Bethesda Mission 
The information on this page was last updated 4/22/2025. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Bethesda Mission (BM), located in Pennsylvania's capitol city of Harrisburg, is a non-profit Christian Rescue Mission. The organization has been meeting the needs of hungry and homeless people in the Greater Harrisburg area since 1914, when the mission was founded by fifteen laymen representing nine different denominations across the city.
The goal in 1914 was the same goal by which Bethesda is operated today:
To provide food, shelter, clothing, and life-changing counseling based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who seek their help.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Bethesda Mission
PO Box 3041
Harrisburg, PA 17105
Website: www.BethesdaMission.org
Phone: (717) 257-4442
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 231389397
CEO/President: Scott Dunwoody
Chairman: James G. Tatnall
Board size: 10
Founder: James W. Barker
Ruling year: 1914
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1991
Purpose
We aspire to be God's House of Mercy, through which He brings about life recovery and restoration for hurting, hopeless, and homeless men, women, and children in our shelters, in our community, and throughout the region. We desire to holistically serve those in need, equip them to engage purposefully and meaningfully with society, and lead them to experience the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.
Mission statement
Reaching into our community, one man, one woman, one child at a time, offering the love of Christ in tangible ways.
Statement of faith
We believe there is one God, eternally existing as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is God the Son, that He was born of a virgin, that believers are redeemed by His substitutionary death through His shed blood, that He bodily resurrected, and ascended into Heaven, and that He will come again in power and great glory. Furthermore, because of Christ's full but sinless humanity, we believe He has experienced and overcome all temptations that we face. Because of this, God is approachable through Jesus Christ and is concerned with our condition and human struggles.
We believe the Bible, as originally given, to be the revealed, authoritative Word of God without error.
We believe God originally created man in His own image, and free from sin; but through the temptation of Satan, man disobeyed God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness. Because of this all mankind inherits a corrupt nature and is under God's condemnation.
We believe that people can be removed from the eternal condemnation of sin only through a personal decision to trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross as their substitutionary payment for their sins. We hold this event to be a personal experience rather than a religious or doctrinal supposition.
We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers empowering them to live a godly life of obedience as they grow toward Christian maturity in the process called sanctification.
We believe that the Holy Spirit unites all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and that together they form one body - The Church. Furthermore we believe that The Church is under the leadership of Jesus Christ and that His leadership will be evident through the harmony and love within The Church.
We believe it is the duty of all believers to glorify God in thought, word and deed.
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 33 of 1118 | 4 of 138 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 161 of 1119 | 10 of 138 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 23 of 1119 | 2 of 138 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 179 of 1118 | 18 of 138 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 12% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 5% | 6% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 10% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 5% | 6% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 92% | 97% | 100% | 97% | 98% | 97% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 11% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 8% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 8% | 3% | 0% | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 80% | 94% | 93% | 92% | 91% | 87% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 95% | 98% | 98% | 80% | 95% | 80% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 75% | 92% | 92% | 74% | 86% | 69% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 5% | 2% | 2% | 20% | 5% | 20% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 5% | 2% | 2% | 19% | 4% | 16% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 9% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 5% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.53 | 1.01 | 0.91 | 0.71 | 0.74 | 0.53 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.95 | 3.42 | 3.55 | 3.75 | 3.34 | 3.17 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.75 | 3.45 | 3.25 | 2.68 | 2.49 | 1.67 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 13.50 | 16.36 | 15.14 | 8.88 | 12.33 | 11.47 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.11 | 0.08 | 0.09 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.33 | 3.26 | 3.45 | 3.97 | 4.44 | 6.54 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 9% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 12% | 14% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 9% | 11% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 154% | 94% | 102% | 130% | 118% | 162% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Cash | $3,874,302 | $3,671,855 | $3,321,172 | $1,912,724 | $1,964,242 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $802,938 | $679,613 | $643,752 | $629,062 | $756,643 |
| Short-term investments | $927,907 | $861,800 | $1,192,457 | $1,798,439 | $1,765,564 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $5,605,147 | $5,213,268 | $5,157,381 | $4,340,225 | $4,486,449 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $9,887,419 | $10,018,724 | $9,876,925 | $6,563,737 | $5,969,894 |
| Other long-term assets | $3,653,053 | $3,289,804 | $4,311,536 | $3,594,457 | $3,743,488 |
| Total long-term assets | $13,540,472 | $13,308,528 | $14,188,461 | $10,158,194 | $9,713,382 |
| Total assets | $19,145,619 | $18,521,796 | $19,345,842 | $14,498,419 | $14,199,831 |
| Liabilities | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $342,628 | $344,438 | $580,866 | $341,616 | $359,183 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $10,400 | $32,100 |
| Total current liabilities | $342,628 | $344,438 | $580,866 | $352,016 | $391,283 |
| Debt | $545,446 | $659,451 | $767,252 | $1,313,333 | $1,511,708 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $109,011 | $149,667 | $20,615 | $103,829 | $106,604 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $654,457 | $809,118 | $787,867 | $1,417,162 | $1,618,312 |
| Total liabilities | $997,085 | $1,153,556 | $1,368,733 | $1,769,178 | $2,009,595 |
| Net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Without donor restrictions | $11,530,893 | $11,461,503 | $9,775,987 | $7,225,260 | $3,720,668 |
| With donor restrictions | $6,617,641 | $5,906,737 | $8,201,122 | $5,503,981 | $8,469,568 |
| Net assets | $18,148,534 | $17,368,240 | $17,977,109 | $12,729,241 | $12,190,236 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Total contributions | $19,244,813 | $17,224,105 | $16,749,750 | $11,123,277 | $9,169,080 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $248,754 | $203,482 | $429,976 | $156,501 | $255,644 |
| Other revenue | $249,451 | ($192,134) | $73,586 | $42,435 | ($7,140) |
| Total other revenue | $498,205 | $11,348 | $503,562 | $198,936 | $248,504 |
| Total revenue | $19,743,018 | $17,235,453 | $17,253,312 | $11,322,213 | $9,417,584 |
| Expenses | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Program services | $18,124,626 | $15,793,765 | $12,740,249 | $9,767,441 | $6,522,497 |
| Management and general | $611,642 | $573,218 | $550,387 | $457,815 | $400,614 |
| Fundraising | $615,700 | $578,927 | $528,648 | $564,729 | $586,031 |
| Total expenses | $19,351,968 | $16,945,910 | $13,819,284 | $10,789,985 | $7,509,142 |
| Change in net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $391,050 | $289,543 | $3,434,028 | $532,228 | $1,908,442 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $391,050 | $289,543 | $3,434,028 | $532,228 | $1,908,442 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Scott Dunwoody | Executive Director | $70,632 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2023
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 4/22/2025. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
For a timeline, visit: bethesdamission.org/about-us/our-history/
On December 22, 1914, Harrisburg City Rescue Mission is founded by "uncle" Jim Barker.
Program accomplishments
2023:
95 men sheltered per night
26 women sheltered per night
104,269 meals served last year
10,328 total medical patient visits last year
1,317 dental patients seen
140 men & women enrolled in long-term recovery programs
82 children & teens attending community center programs
4,831 units of social services assistance
7,458,498 pounds of food distributed
11,085 volunteer hours
6,340 persons assisted by mobile mission