The Washington-based Museum of the Bible features for the first time on the Forbes list of top 100 nonprofits in the US, having received $153 million from private donations in the fiscal year ending in June 2015.
The Forbes list is distinctive in that its rankings are determined by private donations only, as opposed to government grants or revenue from the sale of good or services. Notably, the museum – which features at number 93 on the list - has not been the recipient of any government grants or subsidies.
"We are humbled to be featured on Forbes' list of the top 100 nonprofits," said the Museum of the Bible President Cary Summers. "We're most proud that this is a list based on private donations. Since the founding of Museum of the Bible, we have been overwhelmed by the both the number of donors, as well as their generosity. It speaks to how our institutional mission, to engage all people with the Bible, has resonated at a grassroots level with so many people across the country and the world."
Forbes' 2016 rankings are based on donations ending in June of 2015. The museum said it has "eclipsed" those levels through the same period ending in June 2016, describing it as "a momentum that continues to accelerate into 2017". Now the museum's active donor list includes nearly 40,000 people, the institution said.
"We are incredibly grateful to all those who have [donated] and continue to donate to Museum of the Bible," added the museum's chief development officer, Tim Smith. "Already, we are among the world's largest privately-funded institutions of any kind. It is a testament to the vision of our founders and the worthiness of our mission that people all around the world have rallied behind the best-selling, most impactful book of all time. And the truth is, we're just getting started. We need more help to get this remarkable, historical project to the finish line."
