By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The financial office of the SBC Executive Committee released its monthly report for February, and the year-to-date numbers showed Cooperative Program gifts had declined year-to-year for the first five months of the 2022-2023 budget cycle (Oct. 1-Feb 28). Donations were down $7,885,949.66, or 8.77 percent off, compared to 2022.
COOPERATIVE PROGRAM
$81,993,237.22 (YTD, FY 2023)
$89,879,186.88 (YTD, FY 2022)
Gifts through the Cooperative Program were 2.35 percent above what was budgeted for 2022-2023, according to Baptist Press. However, there is a two-year lag in the SBC budgeting process, meaning the 2022-2023 budget was based on 2020-2021 Cooperative Program receipts, which were negatively impacted by the global pandemic and substantially less than donations in 2021-2022. So, 2022-2023 gifts are above what was planned based on 2020-2021 numbers, but down from the amount received during 2021-2022.
Designated giving for the first five months of the fiscal year also experienced a year-to-year decrease, falling 3.61 percent, or $3,410,637.33 from the 2021-2022 budget cycle, with both the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering being negatively impacted.
DESIGNATED
$91,180,839.32 (YTD, FY 2023)
$94,180,839.33 (YTD, FY 2022)