American Bible Society
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SINCE 1816, AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY HAS BEEN FULFILLING ITS MISSION OF MAKING THE BIBLE AVAILABLE TO EVERY PERSON IN A LANGUAGE AND FORMAT EACH CAN UNDERSTAND AND AFFORD SO ALL PEOPLE MAY EXPERIENCE ITS LIFE-CHANGING MESSAGE.
- Income
- $81.6 million
- Spending
- $72.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 89.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 55%
- Employees
- 397
- Volunteers
- 225
- Highest pay
- $422,417, chief executive officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 77% of charities in its peer group (religion, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 89.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 28 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (religion, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 14 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $55.3 million spent. IN 2025, AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY CONTINUED ITS 209TH YEAR OF BIBLE-BASED MINISTRY AS WE FAITHFULLY MOVED AHEAD WITH OUR VISION TO SEE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN GOD'S WORD. WE WILL REACH THIS GOAL BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH CHURCHES AND OTHER BIBLE-BASED MINISTRIES IN CITIES ACROSS THE U.S. , FEATURING OUR WIDE VARIETY OF SCRIPTURE RESOURCES IN PRINT AND DIGITAL FORMATS, AS WELL AS OUR BIBLE-BASED TRAUMA HEALING MINISTRY TO EASE ALL WOUNDED HEARTS WITH THE HEALING POWER OF GOD'S WORD. AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY HELPS PEOPLE EXPERIENCE GOD THROUGH THE BIBLE. WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE BIBLE TO UNREACHED AND UNDERSERVED PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, HELP PEOPLE ENGAGE IN THE BIBLE INCLUDING THOSE IN CRISIS WHO FIND RESTORATION THROUGH SCRIPTURE, AND ADVOCATE FOR THE BIBLE'S MESSAGE OF HOPE HERE IN AMERICA. THROUGH THE CHURCH AND A GLOBAL NETWORK OF BIBLE SOCIETIES, WE CARRY GOD'S WORD WHERE IT IS NEEDED MOST. OUR RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCE TELL US THE BIBLE MAKES US MORE GENEROUS, MORE COMPASSIONATE, MORE LOVING TOWARD OUR NEIGHBORS, AND MORE HOPEFUL ABOUT OUR FUTURE IN CHRIST. THAT'S WHY OUR MISSION SINCE 1816 HAS BEEN TO HELP ALL PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE LIFE-CHANGING MESSAGE OF GOD'S WORD. GOD'S WORD FOR THE UNREACHED WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE BIBLE IN EVERY LANGUAGE, FOR EVERY PERSON. WE ARE LEADERS AND INNOVATORS IN THE BIBLE TRANSLATION MOVEMENT, FOCUSING ON CREATING AND APPLYING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO ACCELERATE TRANSLATION EFFORTS THROUGH 70 BIBLE TRANSLATION PROJECTS. BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS FOR ALL PEOPLE, OUR TRANSLATION MINISTRY INCLUDES AUDIO AND VIDEO BIBLES, SIGN LANGUAGE BIBLES, BRAILLE BIBLES, AND BIBLE RESOURCES THAT CONTEXTUALIZE THE GOSPEL MESSAGE FOR DIVERSE CULTURES AND TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD. OUR INNOVATIVE TRANSLATION FRAMEWORK ALLOWS US TO ACCURATELY AND EFFICIENTLY TRANSLATE FIRST BIBLES, STUDY BIBLES, AND MODERN LANGUAGE BIBLES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. WE ALSO DISTRIBUTE THE BIBLE WITH THE AIM OF PLACING GOD'S WORD INTO THE HANDS AND HEARTS OF ALL PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR TRUTH. SINCE OUR FOUNDING, WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 6.9 BILLION PIECES OF SCRIPTURE WORLDWIDE . OFTEN, OUR BIBLE DISTRIBUTION MINISTRY LEADS US TO THE FRONTLINES OF CONFLICT, WAR, TERRORISM, NATURAL DISASTERS, AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN CRISES. WE JOYFULLY PARTNER WITH LOCAL BIBLE SOCIETIES MINISTERING IN MORE THAN 240 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES