BBB Wise Giving Report for
Christian Broadcasting Network / 700 Club

BBB Wise Giving Report issued March 2009
BBB Wise Giving Report expires May 2010


Does not meet one or more standards
This charity does not meet one or more of the 20 standards for Charity Accountability. Find out more...


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Charity Contact Information

Name: Christian Broadcasting Network / 700 Club
Address: 977 Centerville Turnpike
  Virginia Beach, VA 23463
Phone: 757-226-7000
Web Address: www.cbn.com
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1959, Virginia
Affiliates: Christian Broadcasting Associates; CFP Properties, Inc; Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corp. (OB); Founders Village; CBN Christian Broadcasting Network Limited; United States Media Corporation and Subsidiaries; CBN Travel, Inc.; Asia Pacific Media Corporation and Subsidiary; Christianity.com; CBN Worldreach; American Center for Law and Justice; Regent Center for Missions; Regent University; CBN Africa; CBN Asia; CBN China; CBN Europe; CBN India; CBN Latinoamerica; CBN Siam

Stated Purpose: "to prepare the United States of America and the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

Christian Broadcasting Network/700 Club (CBN) does not meet the following 5Standards for Charity Accountability.

Standard 4: Compensated Board Members - Not more than one or 10% (whichever is greater) directly or indirectly compensated person(s) serving as voting member(s) of the board. Compensated members shall not serve as the board's chair or treasurer.

  • CBN does not meet this Standard because according to its IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007, at least five of its board members were directly or indirectly compensated.  In addition, the organization does not meet this Standard since the paid chief executive officer (CEO) also serves as the chair of the board.

Standard 11: Financial Statements - Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When total annual gross income exceeds $250,000, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $250,000, a review by a certified public accountant is sufficient to meet this standard. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $100,000, an internally produced, complete financial statement is sufficient to meet this standard.

  • CBN does not meet this Standard because the financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007 indicate that the audit was not completed in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles.  According to the Independent Auditors’ Report, “…the Ministry does not have access to records to support the fair value of its interest in a charitable trust, or the related changes in fair value.  U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require interests in charitable trusts to be reported at fair value.  We were unable to apply audit procedures to the stated fair value of the interest in charitable trust of $67,297,000 as of March 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively.”

Standard 12: Detailed Functional Breakdown of Expenses - Include in the financial statements a breakdown of expenses (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each category.

  • CBN does not meet this Standard because its financial statements did not include a detailed functional breakdown of expenses by natural classification (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities.

Standard 16: Annual Report - Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

  • CBN does not meet this Standard because CBN has not responded to a request from the Alliance for a copy of a current annual report.

Standard 17: Web Site Disclosures - Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.

  • CBN does not meet this Standard because its website, www.cbn.com, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include a board roster. The website also does not provide electronic access to the organization’s most recent IRS Form 990.
In addition, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information on the organization’s governance and oversight, effectiveness measures, finances, solicitation materials, donor privacy, and fundraising disclosures and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following 11Standards for Charity Accountability: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, and 20.
Christian Broadcasting Network / 700 Club (CBN) meets the remaining 4 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

CBN's affiliate Operation Blessing provides short-term medical, hunger, and disaster relief to people in need in the United States and overseas. On the air since 1966, CBN's The 700 Club is shown on numerous television stations across the United States. The primary program that CBN uses to prepare the world for the return of Jesus Christ, The 700 Club combines Christian ministry with news, commentary, interviews, and feature stories. Its global outreach and international programming division, CBN World reach, cultivates partnerships with native organizations to collaborate with in the execution of "Media Blitzes" that integrate animation specials, culturally-relevant television shows, radio formats, video, and literature. The trained staff of CBN’s 24 hour toll-free telephone ministry listens to and responds to concerns of callers, offering guidance, comfort and encouragement through sharing of reassuring words from the Bible and prayers. Some ($69,514,872, or 16%) of CBN's program activities are conducted in conjunction with fund raising efforts, with specific allocations for each as follows: domestic evangelistic outreach, $61,195,288 (62%); counseling and prayer, $5,631,486 (42%); world wide-distribution of religious materials, $1,426,888 (100%); education and training, $908,183 (100%); international evangelistic outreach, $324,850 (
For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007, CBN's program expenses were:

  
Operation blessing and humanitarian relief 234,899,791
Domestic evangelistic outreach 98,869,922
International evangelistic outreach 72,619,514
Counseling and prayer 13,461,053
Donations to others to further the gospel 1,822,013
Worldwide distribution of religious materials 1,426,888
Education and training 908,183
Total Program Expenses: $424,007,364
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Dr. M. G. "Pat" Robertson, Chief Executive Officer
Compensation*:
$16,610

Highest Paid Executive: Michael D. Little, President
Compensation*: $319,345

Chair of the Board: Dr. M. G. "Pat" Robertson
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Chief Executive Officer

Board Size:

Paid Staff Size: 1136

*April 1, 2006 - March 31, 2007 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, television, Internet appeals, planned giving, and cause-related marketing
Fund raising costs were 7% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $460,468,147, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
CBN incurred joint costs of $107,429,615 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs, $69,514,872 was allocated to program expenses, $29,307,017 was allocated to fund raising expenses, and $8,607,726 was allocated to administrative expenses.
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Tax Status

              

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
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Financial

              

The following information is based on CBN's audited combined (with subsidiaries and affiliated organizations) financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007:

Source of Funds  
Ministry support 248,178,057
Gifts-in-kind 212,290,090
Other revenue 5,712,944
Investment income, net 1,519,561
Total Income $467,700,652


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 90%  Fund Raising: 6%  Administrative: 4% 

Total income   $467,700,652
  Program expenses $424,007,364
  Fund raising expenses 30,413,115
  Administrative expenses 18,015,861
 
Total expenses   $472,436,340
Expenses in Excess of Income   (4,735,688)
Beginning net assets   219,502,393
Other Changes in Net Assets 114,224
Ending net assets   214,880,929
Total liabilities   42,975,645
Total assets   $257,856,574

Note 1:
In the above financial summary, the line item "other changes in net assets" represents the changes in split interest agreements.

Note 2:
CBN also engages in bartered airtime. It recognizes the estimated fair value of international airtime received in exchange for providing program content. The fair market value of this airtime for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007 was estimated at $40,800,000, and is included as revenue in ministry support and an expense in international evangelistic outreach.

Note 3:
CBN'S gifts-in-kind are comprised primarily of medicines, school and medical supplies, dried and canned food, produce, clothing, and other relief products.

Note 4:
CBN's auditors have indicated that for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007, they were unable to apply audit procedures to the stated fair value of the interest in charitable trust of $67,297,000. The charitable trust being referred to was established by CBN's founder, Pat Robertson. According to Note 6 of CBN's audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2007, the assets of the trust are not controlled by CBN and will be distributed to the organization in 2010, or upon the the death of the founder and his wife, whichever is later. The value for the contribution receivable from the trust recorded by CBN is based on information originally provided by the trustee and was discounted at the date of the gift to reflect the present value of the estimated future distribution receivable from the trust. The trustee has reported no changes in the value of the trust. Changes in market values or various assumptions could result in material increases or decreases in the present value of the receivable from the trust.


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An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

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