldwide in 8 languages through over 2,100 radio outlets and via the Internet. Insight for Living is committed to excellence in communicating biblical truth and its application.
This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)
Contact information
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 5000
7160 Dallas Parkway, ste 100 75024
Frisco, TX 75034
Website: www.insight.org
Phone: (800) 772-8888
Organization details
EIN: 953392299
CEO/President: Mrs. Cynthia Swindoll
Chairman: Dr. Charles Swindoll
Board size: 13
Founder: Dr. & Mrs. Chuck Swindoll
Year founded: 1979
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1981
Purpose
Insight for Living ("IFL") is the Bible-teaching radio ministry of Chuck Swindoll. A 30-minute daily radio broadcast now airs worldwide via the internet and more than 2100 radio outlets daily. Distributed both domestically and internationally, this program, along with a biblically based counseling service, Bible study guides, books, website, tapes and other materials, support their purpose of communicating biblical truth and it application. IFL's global headquarters are located in Plano, Texas with additional offices in Canada and Australia. Chuck and Cynthia Swindoll founded IFL in 1979 and remain committed to its mission.
This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Mission statement
Insight for Living's Mission is:
Committed to excellence in communicating the truths of Scripture and the Person of Jesus Christ in an accurate, clear, and practical manner so that people will come to an understanding of God's plan for their lives, as well as their significant role as authentic Christians in a needy, hostile, and desperate world.
Statement of faith
Insight for Living uses the following to communicate its essential beliefs:
1. We are confident that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God.
2. We acknowledge the Creator-God as our heavenly Father, infinitely perfect, and intimately acquainted with all our ways.
3. We claim Jesus Christ as Lord -- the very God who came in human flesh -- the object of our worship and the subject of our praise.
4. We recognize the Holy Spirit as the third member of the Godhead, incessantly at work convicting, convincing, and comforting.
5. We believe that Adam's fall into sin left humanity without the hope of heaven apart from a new birth, made possible by the Savior's death and bodily resurrection.
6. We believe the offer of salvation is God's love-gift to all. Those who accept it by faith, apart from works, become new creatures in Christ.
7. We believe that anyone who trusts in Christ by faith, is a new creation in Him -- clothed in His righteousness and fully loved and accepted by God.
8. We believe that God expects our lives to reflect that we belong to Him and that we are pursuing a holy life.
9. We believe that Satan, under the sovereign permission of God, tries to destroy the faith of believers and that drawing near to God is the only way to resist him.
10. We believe that as new creations in Christ we will continue to wrestle with our sin nature. We will, however, continue to grow in grace and become more like Jesus. Ultimate perfection and freedom from sin, however, will only come when we finally stand in the presence of the Lord.
12. We believe that, having embraced Jesus Christ by faith, we are to make Him known to non-Christians in our sphere of influence.
13. We anticipate our Lord's promised return in power and glory.
14. We are convinced that all who have died will be brought back from beyond-believers to everlasting communion with God and unbelievers to everlasting separation from God.
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Educational Media
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 286 of 442 | 31 of 51 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 202 of 442 | 23 of 51 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 184 of 442 | 23 of 51 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 406 of 442 | 50 of 51 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 7% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 7% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 6% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 95% | 96% | 94% | 95% | 94% | 93% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 7% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 5% | 4% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 7% |
| Operating ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 82% | 84% | 85% | 87% | 89% | 84% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 99% | 102% | 99% | 102% | 90% | 90% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 81% | 85% | 84% | 89% | 80% | 75% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 1% | -2% | 1% | -2% | 10% | 10% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 2% | -6% | 5% | -8% | 34% | 46% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 11% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 7% | 9% |
| Investing ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.27 | 1.02 | 1.20 | 2.02 | 2.40 | 2.90 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.53 | 9.02 | 7.17 | 3.13 | 1.62 | 1.97 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.46 | 9.21 | 8.57 | 6.32 | 3.88 | 5.72 |
| Liquidity ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 7.97 | 0.78 | 0.77 | 1.17 | 2.55 | 1.82 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.11 | 1.29 | 1.30 | 0.85 | 0.39 | 0.55 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.05 | -0.38 | -0.42 | 0.28 | 1.88 | 0.95 |
