TWR (aka Trans World Radio)
The information on this page was last updated 4/19/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Many people around the world are separated from God, living without hope. We believe in the redemptive power of Jesus. That's why we use media / radio / apps / video so individuals across the globe can hear the good news.
For more than 65 years, God has enabled TWR (also known as Trans World Radio) to be a faithful friend and to provide hope in a dark world.
TWR is a long-time member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, so you can be assured of TWR's commitment to the highest standards of financial accountability. At least 85% of TWR's operating expenses each year goes directly to fund our global media outreach.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Trans World Radio
PO Box 8700
Cary, NC 27512
Website: twr.org
Phone: (919)460-3700
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 221690564
CEO/President: Lauren Libby
Chairman: Mr. Jeff Jones
Board size: 14
Founder: Dr. Paul E. Freed
Ruling year: 1961
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 09/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1987
Purpose
We are called to reach the world for Christ by mass media so that lasting fruit is produced.
Mission statement
We exist to assist the Church in fulfilling the command of Jesus Christ to make disciples of all peoples, and to do so by using and making available mass media to:
- Proclaim the gospel of salvation to as many people as possible.
- Instruct believers in biblical doctrine and daily Christ-like living.
- Model our message through our corporate and cooperative relationships.
Statement of faith
Trans World Radio uses the following to express its faith:
WE BELIEVE:
1. In one Holy, Almighty God, eternally existing in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being. (Biblical Reference: Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, John 1:1-2, II Corinthians 13:14, Philippines 2:6)
2. In the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Old and New Testaments; that they are infallible, inerrant in the original writings, and the final authority for faith and life. (Biblical Reference: II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:20-21, Matthew 5:18, John 16:12- 13)
3. That the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, without ceasing to be God, became man by the Holy Spirit and virgin birth; that he lived a sinless life on earth; that he died at Calvary as a satisfactory substitutionary sacrifice for sinners; that his body was buried in and arose from the tomb; that he ascended to Heaven and was glorified as a man at God's right hand; that He is coming again for His own and then to set up His Kingdom. (Biblical Reference: John 1:1, Matthew 1:20-23, II Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 10:12, John 16: 7-11, Matthew 19:28, Matthew 25:31, II Timothy 2:8)
4. That the Holy Spirit is a divine person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement; that He is that supernatural agent in regeneration by whom all believers are baptized into the body of Christ; that he indwells and seals them until the day of redemption. He is the divine teacher and helper who guides believers into all truth; it is the privilege of all believers to be filled with the spirit. (Biblical Reference: John 16:7-15, 1 Corinthians 12:13, II Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13)
5. That God created man in His own image and in the state of innocence. Through Adam's transgression "sin entered the world, and death through sin;" and consequently, mankind inherited a corrupt nature, being born in sin and under condemnation. As soon as men are capable of moral action, they become actual transgressors in thought, word and deed. (Biblical Reference: Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 5:12, Romans 3:23, I John 1:8, Ephesians 2:3)
6. That salvation is a gift of God brought to men by grace and received only through personal repentance for sin and faith in the person and the finished work and atoning blood of Jesus Christ. (Biblical Reference: Ephesians 1:7, 2:1-10, John 1:12)
7. In the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to everlasting punishment. That the souls of the redeemed are, at death absent from the body and present with the Lord where, in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Biblical Reference: Revelation 20, Acts 24:25, John 5:28-29, Luke 16:19-31, II Corinthians 5:8, I Thessalonians 4:14-17, I John 3:2)
8. That the church universal is a spiritual organism composed of the regenerated who are baptized into that body by the Holy Spirit at the time of the new birth and that the local church, the visible manifestation of the body, has the responsibility to provide for the fellowship and edification of believers and to propagate the Gospel into the world.
