Trinity Broadcasting Network's (TBN) Coffers are Overflowing with Cash!
Facts regarding the financial affairs of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) should cause donors to prayerfully consider supporting other Christian ministries that will achieve the donor's objective in a manner that is more transparent and reveals a more efficient and effective use of contributed funds.
Huge excess funds, high salaries and very low spending on ministry purposes are grave concerns for donors particularly when so many other worthy ministries are struggling to find the money to meet the needs of the people the Lord has called them to serve.
MinistryWatch Take: MinistryWatch.com believes donors are entitled to make an educated and knowledgeable giving decision based on all the facts about a ministry.
Regarding TBN, donors should know:
• TBN presently has cash, short term investments and long term investments of about $280 million. This huge cash stockpile should be spent on their charitable purpose and not built ever higher each year. Yet, TBN continues to ask donors for more money without disclosing how much they already have.
• The salaries for TBN founders Paul and Jan Crouch were $403,700 and $361,000 respectively for 2002 (the last year such numbers are available). This total of $764,700 is considerably higher than the average for executive pay for nonprofits.
• The profits earned by TBN over the past five years amount to $285 million, which raises questions about the claims that Paul and Jan Crouch make regarding the need for additional ministry funding. The profits TBN reports annually are actually larger than the total yearly financial needs of most ministries in the www.MinistryWatch.com database!
• Most ministries are struggling financially, but still scrimp on salaries and overhead expenses in order to provide aid and comfort to the needy or reach the lost. TBN, however, is financially well off compared to other ministries but spends shockingly little on its charitable programs. TBN's 2002 program expenses are extremely low at 46%, when compared to the www.MinistryWatch.com database average at about 80%. Additionally, TBN's 2002 savings rate is high at about 36% compared to Wall Watchers' ministry database average of around zero.
• TBN refuses to release consolidated audited financial statements, giving it a Transparency grade of 'C' and making it impossible for MinistryWatch to fully and accurately analyze the financial operations of TBN on behalf of donors.
Facts regarding the financial affairs of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) should cause donors to prayerfully consider supporting other Christian ministries that will achieve the donor's objective in a manner that is more transparent and reveals a more efficient and effective use of contributed funds.
Huge excess funds, high salaries and very low spending on ministry purposes are grave concerns for donors particularly when so many other worthy ministries are struggling to find the money to meet the needs of the people the Lord has called them to serve.
MinistryWatch Take: MinistryWatch.com believes donors are entitled to make an educated and knowledgeable giving decision based on all the facts about a ministry.
Regarding TBN, donors should know:
• TBN presently has cash, short term investments and long term investments of about $280 million. This huge cash stockpile should be spent on their charitable purpose and not built ever higher each year. Yet, TBN continues to ask donors for more money without disclosing how much they already have.
• The salaries for TBN founders Paul and Jan Crouch were $403,700 and $361,000 respectively for 2002 (the last year such numbers are available). This total of $764,700 is considerably higher than the average for executive pay for nonprofits.
• The profits earned by TBN over the past five years amount to $285 million, which raises questions about the claims that Paul and Jan Crouch make regarding the need for additional ministry funding. The profits TBN reports annually are actually larger than the total yearly financial needs of most ministries in the www.MinistryWatch.com database!
• Most ministries are struggling financially, but still scrimp on salaries and overhead expenses in order to provide aid and comfort to the needy or reach the lost. TBN, however, is financially well off compared to other ministries but spends shockingly little on its charitable programs. TBN's 2002 program expenses are extremely low at 46%, when compared to the www.MinistryWatch.com database average at about 80%. Additionally, TBN's 2002 savings rate is high at about 36% compared to Wall Watchers' ministry database average of around zero.
• TBN refuses to release consolidated audited financial statements, giving it a Transparency grade of 'C' and making it impossible for MinistryWatch to fully and accurately analyze the financial operations of TBN on behalf of donors.
