Billy Graham Evangelistic Association / Franklin Graham 
The information on this page was last updated 2/5/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ("BGEA") supports the evangelistic ministry and calling of Billy Graham through community crusades, radio, television, DECISION magazine, seminars and any other means to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. BGEA was founded in 1950 by Billy Graham to accomplish his one purpose in life, which is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, comes through knowing Christ. Evangelist Billy Graham took Christ at His word when He said in Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature".
Contact information
Mailing address:
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
1 Billy Graham Parkway
Charlotte, NC 28201
Website: www.billygraham.org
Phone: 704-401-2432
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 410692230
CEO/President: Franklin Graham
Chairman: Franklin Graham
Board size: 14
Founder: Dr. Billy Graham
Ruling year: 2013
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1979
Purpose
Founded by Billy Graham in 1950, BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.
Mission statement
Continuing the lifelong work of Billy Graham, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association exists to support and extend the evangelistic calling and ministry of Franklin Graham by proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to all we can by every effective means available to us and by equipping the church and others to do the same.
Statement of faith
We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God revealing the love of God to the world. 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; John 3:16.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Ephesians 4:4-6.
We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-4 and 1:29; Acts 1:11 and 2:22-24; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-4 and 4:15.
We believe that all men everywhere are lost and face the judgment of God, that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, and that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ results in regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore we believe that God will reward the righteous with eternal life in heaven, and that He will banish the unrighteous to everlasting punishment in hell. Luke 24:46-47; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Ephesians 1:7 and 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling enables the Christian to live a godly life. John 3:5-8; Acts 1:8 and 4:31; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Galatians 5:16-18; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:6-10.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation and eternal punishment. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Revelation 20:11-15.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and that all true believers are members of His body, the church. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27; Ephesians 1:22-23.
We believe that the ministry of evangelism (sharing and proclaiming the message of salvation only possible by grace through faith in Jesus Christ) and discipleship (helping followers of Christ grow up into maturity in Christ) is a responsibility of all followers of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15; 1 Peter 3:15.
We believe God's plan for human sexuality is to be expressed only within the context of marriage, that God created man and woman as unique biological persons made to complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, we believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female. Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9.
We believe that we must dedicate ourselves to prayer, to the service of our Lord, to His authority over our lives, and to the ministry of evangelism. Matthew 9:35-38, 22:37-39, and 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15 and 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10; Colossians 2:6-10; 1 Peter 3:15.
We believe that human life is sacred from conception to its natural end; and that we must have concern for the physical and spiritual needs of our fellowmen. Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10.
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
C
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Evangelism
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 697 of 1106 | 30 of 45 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 458 of 1107 | 20 of 45 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 348 of 1107 | 17 of 45 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 1090 of 1106 | 42 of 45 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 7% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 8% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 7% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 97% | 92% | 87% | 85% | 86% | 85% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 7% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 3% | 8% | 13% | 15% | 14% | 15% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 82% | 83% | 83% | 84% | 85% | 84% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 99% | 97% | 90% | 90% | 99% | 95% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 78% | 81% | 75% | 76% | 84% | 79% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 1% | 3% | 10% | 10% | 1% | 5% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 1% | 1% | 3% | 4% | 0% | 2% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 11% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 9% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.01 