Claims about decreasing donations.

by proplog2 31 Replies latest jw friends

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  proplog2

  Every so often it is mentioned that donations are decreasing. I have never heard that directly from the publications or from the platform. This is the only place where I have seen this claim.

  Is there anything factual to this? Are there figures? Or is this wishful thinking or based on heresay evidence.

  I personally think they try to get cheap locations for assemblies because they like to brag about being tough negotiators. It's their grandiose view of themselves as significant wheelers and dealers. Some of these cheaper locations are penny wise and pound foolish. Asking large metro areas to travel increased distances and requiring overnite stays seems self defeating.
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  Warlock

  My question is, how could they admit it?

  Warlock
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  5go

  I agree even if donations are down they must have savings, that and the properties they own should keep things going till things change for their better.
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  neverendingjourney

  There are no official figures that I am aware of. If their revenues are indeed decreasing, I would expect them to keep very quiet about that. That's not exactly a sign of "Jehovah's blessing." There is very strong circumstantial evidence, however, that does suggest that their revenues are decreasing. The quality of the literature has been cheapened in the last 10 to 15 years. The books are now soft bound, even the Bibles. There used to be several books released at the district conventions, now there is only one being offered. The Awake magazine was cut back to a monthly as opposed to a bi-monthly magazine. The new JW-only version of the Watchtower is going to debut next year, which will likely further reduce to total amount of magazines being published. Apparently a few hundred Bethelites were just laid off from NY Bethel. It would be pretty naive to think that move wasn't designed to avoid paying the health expenses of the aging Bethel population.
  
  I suppose it could be possible that these cost-cutting moves are not being motivated by a lack of revenues, but I doubt that. The growth of the religion is coming from the underdeveloped world and from poor immigrant populations living in the developed lands. Their membership is decreasing in the first world. Many here have speculated that the donations from the members that are in a position to contribute are decreasing while the poorer members are unable to cover the cost of the literature being printed. While there are no official figures that I am aware of, the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming that the Watchtower is having to cut back expenses because the amount of money coming in is not enough to meet their operating expenses.
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  greendawn

  These are things taht only they know and whatever we say it will be a mere guess. How much they get from donations and what is their overall yearly net profit are impossible questions. What is certain is that this is a very wealthy corporation with a great deal of real estate in its ownership eg all KHs, many of them in expensive areas, belong to the WTS.
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  5go

  Like greendawn stated they are still very rich, and all corporations go through a down time they most have a plan to get through it.

  The cost cutting could really be just a simplifying of operations. Also in view of the settlements. This could be a way to hide their intake and fool the courts into thinking they don't have the money to pay all the settlements. Then they can go into bankruptcy secretly somehow and stiff their victims.
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  drew sagan

  Many of the cutbacks being made by the WTS these das seem to be only for financial reasons. Taking the Awake! down to one issue a month, no longer producing hard back books, and making a 'witness only' Watchtower are all things that show they are actively cutting back in how much literature they produce and are also making sure that it is as cheap as possible to make.
  
  About a year and a half ago there was one C.O. visit I remember where a special video was shown. It got into all the building work the WTS was doing in Africa. At the end was a 'very special reminder' that donations 'like the ones you make to the World Wide Work' help make this possible.
  
  Very slowly I think they are going to start to be more forward about giving over your money.
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  proplog2

  nvr...journey:

  Their per capita contribution no doubt has gone down because of the present growth in the 2nd and 3rd worlds. But, total contributions? How can we know?

  Blondie has made statements about financial problems and she is usually careful about her sources. I would like to see her information.
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  neverendingjourney

  If you want definitive proof, you'd have to look at their books, and that's not going to happen. The only "evidence" the outside world can use to gauge their economic strength is circumstantial in nature. I can't offer you a "smoking gun" any more than the next guy. It's going to take a lawsuit and a court order compelling them to disclose their financial situation in order to know for sure what's going on in Watchtower land.
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  sspo

  Jw's are just not donating and it's been like that for decades.

  In most congr. the amount received monthly is from $400 to 600 and that's with 140 publishers.

  You go into parking lot and most of the JW's are driving expensive cars, we're talking from 20k to 100k cars.

  So we see they really give the minumum just to cover the bills.

  Many other religion they tithe 10% of their gross income which can easily amount to 5k and more a year.

  Witnesses don't even come close to that. WHY?

  Lack of faith and love for their Creator.