SIL International 
The information on this page was last updated 11/16/2022. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
We are a global, faith-based nonprofit that works with local communities around the world to develop language solutions that expand possibilities for a better life. SIL's core contribution areas are Bible translation, literacy, education, development, linguistic research and language tools.
We are eager for the day when all people enjoy equal access to education, to socio-economic opportunities, and to resources for spiritual growth - no matter what language they speak or sign.
Contact information
Mailing address:
SIL International
7500 W. Camp Wisdom Road
Dallas, TX 75236-5629
Website: sil.org
Phone: 972-708-7300
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 751840827
CEO/President: Dr. Michel Kenmogne
Chairman: Hans Combrink
Board size: 15
Founder: William Cameron Townsend
Ruling year: 1983
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 09/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2020
Purpose
We long to see people flourishing in community using the languages they value most.
SIL's service with ethnolinguistic minority communities is motivated by the belief that all people are created in the image of God, and that languages and cultures are part of the richness of God's creation. SIL is founded on the principle that communities should be able to pursue their social, cultural, political, economic and spiritual goals without sacrificing their ethnolinguistic identity. As a faith-based nonprofit organization, SIL works alongside language communities as they discover how to harness the power of their language to address challenges and reach their goals.
Mission statement
Inspired by God's love, we advocate, build capacity, and work with local communities to apply language expertise that advances meaningful development, education, and engagement with Scripture.
Statement of faith
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Foreign Missions
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 702 of 1031 | 94 of 135 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 236 of 1032 | 34 of 135 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 644 of 1032 | 75 of 135 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 982 of 1031 | 130 of 135 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 4% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 4% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 98% | 72% | 72% | 67% | 64% | 62% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 2% | 28% | 28% | 33% | 36% | 38% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 84% | 83% | 81% | 78% | 80% | 93% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 90% | 89% | 100% | 106% | 97% | 98% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 76% | 74% | 81% | 83% | 77% | 91% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 10% | 11% | 0% | -6% | 3% | 2% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 14% | 6% | 0% | -4% | 2% | 1% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 10% | 16% | 18% | 22% | 20% | 7% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.18 | 0.32 | 0.38 | 0.48 | 0.44 | 0.47 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.27 | 3.32 | 3.63 | 4.37 | 3.64 | 4.03 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.76 | 1.07 | 1.38 | 2.08 | 1.61 | 1.89 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 20.65 | 0.92 | 0.93 | 0.90 | 1.06 | 1.06 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.05 | 1.08 | 1.07 | 1.11 | 0.94 | 0.95 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.03 | -0.92 | -0.64 | -0.64 | 0.43 | 0.34 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 8% | 33% | 30% | 26% | 26% | 24% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 77% | 209% | 184% | 155% | 166% | 162% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Cash | $27,310,099 | $20,611,209 | $14,374,702 | $19,255,909 | $15,671,239 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $8,908,481 | $6,433,642 | $5,503,097 | $6,044,611 | $6,021,907 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $36,218,580 | $27,044,851 | $19,877,799 | $25,300,520 | $21,693,146 |
| Long-term investments | $49,522,016 | $39,072,672 | $37,781,830 | $36,189,866 | $33,426,438 |
| Fixed assets | $32,048,270 | $30,312,980 | $27,633,935 | $29,260,706 | $30,433,645 |