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.29 | 0.25 | 0.26 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.53 | 6.58 | 7.93 | 8.79 | 10.48 | 8.24 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.22 | 1.56 | 2.07 | 2.51 | 2.65 | 2.11 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 11.32 | 7.14 | 6.67 | 0.65 | 0.53 | 4.97 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.09 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 1.53 | 1.88 | 0.20 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.64 | 6.62 | 4.94 | -2.53 | -3.96 | 4.54 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 11% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 18% | 19% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 74% | 355% | 321% | 290% | 324% | 315% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Cash | $68,679,102 | $53,658,531 | $40,022,876 | $33,172,394 | $36,822,516 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $12,477,265 | $7,613,722 | $7,991,647 | $7,236,660 | $11,014,319 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $81,156,367 | $61,272,253 | $48,014,523 | $40,409,054 | $47,836,835 |
| Long-term investments | $282,004,057 | $267,762,452 | $226,422,974 | $230,156,478 | $197,649,342 |
| Fixed assets | $62,635,365 | $54,166,405 | $55,068,472 | $55,556,126 | $57,403,935 |
| Other long-term assets | $108,057,887 | $102,573,425 | $92,408,985 | $97,415,609 | $91,293,739 |
| Total long-term assets | $452,697,309 | $424,502,282 | $373,900,431 | $383,128,213 | $346,347,016 |
| Total assets | $533,853,676 | $485,774,535 | $421,914,954 | $423,537,267 | $394,183,851 |
| Liabilities | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $8,960,841 | $7,035,387 | $5,516,859 | $5,862,863 | $8,112,367 |
| Other current liabilities | $2,407,479 | $2,155,673 | $67,869,295 | $69,942,710 | $1,506,218 |
| Total current liabilities | $11,368,320 | $9,191,060 | $73,386,154 | $75,805,573 | $9,618,585 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $74,067,381 | $69,686,661 | $0 | $0 | $67,109,709 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $74,067,381 | $69,686,661 | $0 | $0 | $67,109,709 |
| Total liabilities | $85,435,701 | $78,877,721 | $73,386,154 | $75,805,573 | $76,728,294 |
| Net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Without donor restrictions | $394,798,811 | $357,031,669 | $306,678,604 | $311,780,118 | $284,521,980 |
| With donor restrictions | $53,619,164 | $49,865,145 | $41,850,136 | $35,951,576 | $32,933,577 |
| Net assets | $448,417,975 | $406,896,814 | $348,528,800 | $347,731,694 | $317,455,557 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Total contributions | $119,943,973 | $122,620,869 | $113,934,018 | $92,875,743 | $91,137,190 |
| Program service revenue | $5,700,757 | $10,027,998 | $9,858,145 | $8,765,680 | $8,782,041 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other revenue | $4,630,358 | $8,043,479 | $9,920,903 | $6,708,936 | $6,739,192 |
| Total other revenue | $10,331,115 | $18,071,477 | $19,779,048 | $15,474,616 | $15,521,233 |
| Total revenue | $130,275,088 | $140,692,346 | $133,713,066 | $108,350,359 | $106,658,423 |
| Expenses | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Program services | $105,500,457 | $105,533,337 | $101,517,356 | $90,802,881 | $84,626,044 |
| Management and general | $13,587,086 | $13,493,034 | $11,978,570 | $10,260,890 | $9,346,012 |
| Fundraising | $7,386,111 | $7,604,910 | $6,861,079 | $6,149,156 | $6,936,753 |
| Total expenses | $126,473,654 | $126,631,281 | $120,357,005 | $107,212,927 | $100,908,809 |
| Change in net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $3,801,434 | $14,061,065 | $13,356,061 | $1,137,432 | $5,749,614 |
| Other changes in net assets | $37,719,727 | $44,306,949 | ($12,558,955) | $29,138,705 | $14,053,089 |
| Total change in net assets | $41,521,161 | $58,368,014 | $797,106 | $30,276,137 | $19,802,703 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Joel B Aarsvold | VP Corp Ptyr | $341,240 |
| Wm Franklin Graham III | Dir/Pres./Pr | $258,677 |
| Billy Graham | Dir./Chair. | $242,934 |
| David P Bruce | Dir./Asst. B | $218,545 |
| Steve Dobbins | CFO | $214,387 |
| Daniel C Allen | Secretary/VP | $214,212 |
| Clifford B Barrows | Vice Chairma | $199,337 |
| Wm Franklin Graham IV | Dir/1stvicec | $177,568 |
| Joseph M Stowell III | Dir./Prof. S | $6,000 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2014
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 2/5/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Evangelist Billy Graham took Christ at His word when He said in Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.", and thus the creation of The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1950.
Born November 7, 1918, four days before the Armistice ended World War I, Mr. Graham was reared on a dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Growing up during the Depression, he learned the value of hard work on the family farm, but he also found time to spend many hours in the hayloft reading books on a wide variety of subjects.
In the Fall of 1934, at age 16, Mr. Graham made a personal commitment to Christ through the ministry of Mordecai Ham, a traveling evangelist, who visited Charlotte for a series of revival meetings.
Ordained in 1939 by a church in the Southern Baptist Convention, Mr. Graham received a solid foundation in the Scriptures at Florida Bible Institute (now Trinity College in Florida). In 1943 he was graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois and married fellow student Ruth McCue Bell, daughter of a missionary surgeon, who spent the first 17 years of her life in China.