| Solvency ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 10% | 73% | 68% | 42% | 24% | 28% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 59% | 50% | 15% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 63% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 32% | 25% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Cash | $1,674,055 | $1,893,569 | $2,237,261 | $4,158,477 | $2,571,587 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $680,711 | $760,686 | $993,269 | $882,317 | $1,084,249 |
| Short-term investments | $100,717 | $100,438 | $100,187 | $251,784 | $451,522 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $2,455,483 | $2,754,693 | $3,330,717 | $5,292,578 | $4,107,358 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $19,682,306 | $16,987,252 | $7,083,462 | $3,245,546 | $3,788,857 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $45,090 | $201,541 |
| Total long-term assets | $19,682,306 | $16,987,252 | $7,083,462 | $3,290,636 | $3,990,398 |
| Total assets | $22,137,789 | $19,741,945 | $10,414,179 | $8,583,214 | $8,097,756 |
| Liabilities | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $2,361,094 | $3,544,359 | $2,827,233 | $2,029,260 | $2,146,812 |
| Other current liabilities | $806,981 | $30,919 | $15,309 | $46,830 | $104,705 |
| Total current liabilities | $3,168,075 | $3,575,278 | $2,842,542 | $2,076,090 | $2,251,517 |
| Debt | $13,002,059 | $9,836,731 | $1,541,842 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $21,334 | $1,557 | $23,008 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $13,002,059 | $9,836,731 | $1,563,176 | $1,557 | $23,008 |
| Total liabilities | $16,170,134 | $13,412,009 | $4,405,718 | $2,077,647 | $2,274,525 |
| Net assets | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Unrestricted | $5,587,134 | $3,460,954 | $3,222,030 | $3,838,319 | $5,117,082 |
| Temporarily restricted | $296,395 | $2,784,856 | $2,702,305 | $2,583,122 | $622,023 |
| Permanently restricted | $84,126 | $84,126 | $84,126 | $84,126 | $84,126 |
| Net assets | $5,967,655 | $6,329,936 | $6,008,461 | $6,505,567 | $5,823,231 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Total contributions | $21,428,558 | $22,507,590 | $19,574,805 | $21,307,147 | $24,386,361 |
| Program service revenue | $827,548 | $1,409,109 | $964,765 | $1,463,508 | $1,749,959 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $288 | $251 | $432 | $451 | $16,409 |
| Other revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total other revenue | $827,836 | $1,409,360 | $965,197 | $1,463,959 | $1,766,368 |
| Total revenue | $22,256,394 | $23,916,950 | $20,540,002 | $22,771,106 | $26,152,729 |
| Expenses | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Program services | $18,893,349 | $19,983,071 | $18,279,215 | $18,221,790 | $19,738,176 |
| Management and general | $2,356,850 | $2,197,908 | $1,857,661 | $1,501,102 | $2,104,094 |
| Fundraising | $1,368,476 | $1,414,496 | $900,232 | $835,912 | $1,635,339 |
| Total expenses | $22,618,675 | $23,595,475 | $21,037,108 | $20,558,804 | $23,477,609 |
| Change in net assets | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($362,281) | $321,475 | ($497,106) | $2,212,302 | $2,675,120 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($362,281) | $321,475 | ($497,106) | $2,212,302 | $2,675,120 |
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
History
Christian Research Associates, a California nonprofit organization was interested in starting a radio broadcast. The idea was to establish a broadcast by radio messages of respected Christian speakers about experiencing and living the Christian life, and how a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and a good understanding of Biblical principles can and should benefit one's life. The Organization was to provide free Christian counseling services to radio listeners requesting counseling by phone or letter.
The intention was to broadcast a 30-minute program, five days a week, on as many radio stations as possible in the United States. It was to mail, free of charge, outlines or study guides of future programs to radio listeners on the Organization's mailing list as requested and sell cassette tapes of messages to those who request tapes.
In 1979, the radio ministry of Insight for Living was born, beginning on just a handful of stations.
In 1995, the Insight for Living board of directors passed a resolution to expand IFL's international outreach over the next five years into as many as ten new languages - giving IFL a tool to reach about 60 percent of the world population.
Though the scale of IFL's ministry has grown to global proportions, the emphasis of its ministry has not changed. We are still "committed to excellence in communicating biblical truth and its application."
Program accomplishments
Insight for Living express its accomplishments as:
Producing 30 minute daily broadcast which airs almost 1450 times daily in 8 languages. Along with broadcasting messages from God's Word, Insight for also supports its listeners in their personal and spiritual growth through Christian resources and services.
One of the newest accomplishments to the broadcast is Chuck Swindolls own Paws & Tales, a weekly children's radio drama, is presented by Insight for Living and teaches biblical principles in a way that is both entertaining and life changing. Through story and song, each Paws & Tales episode serves up a cast of lovable animal characters who experience exciting adventures whilelearning important lessons to which kids of all ages can relate.