Samaritan's Purse/ Operation Christmas Child/ Franklin Graham 
Summary
In Luke 10:30-37, Jesus tells the story of a man who-without thought of his own safety or need-stopped to help a wounded traveler. We traditionally focus on the actions of the Good Samaritan, but let's consider the man who accepted his help. Because of his need at such a critical time, this man was receptive to the assistance offered by a Samaritan. Today, people in crisis here in the United States and around the world are making that same choice.
When facing life's troubles, people are more willing to accept physical help, spiritual comfort, and the transformational message of the Gospel. Every day, Samaritan's Purse provides essential food, clean water, medical care, and spiritual encouragement to suffering people-all in the Name of Jesus Christ. Since 1970, we have looked into the eyes of needy men, women, and children with compassion while sharing Jesus' love for them.
In remote, underserved regions of the world, we unconditionally meet the needs of people who are victims of natural and man-made disasters. Christ's love compels us to not only relieve suffering but also to share the eternal hope that is available through a personal relationship with God through His only Son.
We collaborate with churches, government officials, and ministry partners globally to reach vulnerable people with both physical and spiritual assistance. By integrating existing local resources into our projects and establishing local oversight, we offer communities the tools needed to attain and maintain self-sufficiency. As a result, beneficiaries are empowered and sustainable change is implemented. As part of our mission to build up the body of Christ, we provide resources and training to local churches so they can strengthen families and positively impact their communities with the Gospel message.
This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Contact information
Mailing address:
PO Box 3000
801 Bamboo Road
Boone, NC 28607-3000
Website: www.samaritanspurse.org
Phone: (828) 262-1980
Email: info@samaritan.org
Organization details
EIN: 581437002
CEO/President: Mr. W. Franklin Graham III
Chairman: Mr. W. Franklin Graham III
Board size: 18
Founder: Dr. Bob Pierce
Year founded: 1970
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1993
Purpose
People around the world are brought low by catastrophic circumstances, whether it be famine, conflict, persistent poverty, or natural disaster. Fallen along the wayside of life, these families and communities are in need of physical assistance as a demonstration of God's love. Recognizing these needs, Samaritan's Purse provides physical aid while ministering to the broken and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Mission statement
Samaritan's Purse uses the following to express its mission:
Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Statement of faith
Samaritan's Purse uses the following to express its Statement of Faith:
- We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God revealing the love of God to the world. 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; John 3:16.
- We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Ephesians 4:4-6.
- We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-4 and 1:29; Acts 1:11 and 2:22-24; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-4 and 4:15.
- We believe that all men everywhere are lost and face the judgment of God, that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, and that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ results in regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we believe that God will reward the righteous with eternal life in heaven, and that He will banish the unrighteous to everlasting punishment in hell. Luke 24:46-47; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Ephesians 1:7 and 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7.
- We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling enables the Christian to live a godly life. John 3:5-8; Acts 1:8 and 4:31; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Galatians 5:16-18; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:6-10.
- We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation and eternal punishment. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Revelation 20:11-15.
- We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and that all true believers are members of His body, the Church. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27; Ephesians 1:22-23.
- We believe that the ministry of evangelism (sharing and proclaiming the message of salvation only possible by grace through faith in Jesus Christ) and discipleship (helping followers of Christ grow up into maturity in Christ) is a responsibility of all followers of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15; 1 Peter 3:15.
- We believe God's plan for human sexuality is to be expressed only within the context of marriage, that God created man and woman as unique biological persons made to complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, we believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female. Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9.
- We believe that we must dedicate ourselves to prayer, to the service of our Lord, to His authority over our lives, and to the ministry of evangelism. Matthew 9:35-38; 22:37-39, and 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15 and 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10; Colossians 2:6-10; 1 Peter 3:15.
- We believe that human life is sacred from conception to its natural end; and that we must have concern for the physical and spiritual needs of our fellowmen. Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10.
