MinistryWatch 1000 Database: Bible Translation Groups

Wycliffe Bible Translators remains at the top of the list, more than doubling the revenue of the next closest group.

The mid-May list includes all 20 of the Bible translation groups in the MinistryWatch 1000 database listed in order of total revenue, largest to smallest.

In previous years, the Bible translation organizations have been included with the foreign missions groups because their work is often coordinated—but this is the second year we are publishing a separate list of Bible translation groups.

MinistryWatch has a history of investigating the Bible translation industry, seeking answers to questions about the cost and time required to complete a translation of the Bible. At the same time, MinistryWatch has reported on new innovations speeding up the process of Bible translation, making it more cost effective.

The 20 Bible translation groups listed in the MinistryWatch 1000 database have revenue totaling nearly $734 million. Groups denoted with an asterisk do not file a Form 990, and their revenue was derived from either their audited financial statements or member profile with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

Notable list highlights:

• Wycliffe Bible Translators is again at the top of the list with total revenue exceeding $210 million. Its revenue is twice that of the next largest group, Seed Company, that has $83 million in revenue. According to the ECFA, Wycliffe’s revenue has declined from over $300 million in 2022.  The Wycliffe headquarters in Orlando, Florida, has been listed for sale for over a year, but is still listed as “under contract.”
• The smallest group — Deaf Pathway Global — is new to the list this year and has annual revenue of about $714,000.
• Of the top 5 largest organizations, the two largest do not file a Form 990. MinistryWatch takes the position that ministries should file a Form 990 to provide  important information about the organization, including annual revenue, salaries of key employees, names of board members and large contractors, and the amount of money the organization spends on its core mission.
• JAARS was moved out of the Bible translation category into a new mission aviation category.
• There was a bit of shuffling in the order of the top 10 ministries by revenue, but none fell out of the top 10.

Each ministry’s database profile is linked in the list below. By clicking on the ministry, you can see its Transparency Grade, Financial Efficiency Rating, and Donor Confidence Score in the database.

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