AROUND THE WORLD TO ENSURE EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION THROUGH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. OUR BIBLE SOCIETY PARTNERS ARE EXPERTS ON THEIR NATIONS' CHURCH CULTURES AND HELP US RESPOND TO THE REAL-TIME SCRIPTURE NEEDS OF LOCAL BELIEVERS. IN THE PAST YEAR, WE PROVIDED OVER 2.4 MILLION PRINT AND DIGITAL BIBLES TO WAITING PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. IN ADDITION, ABS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SUCH AS BIBLE VERSIONS AND CONTENT WERE LICENSED IN PRINT AND DIGITAL FORMATS TO OVER 32 MILLION RECIPIENTS GLOBALLY. GOD'S WORD FOR PEOPLE IN CRISIS THE BIBLE RESTORES BROKEN HEARTS. OUR BIBLE-BASED RESTORING HOPE MINISTRY HELPS PEOPLE IN CRISIS FIND PEACE THROUGH THE POWER OF SCRIPTURE. FIRST DEVELOPED IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO TO HELP PEOPLE REBUILD IN THE AFTERMATH OF WAR AND GENOCIDE, THIS MINISTRY COMBINES MENTAL HEALTH BEST PRACTICES WITH THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD. BY ENGAGING WITH THE BIBLE'S HEALING WORDS IN SAFE, SMALL GROUP SETTINGS, PEOPLE ARE GUIDED TO GIVE THEIR PAIN TO JESUS AND BEGIN THE JOURNEY TO JOY AND RESTORATION. OUR TRAUMA HEALING RESOURCES ADDRESS THE MANY FORMS OF TRAUMA EXPERIENCED BY THE WORLD'S PEOPLE. THESE RESOURCES EQUIP CHURCHES AND AGENCIES IN SERVING POPULATIONS SUFFERING FROM CONFLICT AND WAR, SURVIVORS OF DISASTER, PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, CHILDREN AND TEENS EXPERIENCING TRAUMA, AND MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY COMMUNITY. FORMATS INCLUDE SMALL GROUPS, ONLINE VIDEO COURSES, AND PRINT AND DIGITAL DOCUMENTS. IN ADDITION, WE SHARE FREE BASIC TRAUMA HEALING RESOURCES TO INCREASE AWARENESS IN THE CHURCH AND EQUIP BELIEVERS TO CARE FOR PEOPLE IN CRISIS. SINCE 2012, THIS MINISTRY HAS BUILT A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF TRAINED FACILITATORS WHO COME ALONGSIDE LOCAL COMMUNITIES OF FAITH TO SERVE PEOPLE IN CRISIS THROUGH BIBLE-BASED TRAUMA HEALING. ABOUT 23,000 PEOPLE COMPLETED A HEALING GROUP IN 2025. GOD'S WORD FOR AMERICA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, WE ADVOCATE FOR THE BIBLE AS THE LIVING WORD OF GOD AND OUR SUREST SOURCE OF TRUTH. WE ENGAGE AMERICANS WITH THE BIBLE BY PROVIDING RESOURCES AND EXPERIENCES THAT HELP PEOPLE ENCOUNTER AND LIVE OUT THE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE. OUR DAILY DEVOTIONALS, PRAYER GUIDES, BIBLE STORIES, AND TEACHINGS ARE UNIQUELY CONTEXTUALIZED TO SERVE A DIVERSE AUDIENCE OF BELIEVERS AND SEEKERS. OUR ARMED SERVICES MINISTRY SERVES OUR NATION'S BRAVE HEROES BY DISTRIBUTING THE WORD OF GOD TO U.S. MILITARY MEMBERS, VETERANS, AND THEIR FAMILIES. TO DATE, WE HAVE SHARED MORE THAN 60 MILLION BIBLES AND SCRIPTURE RESOURCES WITHIN THE MILITARY COMMUNITY. THROUGH A GROWING NETWORK CHAPLAINS AND CHURCH PARTNERS ON THE FRONTLINES OF MILITARY MINISTRY, WE PROVIDE MILITARY-SPECIFIC BIBLE RESOURCES THAT EQUIP MILITARY FAMILIES IN THEIR SERVICE TO OUR NATION. IN THE PAST YEAR, THIS MINISTRY REACHED OVER 400,000 PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY COMMUNITY. SINCE 2011, OUR STATE OF THE BIBLE RESEARCH HAS PROVIDED INSIGHTS INTO HOW AMERICANS VIEW AND USE THE BIBLE AND WHAT DIFFERENCE IT MAKES IN THEIR LIVES. THIS RESEARCH INDICATES PEOPLE WHO ENGAGE WITH SCRIPTURE MORE DEEPLY EXPERIENCE LESS STRESS, MORE HOPE, HIGHER LEVELS OF HUMAN FLOURISHING, AND LOWER LEVELS OF LONELINESS THAN THOSE WHO INTERACT WITH THE BIBLE LESS FREQUENTLY AND GIVE IT A LESS CENTRAL PLACE IN THEIR LIVES. 20 PERCENT OF AMERICANS WERE SCRIPTURE ENGAGED IN 2025, AND WE PRAY THIS PROPORTION WILL INCREASE IN THE COMING YEARS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 1931.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.