LIVING BY DESIGN INC
Delivering Free Bible Studies to Inboxes Around the World
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
While most Christians revere the Bible as the inspired Word of God, they rarely read it. Bible literacy is declining at a rapid rate in our culture, and Living by Design Ministries exists to stem the tide. By providing free online resources to help Christians better engage with the biblical text, we are tackling the problem of Bible literacy head on.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Free Online Bible Studies
We like to think of our studies as fine dining flavors with the convenience of fast food. Each day is jam packed with biblical truth and practical application, yet it is easy to understand and can be completed on your mobile device. A perfect fit for the on-the-go lifestyle of twenty-first century women!
Unlike many other “free” online Bible studies, you do not need to purchase a companion book or additional resources to complete our studies. Everything you need will be delivered straight to your inbox each day, at absolutely no cost to you. And, like you, we appreciate beautiful things. So we like to include lots of free digital gifts and inspirational quote graphics in each of our studies.
We want Bible study to become the highlight of your day, not something you have to force yourself to do “just to keep up with the homework.” This is why our studies can be completed in just 15-minutes per day and require no additional homework.
Where we work
Awards
Top Rated 2018
Great Non Profits
Top Rated 2019
Great Non Profits
Top Rated 2020
Great Non Profits
Top Rated 2021
Great Non Profits
Top Rated 2022
Great Non Profits
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of unique website visitors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Women and girls, Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of people on the organization's email list
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Christians
Related Program
Free Online Bible Studies
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of overall donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Free Online Bible Studies
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our primary function is to build a bridge between professing Christians and the Bible. We exist to help believers of all ages open their Bibles, understand what they are reading, and apply the freeing truths to their lives. True biblical knowledge is the aim of all our programs at Living by Design Ministries.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We utilize social media, e-mail, and blog articles to engage Christians all around the world. By creating free educational tools that are delivered digitally, we provide a practical solution for Christians who desire to study their Bible but don't have the time or resources to engage in other programs.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are a low-risk Bible study solution for the average Christian. We create exegetical (bible-centered) studies that are easy to complete, can be done entirely on a mobile device, and are easy to share with friends and family. Thus creating an opportunity for evangelical discipleship to take place within our online Community. We help Christians grow in their knowledge and understanding of God's Word, while also equipping them to evangelize to their friends and family by sharing our free resources online.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In our fifth year as a non-profit organization, we reached hundreds of thousands of people with our uplifting, Bible-centered articles and social media content. Here is a breakdown of our 2022 numbers:
LivingbyDesign.org had 238,873 visitors from 196 countries. Of those visitors, 59% were women.
We delivered 16,683 free Bible studies to inboxes worldwide (a total of 79,533 studies delivered since 2017).
We added 6,913 new subscribers to our e-mail database.
We reached more than 1 million people through our social media platforms.
We received financial contributions from 213 individuals totaling $53,398.
We released 2 NEW free online Bible studies and updated one existing study.
In 2023, we will continue working to engage our donor base, streamline our ministry processes, and develop new free Bible study resources. We will also seek to collaborate with other Christian writers as we seek to continue offering weekly blog posts and SOULfood e-mails.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
LIVING BY DESIGN INC
Board of directorsas of 03/28/2023
Dr. Ryan Koontz
Michael Altstiel
Executive Director, Cavetime Ministries
Ryan Ricke
Paramedic, RC Fire Department
Abby Rowan
Self-Employed
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/28/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.