| Other long-term assets | $2,543,333 | $1,801,171 | $1,527,587 | $1,239,572 | $1,812,637 |
| Total long-term assets | $84,113,619 | $71,186,823 | $66,943,352 | $66,690,144 | $65,672,720 |
| Total assets | $120,332,199 | $98,231,674 | $86,821,151 | $91,990,664 | $87,365,866 |
| Liabilities | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $36,967,805 | $26,973,181 | $21,356,034 | $23,250,980 | $20,037,352 |
| Other current liabilities | $2,197,169 | $2,083,314 | $719,292 | $600,134 | $482,681 |
| Total current liabilities | $39,164,974 | $29,056,495 | $22,075,326 | $23,851,114 | $20,520,033 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $395,137 | $432,285 | $415,630 | $399,607 | $384,190 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $395,137 | $432,285 | $415,630 | $399,607 | $384,190 |
| Total liabilities | $39,560,111 | $29,488,780 | $22,490,956 | $24,250,721 | $20,904,223 |
| Net assets | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Without donor restrictions | $70,083,784 | $62,242,398 | $58,508,385 | $60,568,222 | $59,877,752 |
| With donor restrictions | $10,688,304 | $6,500,496 | $5,821,810 | $7,171,721 | $6,583,891 |
| Net assets | $80,772,088 | $68,742,894 | $64,330,195 | $67,739,943 | $66,461,643 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Total contributions | $31,201,534 | $26,880,971 | $25,918,427 | $26,976,968 | $25,854,576 |
| Program service revenue | $8,023,183 | $8,322,176 | $10,188,109 | $11,004,733 | $10,913,053 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $2,699,306 | $636,478 | $834,736 | $2,401,120 | $3,179,134 |
| Other revenue | $1,391,559 | $1,630,585 | $1,960,099 | $1,673,715 | $2,088,728 |
| Total other revenue | $12,114,048 | $10,589,239 | $12,982,944 | $15,079,568 | $16,180,915 |
| Total revenue | $43,315,582 | $37,470,210 | $38,901,371 | $42,056,536 | $42,035,491 |
| Expenses | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Program services | $31,915,973 | $30,509,793 | $32,241,084 | $32,472,137 | $38,074,074 |
| Management and general | $6,138,715 | $6,815,408 | $9,052,628 | $8,197,660 | $2,939,988 |
| Fundraising | $534,851 | $127,583 | $107,344 | $69,068 | $29,055 |
| Total expenses | $38,589,539 | $37,452,784 | $41,401,056 | $40,738,865 | $41,043,117 |
| Change in net assets | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $4,726,043 | $17,426 | ($2,499,685) | $1,317,671 | $992,374 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $4,726,043 | $17,426 | ($2,499,685) | $1,317,671 | $992,374 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Michel Kenmogne | Executive Dir. | $148,276 |
| Mark Robinson | Director | $74,448 |
| George Shultz | Secretary | $60,532 |
| Daniel Agee | Director | $50,862 |
| Eleanor Berry - Assist Treasurer | COO | $45,755 |
| Sunny Hong | Director | $39,718 |
| Donald P Buhler - CFO | Treasurer | $31,467 |
| Liz Thomson Vice Chair | Director | $25,733 |
| Mary Pearce | Director | $22,332 |
| Yuko Takata - Outgoing | Director | $20,705 |
| Eugene C Burnham - Assistant | Secretary | $8,454 |
| Aboubakari Sama | Director | $7,927 |
Compensation data as of: 9/30/2020
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 11/16/2022. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
The principal founder of SIL International was William Cameron Townsend (1896-1982). He began cross-cultural work with the Kaqchikel people of Guatemala in 1919. By 1929, Townsend's vision had broadened to include other peoples who also needed language development. SIL International (then known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics) began in 1934 as a summer training program in Arkansas, USA, with two students. The enrollment of these summer classes grew each subsequent year.
Kenneth L. Pike (1912-2000) was one of five students in the 1935 course. He began work on the Mixtec language in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. This work launched Pike into his life-long work in linguistics and the study of language in the context of human behavior. Dr. Pike served as President of SIL until 1979.
For a timeline, visit: sil.org/about/history
Program accomplishments
As of October 2021, we are involved in approximately 1,633 active language projects in 98 countries. These projects impact more than 855+ million people within 1,347 local communities. SIL's work brings together more than 4,200 staff from 84 countries who work alongside thousands more local partners and community volunteers worldwide.