Ministry Spotlight: Wycliffe Bible Translation Foundation

Ministry sees rise in expenses, drop in revenue, does not release public Form 990s

Wycliffe Bible Translation Foundation, a ministry of Wycliffe Bible Translators, recently saw its MinistryWatch rating rise from 2 Stars to 3 Stars, and its Donor Confidence Score rise from 45 to 60, which is still an “Exercise Caution” designation.

Its Transparency Grade remains a C because it does not release its Form 990s to the public.

In 2010 Wycliffe Bible Translation Foundation petitioned the IRS to be reclassified as an “integrated auxiliary of a church.” However, MinistryWatch’s position is that organizations such as Wycliffe should file its Form 990 in order to be fully transparent with its donors. To read more about MinistryWatch’s position, click here.

The foundation’s website says it exists to help “people impact Bible translation through charitable gift and estate planning”—offering a variety of giving options for donors.

The organization does release audited financials on its website. In 2023, the audited financials show a revenue of $27.4 million and total expenses of $50.5 million.

Regardless, both Wycliffe Bible Translation Foundation and Wycliffe Bible Translators saw a drop in revenue and a rise in expenses in 2023.

According to Wycliffe Bible Translator’s ECFA profile, in 2023 the organization had a revenue of $278.4 million with its expenses totaling $307.4 million.

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MinistryWatch Donor Confidence Score: 60 (out of a possible 100) “Exercise Caution”

MinistryWatch Financial Efficiency Rating: 3 Stars (out of a possible 5 Stars)

MinistryWatch Transparency Grade:  C

Revenue in Most Recent Year Available (2023 Audited Financial Statement): $27,442,394

Five-Year Revenue Trend: Decreasing (by about 192%)

Percent of Revenue Wycliffe Bible Translation Foundation Spends on Fundraising: Information unavailable

Percent Peer Group Spends on Fundraising: Information unavailable

CEO/President: John Krehely

President’s Salary and Other Compensation: Information unavailable because WBT Foundation does not file a Form 990.

A complete MinistryWatch profile for Wycliffe Bible Translation Foundation can be found here.

Find recent MinistryWatch articles mentioning Wycliffe Bible Translation Foundation here.