Word for the World USA 
The information on this page was last updated 12/1/2024. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
The Word For The World trains Bibleless people to translate the Bible into their own language. Become part of the vision to bring God's Word to all people in their heart language by 2050!
Contact information
Mailing address:
Word for the World USA
PO Box 26363
Colorado Springs, CO 80936
Website: twftwusa.org
Phone: 719-594-2052
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 841426685
CEO/President: Dr. Chris de Wet
Chairman: Dr. Paul Quinlan, U.S. chair
Board size: 7
Founder: Dr. Veroni Kruger
Ruling year: 1997
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2013
Purpose
The vision of The Word For The World is the glory of God through transformed lives by the power of his Word in everyone's heart language.
Mission statement
To enable persons, ministries and organizations from language communities that do not have the Bible in their own language yet to take responsibility for Bible translation and related activities and to ensure its availability and accessibility.
Statement of faith
The Word for the World is an interdenominational Bible translation ministry. Our personnel come from a wide variety of Christian churches. We want to serve the Church in its broadest sense to make God's Word available to all the nations of the world.
- We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is infallible and authoritative in the original writings.
- We believe in one God eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in his virgin birth, in his vicarious death and atonement through his shed blood, in his bodily resurrection, in his ascension to the right hand of the Father, in his personal return in power and glory.
- We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Spirit are essential.
- We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
- We believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life eternal.
- We believe in the spiritual unity of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, composed of all who are regenerated through faith in the Lord Jesus
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Bible Translation Organizations
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 180 of 1114 | 3 of 16 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 276 of 1115 | 3 of 16 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 234 of 1115 | 6 of 16 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 469 of 1114 | 7 of 16 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 7% | 4% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 6% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 7% | 4% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 6% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 97% | 98% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 7% | 5% | 4% | 6% | 5% | 6% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 3% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 83% | 85% | 90% | 87% | 88% | 87% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 94% | 83% | 77% | 89% | 89% | 98% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 74% | 71% | 69% | 77% | 78% | 85% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 6% | 17% | 23% | 11% | 11% | 2% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 10% | 33% | 57% | 35% | 45% | 13% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 9% | 10% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 7% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.98 | 1.64 | 1.16 | 1.19 | 1.26 | 1.31 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.48 | 1.01 | 1.01 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.47 | 1.65 | 1.17 | 1.19 | 1.26 | 1.31 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 7.69 | 0.00 | 2.60 | 1.70 | 1.60 | 1.32 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.11 | 0.00 | 0.39 | 0.59 | 0.63 | 0.76 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 3.70 | 7.27 | 6.31 | 4.16 | 3.56 | 2.25 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 15% | 0% | 39% | 59% | 65% | 75% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 68% | 61% | 53% | 35% | 28% | 19% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Cash | $5,808,268 | $6,331,472 | $4,111,511 | $3,129,459 | $2,470,716 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $18,698 | $34,508 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $5,826,966 | $6,365,980 | $4,111,511 | $3,129,459 | $2,470,716 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $32,679 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $49,362 | $2,474 | $2,474 | $2,474 |
| Total long-term assets | $32,679 | $49,362 | $2,474 | $2,474 | $2,474 |
| Total assets | $5,859,645 | $6,415,342 | $4,113,985 | $3,131,933 | $2,473,190 |
| Liabilities | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $0 | $0 | $1,690 | $30,316 | $1,052 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $2,452,814 | $2,410,971 | $1,927,379 | $1,865,682 |
| Total current liabilities | $0 | $2,452,814 | $2,412,661 | $1,957,695 | $1,866,734 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $65,949 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $44,432 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $44,432 | $0 | $65,949 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $0 | $2,497,246 | $2,412,661 | $2,023,644 | $1,866,734 |
| Net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Without donor restrictions | $3,549,743 | $2,283,636 | $1,136,447 | $707,365 | $606,456 |
| With donor restrictions | $2,309,902 | $1,634,460 | $564,877 | $400,924 | $0 |
| Net assets | $5,859,645 | $3,918,096 | $1,701,324 | $1,108,289 | $606,456 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Total contributions | $11,360,755 | $9,630,010 | $5,476,949 | $4,433,439 | $3,304,551 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $202,395 | $23,408 | $14,408 | $13,063 | $1,598 |
| Other revenue | $1,500 | $4,054 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total other revenue | $203,895 | $27,462 | $14,408 | $13,063 | $1,598 |
| Total revenue | $11,564,650 | $9,657,472 | $5,491,357 | $4,446,502 | $3,306,149 |
| Expenses | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Program services | $8,221,240 | $6,692,990 | $4,252,320 | $3,467,442 | $2,808,332 |
| Management and general | $948,066 | $427,246 | $357,308 | $272,228 | $234,523 |
| Fundraising | $453,795 | $320,464 | $288,694 | $204,999 | $185,533 |
| Total expenses | $9,623,101 | $7,440,700 | $4,898,322 | $3,944,669 | $3,228,388 |
| Change in net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $1,941,549 | $2,216,772 | $593,035 | $501,833 | $77,761 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $1,941,549 | $2,216,772 | $593,035 | $501,833 | $77,761 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Christiaan de Wet | CEO | $131,843 |
| Peter Bradley | Former CEO | $122,504 |
| Martin Rediger | Chief Operating Officer | $86,400 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2023
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 12/1/2024. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
In 1979, Dr Veroni Krger heard God say, "I want you to ... establish an indigenous Bible translation agency whose vision will be empowering nationals to translate the Bible for their own people." Initial responses to a decentralized translation approach were skeptical. But on January 9th, 1981, PJ Vivier and Dr. Krger signed the Articles of Association and The Word for the World became a reality. Dr. Krger then recruited a team of driven missionaries to blaze innovative trails in Bible translation.
Today, The Word for the World invests in communities by equipping church and local Christian leaders with necessary tools and establishing translation processes and infrastructures. Initial skeptics now recognize The Word for the World as one of the most innovative organizations in the field of Bible translation.
Program accomplishments
TWFTW has over 168 Bible translation projects in progress, with many more ready to begin. With God's leading and with partners like you, we are working alongside 10 leading Bible translation agencies to bring the Gospel to Bible-less community by 2050.