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Relief and Development
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 237 of 593 | 44 of 68 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 318 of 593 | 37 of 68 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 170 of 593 | 34 of 68 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 319 of 593 | 49 of 68 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 7% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 6% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 93% | 97% | 99% | 99% | 100% | 100% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 8% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 8% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 7% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Operating ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 82% | 86% | 88% | 88% | 88% | 88% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 98% | 93% | 97% | 76% | 92% | 86% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 80% | 80% | 85% | 67% | 81% | 76% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 2% | 7% | 3% | 24% | 8% | 14% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 3% | 7% | 3% | 30% | 12% | 21% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 11% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Investing ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.04 | 0.91 | 0.97 | 0.90 | 1.19 | 1.21 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.73 | 1.44 | 1.39 | 1.33 | 1.47 | 1.47 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.18 | 1.32 | 1.34 | 1.19 | 1.75 | 1.78 |
| Liquidity ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 8.84 | 12.46 | 13.10 | 15.82 | 9.42 | 10.28 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.11 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.11 | 0.10 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.72 | 8.36 | 8.25 | 9.42 | 6.13 | 6.08 |
| Solvency ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 11% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 11% | 10% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 77% | 100% | 95% | 103% | 75% | 75% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Cash | $246,027,653 | $216,890,016 | $230,038,187 | $162,838,221 | $128,252,955 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $57,499,614 | $65,438,359 | $57,703,504 | $46,084,576 | $44,447,543 |
| Short-term investments | $214,096,774 | $207,549,900 | $204,792,431 | $111,417,339 | $109,022,560 |
| Other current assets | $13,912,225 | $21,334,122 | $19,262,149 | $13,137,188 | $9,132,924 |
| Total current assets | $531,536,266 | $511,212,397 | $511,796,271 | $333,477,324 | $290,855,982 |
| Long-term investments | $40,991,926 | $33,924,385 | $32,853,501 | $28,712,168 | $24,113,754 |
| Fixed assets | $193,311,089 | $162,405,195 | $132,848,630 | $127,120,175 | $112,084,775 |
| Other long-term assets | $804,895 | $760,601 | $711,927 | $677,063 | $647,736 |
| Total long-term assets | $235,107,910 | $197,090,181 | $166,414,058 | $156,509,406 | $136,846,265 |
| Total assets | $766,644,176 | $708,302,578 | $678,210,329 | $489,986,730 | $427,702,247 |
| Liabilities | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $39,841,643 | $31,897,957 | $25,107,398 | $28,505,873 | $21,719,970 |
| Other current liabilities | $2,805,914 | $7,133,780 | $7,252,146 | $6,896,349 | $6,568,849 |
| Total current liabilities | $42,647,557 | $39,031,737 | $32,359,544 | $35,402,222 | $28,288,819 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $22,039,794 | $19,574,666 | $18,366,490 | $17,003,690 | $12,836,642 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $22,039,794 | $19,574,666 | $18,366,490 | $17,003,690 | $12,836,642 |
| Total liabilities | $64,687,351 | $58,606,403 | $50,726,034 | $52,405,912 | $41,125,461 |
| Net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Unrestricted | $458,684,126 | $388,051,760 | $327,196,108 | $248,003,316 | $215,948,226 |
| Temporarily restricted | $242,275,690 | $260,637,406 | $299,281,178 | $188,570,493 | $170,628,560 |
| Permanently restricted | $1,007,009 | $1,007,009 | $1,007,009 | $1,007,009 | $0 |
| Net assets | $701,956,825 | $649,696,175 | $627,484,295 | $437,580,818 | $386,576,786 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Total contributions | $732,812,226 | $703,183,852 | $790,686,749 | $633,092,350 | $598,910,110 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $13,940,977 | $4,253,558 | $4,000,053 | $2,132,216 | ($239,301) |
| Other revenue | $6,854,535 | $1,623,481 | $6,136,788 | ($428,727) | $1,150,879 |
| Total other revenue | $20,795,512 | $5,877,039 | $10,136,841 | $1,703,489 | $911,578 |
| Total revenue | $753,607,738 | $709,060,891 | $800,823,590 | $634,795,839 | $599,821,688 |
| Expenses | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Program services | $605,826,881 | $603,057,217 | $534,794,934 | $514,299,873 | $455,193,340 |
| Management and general | $40,404,423 | $33,635,752 | $29,585,875 | $26,924,042 | $23,643,532 |
| Fundraising | $55,115,784 | $50,156,042 | $46,539,304 | $42,567,892 | $38,971,587 |
| Total expenses | $701,347,088 | $686,849,011 | $610,920,113 | $583,791,807 | $517,808,459 |
| Change in net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $52,260,650 | $22,211,880 | $189,903,477 | $51,004,032 | $82,013,229 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $52,260,650 | $22,211,880 | $189,903,477 | $51,004,032 | $82,013,229 |
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
History
"Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God". Bob Pierce wrote these now-famous words in his Bible after visiting suffering children on the Korean island of Kojedo. This impassioned prayer is what guided him as he founded and led the ministry of Samaritan's Purse in 1970. His mission for this organization--in his own words--was "to meet emergency needs in crisis areas through existing evangelical mission agencies and national churches."