After graduating from college, Mr. Graham joined Youth for Christ, an organization founded for ministry to youth and servicemen during World War II. He preached throughout the United States and in Europe in the immediate post-war era, emerging as a rising young evangelist.
The Los Angeles crusade in 1949 launched Mr. Graham into international prominence. Scheduled for three weeks, the meetings were extended to more than eight weeks, with overflow crowds filling a tent erected downtown each night.
Mr. Graham founded BGEA in 1950, which headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He conducts his ministry through BGEA.
Many of his subsequent early crusades were similarly extended, including one in London which lasted 12 weeks, and a New York City crusade in Madison Square Garden in 1957 which ran nightly for 16 weeks.
Mr. Graham's counsel has been sought by presidents, and his appeal in both the secular and religious arenas is evidenced by the wide range of groups that have honored him, including numerous honorary doctorates from many institutions in the U. S. and abroad. Recognitions range from the Congressional Gold Medal to the Speaker of the Year Award and the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion. He has received the Big Brother Award for his work on behalf of the welfare of children and been cited by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute for his contributions to race relations. He has also been recognized by the Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith and the National Conference of Christians and Jews for his efforts to foster a better understanding among all faiths.
Mr. Graham is regularly listed by the Gallup organization as one of the "Ten Most Admired Men in the World," whom it described as the dominant figure in that poll over the past 54 years -- making an unparalleled 42nd appearance and 35h consecutive appearance. He has also appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek, Life, U.S. News and World Report, Parade, and numerous other magazines and has been the subject of many newspaper and magazine feature articles and books.
Billy Graham and his ministry are known around the globe. He has preached in remote African villages and in the heart of New York City, and those to whom he has ministered have ranged from heads of state to the simple-living bushmen of Australia and the wandering tribes of Africa and the Middle East. Since 1977, Mr. Graham has been accorded the opportunity to conduct preaching missions in virtually every country of the former Eastern bloc, including the former Soviet Union.
In November 2000 Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son, was appointed CEO of the BGEA.
Program accomplishments
The ministry communicates the following program accomplishments:
- The weekly "Hour of Decision" radio program broadcast around the world on Sundays for over 50 years.
- The daily "Decision Today" radio program aired by approximately 200 stations in the United States and Canada.
- Mission television specials which are regularly broadcast in prime time in almost every market in the U.S. and Canada approximately six times annually.
- A newspaper column, "My Answer," which is carried by newspapers across the country with a combined circulation of more than five million readers.
- "Decision" magazine, the official publication of the Association, has a circulation of 1.4 million and is available in English and German versions, with special editions available in Braille and on cassette tape for the visually impaired.
- World Wide Pictures has produced and distributed over 130 productions, making it one of the foremost producers of evangelistic films in the world. Films have been translated into 40 languages and viewed by more than 250 million people worldwide and, for a minimum charge, are provided for showing in prisons and correctional facilities nationwide.
Mr. Graham has written 25 books, many of which have become top sellers. His autobiography, "Just As I Am," published in 1997, achieved a "triple crown," appearing simultaneously on the three top best-seller lists in one week.
Of his other books, "Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" (1983) was listed for several weeks on The New York Times bestseller list; "How to Be Born Again" (1977) had the largest first printing in publishing history with 800,000 copies; "Angels: God's Secret Agents" (1975) sold one million copies within 90 days; and "The Jesus Generation" (1971) sold 200,000 copies in the first two weeks.
Awards and Honors
Mr. Graham's counsel has been sought by presidents, and his appeal in both the secular and religious arenas is evidenced by the wide range of groups that have honored him, including numerous honorary doctorates from many institutions in the United States and abroad. Recognitions include the Congressional Gold Medal; the Speaker of the Year Award; the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion; and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Freedom Award for contributions to the cause of freedom. He has received the Big Brother Award for his work on behalf of the welfare of children and been cited by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute for his contributions to race relations. He has also been recognized by the Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith and the National Conference of Christians and Jews for his efforts to foster a better understanding among all faiths. In December 2001 he was presented with an honorary knighthood, Honorary Knight Commander of the order of the British Empire (KBE), for his international contribution to civic and religious life over 60 years.