(Biblical Reference: Acts 2, I Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 5:27, Mark 16:15)
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
C
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Foreign Missions
This ministry has not been rated.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 6% | 14% | 17% | 13% | 14% | 16% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 8% | 9% | 7% | 7% | 8% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 99% | 54% | 53% | 54% | 54% | 49% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 9% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 8% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 1% | 46% | 47% | 46% | 46% | 51% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 84% | 85% | 85% | 87% | 87% | 86% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 99% | 83% | 98% | 96% | 98% | 95% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 82% | 70% | 83% | 83% | 86% | 82% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 1% | 17% | 2% | 4% | 2% | 5% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 2% | 18% | 2% | 5% | 2% | 5% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 8% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.35 | 0.67 | 0.73 | 0.79 | 0.80 | 0.63 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.22 | 1.79 | 1.91 | 2.09 | 2.17 | 1.93 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.02 | 1.20 | 1.39 | 1.65 | 1.73 | 1.22 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 19.08 | 6.76 | 4.36 | 5.44 | 5.27 | 5.38 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.05 | 0.15 | 0.23 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.19 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 5.58 | 8.55 | 6.67 | 5.95 | 5.62 | 8.01 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 7% | 25% | 31% | 30% | 31% | 37% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 68% | 112% | 95% | 89% | 86% | 100% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Cash | $18,464,893 | $13,707,923 | $8,781,497 | $9,837,540 | $9,300,294 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $3,133,682 | $4,249,624 | $5,734,004 | $3,560,189 | $3,886,576 |
| Short-term investments | $10,485,260 | $8,538,141 | $8,611,189 | $8,603,111 | $8,777,303 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $32,083,835 | $26,495,688 | $23,126,690 | $22,000,840 | $21,964,173 |
| Long-term investments | $733,430 | $943,362 | $1,161,176 | $1,013,445 | $915,334 |
| Fixed assets | $15,092,651 | $15,068,367 | $15,690,276 | $16,092,053 | $11,014,800 |
| Other long-term assets | $9,409,853 | $8,109,819 | $8,399,647 | $8,614,533 | $8,560,025 |
| Total long-term assets | $25,235,934 | $24,121,548 | $25,251,099 | $25,720,031 | $20,490,159 |
| Total assets | $57,319,769 | $50,617,236 | $48,377,789 | $47,720,871 | $42,454,332 |
| Liabilities | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $3,564,419 | $3,179,492 | $3,100,852 | $2,844,508 | $2,773,128 |
| Other current liabilities | $1,179,769 | $2,900,869 | $1,146,989 | $1,333,028 | $1,312,752 |
| Total current liabilities | $4,744,188 | $6,080,361 | $4,247,841 | $4,177,536 | $4,085,880 |
| Debt | $400 | $3,060 | $13,522 | $22,075 | $37,419 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $9,758,078 | $9,785,919 | $10,191,435 | $10,814,441 | $11,409,078 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $9,758,478 | $9,788,979 | $10,204,957 | $10,836,516 | $11,446,497 |
| Total liabilities | $14,502,666 | $15,869,340 | $14,452,798 | $15,014,052 | $15,532,377 |
| Net assets | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Without donor restrictions | $28,048,089 | $21,110,321 | $19,177,666 | $18,241,342 | $12,972,453 |
| With donor restrictions | $14,769,014 | $13,637,575 | $14,747,325 | $14,465,477 | $13,949,502 |
| Net assets | $42,817,103 | $34,747,896 | $33,924,991 | $32,706,819 | $26,921,955 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Total contributions | $25,166,581 | $19,683,475 | $21,367,763 | $20,907,112 | $13,655,398 |
| Program service revenue | $15,907,716 | $16,215,718 | $17,416,521 | $16,895,274 | $12,614,312 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $1,399,558 | $429,351 | $213,063 | $293,602 | $861,201 |
| Other revenue | $3,768,573 | $1,130,474 | $590,759 | $516,248 | $985,463 |
| Total other revenue | $21,075,847 | $17,775,543 | $18,220,343 | $17,705,124 | $14,460,976 |
| Total revenue | $46,242,428 | $37,459,018 | $39,588,106 | $38,612,236 | $28,116,374 |
| Expenses | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Program services | $32,584,608 | $31,167,713 | $32,961,613 | $33,052,868 | $23,037,443 |
| Management and general | $2,311,870 | $2,261,969 | $2,244,473 | $2,125,419 | $1,611,388 |
| Fundraising | $3,490,933 | $3,288,285 | $2,843,913 | $2,854,375 | $2,146,374 |
| Total expenses | $38,387,411 | $36,717,967 | $38,049,999 | $38,032,662 | $26,795,205 |
| Change in net assets | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $7,855,017 | $741,051 | $1,538,107 | $579,574 | $1,321,169 |
| Other changes in net assets | $214,190 | $81,854 | ($319,935) | $5,205,290 | $773,207 |
| Total change in net assets | $8,069,207 | $822,905 | $1,218,172 | $5,784,864 | $2,094,376 |
Compensation
Compensation data for this ministry has not been collected.
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 4/19/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
For a timeline, visit: https://twr.org/our-story