Unfoldingword
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Organization exists to see the Church in every People Group and the Bible in Every Language. The Organization catalyzes and equips church networks so that they are empowered and successful in reaching the least reached.
- Income
- $9.8 million
- Spending
- $9.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- -0.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 25
- Volunteers
- 12
- Highest pay
- $196,050, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 47 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (religion, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 32% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (religion, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 7 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 December 31, 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 (4)
- $4.1 million spent. Whole Bible Whole Nation (WBWN): The Whole Bible for the Whole Nation (WBWN) portfolio is designed to equip and empower church networks to reach underrepresented people groups by expanding ministry efforts, training leaders, and facilitating Bible translation. Its primary focus is on building capacity, enabling churches to continue planting new congregations and developing maturity through the translation of scripture. Supporting holistic development, the WBWN strategy addresses various needs and promotes ownership and sustainability. It aims to reduce reliance on external support by providing stewardship training and encouraging long-term planning. One of the Organization's objectives for this portfolio is to demonstrate that Church-Centric Bible Translation (CCBT) is an effective strategy across the world's major regions. There are seven active WBWN programs: Sudan, Islands-Asia, Southeast Asia, Benin, Chad, Iran, and Colombia. In 2025, the Whole Bible for Whole Nation (WBWN) portfolio advanced a scalable, church-led model for Scripture engagement and translation. WBWN phases were formally defined and used to evaluate progress across seven active programs, including a new one this year. A key achievement was the completion and presentation of the Sudan case study at the Bible Translation conference, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating theological formation into the Bible translation process in the context of an unreached people group. The Organization expanded its global partnerships with new field partners in Myanmar, the Islands-Asia, and Colombia. The Organization increased its reach by engaging in 52 additional languages, bringing the total to 405. Of these, 183 were All-Access-Goals languages for which no current Bible is available. The Organization engaged 44 additional Unreached People Groups (UPGs), totaling 203, and expanded into 19 new countries, bringing its overall reach to 50.Scripture access outputs also increased, with 10 additional Open Bible Story (OBS) sets completed, bringing the total to 193. These activities strengthened local church capacity and expanded access to Scripture and discipleship resources in underserved language communities worldwide.
- $2.2 million spent. Strategic Language Resources: The Strategic Language Resources (SLR) portfolio aims to address the resource gaps and challenges that impede Bible translation, particularly in unreached communities. It provides open-licensed and accessible resources and tools to empower local church networks to lead translation efforts. This approach ensures sustainable access to Scripture in the languages that resonate most with these communities. The portfolio focuses on several key needs, including equipping church networks with resources to reach unreached people groups and translate the Bible into their heart languages. It also aims to enhance accessibility by providing unrestricted access to Bible translation sources and training materials in languages the global church understands. Additionally, it seeks to overcome barriers, such as reliance on all-rights-reserved English resources.In 2025, the Organization continued to expand and strengthen its Strategic Language Resources to support church-led Bible engagement and translation worldwide. The Organization completed English Book Package entries covering 21,102 verses, representing 67% of Scripture, and finalized 30 additional Book Packages, bringing the total to 318. The Organization also added one new Strategic Language to the Book Package process, bringing the total to 16.The Organization completed the First Principles of Bible Translation video series and presented it at the Eurasia Distribution and Media Consultation (EMDC), equipping church and ministry leaders with foundational translation concepts.In 2025, the Organization developed and tested a new training suite, Foundations of Bible Translation (Foundations BT), designed specifically for oral-preference and first-time translation teams. This suite includes six instructional videos, a simplified Bible translation framework, and AI-powered access to unfoldingWord's core translation guides. Foundations BT introduces a clear, visual, and community-based process built around three core principles: Understand, Translate, and Check, with practical guiding questions that help teams apply these principles in their own cultural and ministry contexts. The Organization successfully tested this approach in 17 countries, demonstrating its effectiveness in equipping local churches to engage Scripture translation in sustainable and accessible ways.
- $786,305 spent. Technology: The Tools and Technology portfolio addresses the critical shortage of accessible, self-service Bible translation tools for church networks in under-resourced and restricted-access areas. It also highlights the need for global software developers to engage in this ministry. Current translation tools often require advanced technological infrastructure, formal training, and external oversight, creating barriers for many language communities that desire Scripture in their heart language. Key issues being addressed include the spiritual needs of people without access to a complete Bible, technological obstacles, and the fact that existing Bible translation tools typically require internet access, consultants, and complex software. These requirements make them inaccessible to churches in remote areas. Additionally, the initiative seeks to address the persecution and security risks faced by churches in restricted-access regions by providing decentralized, offline-capable solutions that allow them to continue translation efforts safely. Another important focus is meeting the needs of oral cultures and low literacy communities, particularly for unreached people who rely on oral learning. This portfolio initiative aims to provide open-licensed, mobile-friendly, and offline translation tools, equipping churches to lead their own translation efforts without depending on external experts.In 2025, the Organization hosted the Open Components Ecosystem (OCE) Hackathon, engaging over 50 participants from 10 organizations. This collaborative event generated 11 innovative projects that advanced Bible translation technology and methodology. The Organization's global community continues to grow, with 2,702 translators actively using unfoldingWord tools worldwide.This year, the Organization launched a new tool, BT Servant, a multilingual, AI-powered assistant designed specifically for Church-Based Bible translation teams. Built on unfoldingWord's curated Biblical resources and training, BT Servant delivers trustworthy insights in multiple languages via accessible platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, even in low-connectivity regions. BT Servant was piloted in Kenya and Indonesia, receiving highly positive user feedback and demonstrating its potential to revolutionize translation support globally.
- $388,167 spent. Catalyzation: The Catalyzation Portfolio serves a vital purpose by equipping church leaders and translation practitioners with Church-Centric Bible Translation methodologies. This initiative provides a global platform for sharing best practices, addressing challenges, and developing innovative solutions. It aims to strengthen collaborative partnerships and networks among churches, translation organizations, and funding bodies while informing and inviting churches and organizations to engage in projects and collaborations. By tackling these gaps, the project will accelerate the availability of Scripture in new languages, promote sustainable translation movements, and ensure that churches remain at the forefront of Bible translation efforts. In 2025, the Organization hosted its fourth annual Global CCBT Forum in Kenya, hosting 85 participants from 30 organizations who spoke 30 different mother tongues. This attendance reflects a 40% increase over 2024, highlighting growing interest and collaboration within the global church translation movement.Since 2017, the Organization has delivered 20,160 training hours across 215 events, equipping church leaders and translation teams worldwide with essential skills and resources.A major milestone in scholarship and resource accessibility is the forthcoming release of the Greek New Testament (GNT), a world-class, openly licensed edition developed by expert textual critics at The Center for New Testament Textual Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, with support from Biblica and illumiNations. This high-quality, open-access resource will serve the global church and Bible translation efforts for generations to come, removing longstanding barriers and enabling unrestricted use.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 October 13, 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 December 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 March 2004.
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 October 21, 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.