NASHVILLE (BP) — As the 2023 fiscal year nears completion, giving to the National Cooperative Program Allocation Budget remains slightly behind budget. August totals were 5.73 percent below the targeted amount.

Gifts reported in August, which were collected in local churches in June, totaled just over $15.1 million, bringing the annual total to $175.5 million, or 0.38 percent behind budget with one month remaining.

“As we conclude our fiscal year this coming month, we are thankful for the continued support of Southern Baptist churches across the country and their sacrificial giving through the Cooperative Program,” said Jonathan Howe, interim president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee.

“While giving is behind budget, we understand the financial realities many churches and many Southern Baptists are facing and know that every dollar given is done so out of sacrifice and out of deep personal commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission.”

July National Cooperative Program giving:

1. Monthly budgeted amount: $16,022,500.00
2. August 2023 giving: $15,105,084.37
3. Above/below budget: $917,415.63 (5.73 percent) below budget

Total National Cooperative Program giving:

1. Year to date budgeted amount: $176,247,500.00
2. Year to date giving: $175,572,626.51
3. Above/under budget: $674,873.49 (0.38 percent) under budget

Designated giving:

1. August giving: $6,695,234.82
2. Year to date giving: $196,304,827.90
3. Previous year total: $202,111,597.52
4. Above/below previous year: $5,806,769.62 (2.87 percent) below the previous year

The convention-adopted budget for 2022-2023 is $192,270,000 and includes an initial $200,000 special priority allocation for the SBC Vision 2025 initiative. Cooperative Program funds are then disbursed as follows: 50.41 percent to international missions through the International Mission Board, 22.79 percent to North American missions through the North American Mission Board, 22.16 percent to theological education through the six SBC seminaries and the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives, 2.99 percent to the SBC operating budget and 1.65 percent to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. If national CP gifts exceed the budget projection at the end of the fiscal year, the balance of the overage is distributed according to the percentages approved for budgetary distribution. The SBC Executive Committee distributes all CP and designated gifts it receives on a weekly basis to the SBC ministry entities.

CP allocation budget gifts received by the Executive Committee are reported monthly to the executives of the entities of the convention, to the state convention offices, to the state Baptist papers and are posted online at sbc.net/cp.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Brandon Porter serves as Associate Vice President for Convention News at the SBC Executive Committee.)