After World War II, Bob Pierce traveled throughout Asia as an evangelist and journalist with Youth For Christ. While on a university lecturing circuit in China, he stumbled across some courageous women who were living among lepers and orphans, sacrificing everything to share the love of Jesus Christ. Through their selfless love, God gave Pierce a vision for ministry. He dedicated himself to finding and supporting other such Christians who were caring for the poor and suffering in the distant corners of the world.
In the summer of 1973, Bob Pierce met his eventual successor, an adventurous young student--Franklin Graham--with a growing heart for world missions. Intrigued by his many stories from the field, Franklin began to spend more and more time with the seasoned Christian statesman. In 1975, he accompanied Bob on a life-changing tour of some of the world's neediest mission fields, where Franklin saw the poverty of pagan religions and the utter despair of the people they enslave. God had captured his heart for missions.
In 1978, Bob Pierce died of leukemia, and nearly 18 months later, Franklin Graham became the President and Chairman of the Board of Samaritan's Purse. Through more than 20 years of earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, and famine, Franklin has led the ministry in following the biblical example of the Good Samaritan all across the globe. God has blessed the organization under Franklin's leadership, and the ministry has seen explosive growth.
Program accomplishments
More than 168 million children have found love and the hope of the Gospel through Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. To date, nearly 19 million children have participated in The Greatest Journey discipleship program that accompanies shoebox distributions.
Since 1998, U.S. Disaster Relief has helped more than 43,000 families prepare for long-term recovery through disaster responses in 37 states.
Globally, Samaritan's Purse has responded to crises in scores of countries by bringing emergency relief in Jesus' Name. In 2019, we treated Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near the epicenter of the second largest Ebola outbreak in history; airlifted relief supplies and an emergency field hospital to cyclone survivors in Mozambique and hurricane survivors in the Bahamas; and provided critical aid in Colombia to Venezuelan migrants escaping severe food shortages, a broken economy, and a collapsing healthcare system.
Across the world, Samaritan's Purse has impacted impoverished and vulnerable communities through a variety of development projects including: Animals, Agriculture, and Livelihoods; Children's Ministries; Construction Projects; Discipleship, Education, and Training; Feeding Programs; Health and Medical Ministries; Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Projects; and Women's Programs.
Needs
Prayer is one of the most powerful and important ways you can help. Without the prayers of friends and faithful supporters, our work among suffering people around the world would not be possible. As you pray, remember that our Heavenly Father "is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20, ESV).
Constant Prayer Needs:
Pray for our relief teams as we respond year-round to disasters in both the U.S. and abroad, that we arrive quickly and are able to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of survivors with grace and compassion.
Pray for Operation Christmas Child and The Greatest Journey, that God will continue to use these projects to reach and disciple millions of children in more than 100 countries.
Pray for our ongoing development projects in more than 15 countries worldwide, that our work will meet the needs of families and communities while we share the Good News of Jesus Christ and help strengthen local churches.