YUGO Ministries 
The information on this page was last updated 2/5/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Youth Unlimited Gospel Outreach, Inc. ("YUGO") is an inter-denominational mission organization whose primary purpose is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ by involving young people and adults in foreign missions through a ministry of evangelism and teaching in Mexico. YUGO is also the Spanish word for "yoke," a reminder of the One who said "Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me" (Matt 11:29). YUGO began in the late 1950's and was incorporated as a non-profit evangelistic organization in 1965. Today, YUGO's most visible ministry is the participation of over 2700 North Americans (primarily teenagers) each year on evangelistic outreaches in Mexico. Mexicans who receive Christ as a result of this ministry are then discipled through the ministry's church planting efforts. YUGO is also involved in the establishing of Bible Institutes that train Mexican pastors.
Contact information
Mailing address:
YUGO Ministries
PO Box 1355
Chula Vista, CA 91912
Website: www.yugo.org
Phone: (619) 336-9003
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 956150002
CEO/President: Scott C. Wester
Chairman: Tommy McKinnon
Board size: 8
Founder:
Ruling year: 1967
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 10/31
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
YUGO exists so that lives are transformed by Jesus Christ in Mexico and the world!
Mission statement
Our mission is to mobilize and equip God's people to reach the forgotten.
Statement of faith
God: We believe in one true and living God (Mark 12:29-30) who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
Jesus: We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ (John 10:30), His virgin birth (Matthew 1:18), His substitutionary death (Isaiah 53:5), His bodily resurrection (Ephesians 1:19-20), and His future return for the Church. (John 14:3)
God's Word: We believe in the Bible as the divinely inspired (2 Tim 3:16), authoritative Word of God (John 1:1) without error in the original manuscripts.
Salvation: We believe that the free gift of salvation comes by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The Church: We believe in the Church as the body of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12: 12-13), bound together by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:41-47), and consisting of those who are born again.
Missions: We believe in Jesus Christ's "Great Commission" to the Church to go into all the world, be His witnesses (Matthew 28:18-19), and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching those who believe (Acts 1:8).
Articles
| 3/13/2026 | MorningStar Mission Ministries Joins the ECFA |
| 2/25/2026 | Ministry Spotlight: YUGO Ministries |
Donor confidence score
Show donor confidence score details
To understand our donor confidence score, click here.
Transparency grade
D
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Foreign Missions
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 134 of 1373 | 16 of 126 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 393 of 1373 | 44 of 126 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 467 of 1373 | 49 of 126 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 60 of 1374 | 5 of 126 |
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 5% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 5% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 98% | 68% | 70% | 78% | 86% | 81% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 2% | 32% | 30% | 22% | 14% | 19% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 85% | 87% | 86% | 87% | 82% | 78% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 99% | 98% | 101% | 98% | 94% | 106% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 83% | 85% | 87% | 85% | 77% | 83% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 1% | 2% | -1% | 2% | 6% | -6% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 3% | 25% | -17% | 22% | 59% | -125% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 9% | 11% | 13% | 11% | 15% | 18% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.55 | 8.61 | 11.18 | 7.59 | 3.86 | 6.54 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.14 | 1.13 | 1.18 | 1.10 | 1.00 | 1.03 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.30 | 9.74 | 13.23 | 8.38 | 3.88 | 6.70 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 21.28 | 3.06 | 5.48 | 3.66 | 6.12 | 11.49 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.03 | 0.33 | 0.18 | 0.27 | 0.16 | 0.09 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 5.02 | 0.83 | 0.74 | 1.04 | 2.59 | 1.63 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 4% | 29% | 15% | 25% | 57% | 72% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 40% | 64% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 59% | 8% | 8% | 10% | 11% | 4% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Cash | $336,584 | $206,621 | $272,631 | $408,191 | $250,419 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $19,202 | $9,359 | $3,949 | $5,244 | $6,550 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $355,786 | $215,980 | $276,580 | $413,435 | $256,969 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $46,791 | $39,584 | $28,611 | $1,960 | $6,600 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $46,791 | $39,584 | $28,611 | $1,960 | $6,600 |
| Total assets | $402,577 | $255,564 | $305,191 | $415,395 | $263,569 |
| Liabilities | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $21,251 | $7,466 | $12,958 | $15,080 | $3,943 |
| Other current liabilities | $94,898 | $31,977 | $62,515 | $52,470 | $18,415 |
| Total current liabilities | $116,149 | $39,443 | $75,473 | $67,550 | $22,358 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $167,655 | $167,655 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $167,655 | $167,655 |
| Total liabilities | $116,149 | $39,443 | $75,473 | $235,205 | $190,013 |
| Net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Without donor restrictions | $286,428 | $216,121 | $56,700 | $40,239 | ($33,116) |
| With donor restrictions | $0 | $0 | $173,018 | $139,951 | $106,672 |
| Net assets | $286,428 | $216,121 | $229,718 | $180,190 | $73,556 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Total contributions | $2,396,614 | $1,966,501 | $1,850,165 | $1,467,154 | $1,317,661 |
| Program service revenue | $1,124,248 | $822,701 | $516,268 | $237,973 | $316,383 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $287 | $44 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other revenue | $13,877 | $33,118 | $554 | $4,544 | ($3,019) |
| Total other revenue | $1,138,412 | $855,863 | $516,822 | $242,517 | $313,364 |
| Total revenue | $3,535,026 | $2,822,364 | $2,366,987 | $1,709,671 | $1,631,025 |
| Expenses | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Program services | $3,022,404 | $2,446,999 | $2,008,848 | $1,308,929 | $1,347,535 |
| Management and general | $391,322 | $360,788 | $259,190 | $246,753 | $309,759 |
| Fundraising | $50,993 | $50,678 | $49,421 | $47,355 | $65,431 |
| Total expenses | $3,464,719 | $2,858,465 | $2,317,459 | $1,603,037 | $1,722,725 |
| Change in net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $70,307 | ($36,101) | $49,528 | $106,634 | ($91,700) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $70,307 | ($36,101) | $49,528 | $106,634 | ($91,700) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Nathan Alpert | Pres / Sec | $126,000 |
| Scott Wester | CEO | $115,375 |
Compensation data as of: 10/31/2024
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 2/5/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
YUGO began in the late 1950's and was incorporated as a non-profit evangelistic organization in 1965. Today, YUGO's most visible ministry is the participation of over 2700 North Americans (primarily teenagers) each year on evangelistic outreaches in Mexico. Since 1964, thousands of young people and adults have experienced the challenge of cross-cultural ministry through YUGO's outreach opportunities.