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How did Turning Point Ministries’ annual revenue and expenses change from 2019 through 2024?
Executive summary
Available sources report Turning Point USA’s revenue rising sharply from about $28–29 million in 2019 to roughly $84–85 million in the fiscal year ending 2024, with expenses reported variably around $81 million (InfluenceWatch) to $91 million (Paddock Post) for recent years [1] [2] [3] [4]. Coverage is uneven: multiple outlets cite the same IRS-derived totals for revenue, while expense figures differ by outlet and may reflect different reporting adjustments or inclusions of affiliated grants [4] [3] [2].
1. Rapid revenue growth: from tens of millions to the mid‑80s
Turning Point’s reported revenue grew from about $28–29 million in 2019 to roughly $81–85 million in the fiscal year that ended in 2024 according to multiple independent outlets that cited IRS filings: Wikipedia and Paddock Post list 2019 at ~$28.5–29 million and 2024 revenue at $85 million; InfluenceWatch gives 2024 as $84,988,862 [1] [5] [4] [2] [6] [7]. Forbes and Fortune coverage of the organization’s broader fundraising network also reference the same scale of revenue growth, reinforcing the central figure of roughly $85 million for 2024 [8] [7].
2. Expense totals reported, but not uniform across outlets
Expense reporting for the same period is less consistent. InfluenceWatch cites expenses of $80,995,175 for 2024; Paddock Post’s reporting for 2023 cited $91 million in expenses (including a $5 million grant to an affiliated organization), suggesting different treatments of inter‑entity transfers or one‑time items [2] [3]. Paddock Post’s 2024 summary also reports the group “spent $4 million less than the revenue they received,” implying expenses in the low‑80s relative to $85M revenue [4].
3. Explanation for divergence: affiliated grants, timing and consolidation choices
The differences in reported expenses likely stem from what each outlet included: Paddock Post specifically flagged a $5 million grant/assistance to an affiliated organization as part of 2023 expenses, which can inflate an entity’s reported outflows depending on whether analysts consolidate affiliates or classify transfers differently [3]. InfluenceWatch appears to present consolidated totals (revenue $84,988,862; expenses $80,995,175) while Paddock Post’s figure may reflect additional line items or a different fiscal-year scope [2] [3].
4. Net assets and staffing add context to financial trends
Reporting shows net assets rising to about $17.9 million in 2024 after the organization ended the year with net income of roughly $3.9–4 million, per summaries that pair revenue near $85M with expenses a few million lower [2] [4]. Staffing and compensation levels also climbed: Paddock Post notes hundreds of employees (454 in one recent filing) and about $21 million in total compensation for those employees in the latest year cited—data that helps explain higher operating costs as the organization scaled [4] [5].
5. What the filings and auditors show — and what’s missing
Independent financial statements and consolidated audits for Turning Point USA are referenced in reporting and are the primary sources for the numbers cited: ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer and a consolidated financial statement filing are among the documents underlying media summaries [9] [10]. However, the assembled media snippets do not include every line‑item detail from the actual Form 990s or auditor reports in full, and outlets differ in whether they consolidate affiliates or treat inter‑company grants as expenses [9] [10] [3].
6. Competing narratives and potential agendas in coverage
Right‑ and left‑leaning outlets have incentives to emphasize different facts: conservative‑friendly profiles highlight organizational growth and donor reach (turning a narrative of success), while investigative pieces and watchdog sites focus on transfers, compensation, and political activity risks—each framing can shape which expense items are stressed or excluded [7] [3] [2]. Paddock Post and InfluenceWatch both relay IRS‑based numbers but interpret and present expense details differently, which readers should note [3] [2].
7. Bottom line and recommended next step for verification
Available sources consistently show revenue growing from roughly $28–29 million in 2019 to about $85 million in 2024 [1] [4] [2] [6]. Expense figures for 2023–2024 vary between roughly $81 million and $91 million depending on inclusion of grants to affiliates and accounting choices [3] [2]. For definitive year‑by‑year totals and line‑by‑line explanations (e.g., specific grants, inter‑affiliate transfers, compensation), consult the organization’s Form 990 and the consolidated audited financial statements cited by reporting (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and the consolidated audit referenced) — those primary documents are the sources used by the outlets above [9] [10].