Facts and figures for 2020
In 2020, we received 5,727 applications for aid from all over the world. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, we received €122.7 million in donations and were able to use this money to fund activities totalling €102.1 million. €20.6million could not yet be spent in 2020 due to coronavirus-related delays, but the sum has already been used to fund projects in the first half of 2021. The largest portion – 79.1% in expenditure – was used for mission-related expenses, i.e. concrete project work, information, media support and prayer activities.
We keep the share of necessary expenditure for administration and fundraising as low as possible at 8.4% and 12.5%, respectively, so that as many resources as possible reach local Christians.
In 2020, we supported a total of 4,758 projects in 138 countries with approximately €68.6 million. With a further €12.2 million, we supported disadvantaged and persecuted Christians worldwide with information, evangelisation and advocacy work.
Income from inheritances continued to make up a significant part of the Church’s support in 2020 (€23.5 million, or 19.2% of the revenue in 2020). With our brothers and sisters in need, we gratefully commemorate our deceased benefactors.
»Reconstruction, Mass stipends, education and coronavirus aid were our project priorities in 2020.«
The projects we support are primarily of a pastoral nature. But we are also active in acute crises with emergency aid measures for the suffering population. This was particularly true during the coronavirus year 2020, in which nearly 15% of our funding, or €9.8 million, was used for emergency aid. A major portion was used by local churches, primarily for subsistence needs and the procurement of protective equipment.
As in the previous year, about a quarter of the expenditure in 2020 were used for the faith formation of the laity and training of priests and religious. At 26.7%, construction and reconstruction projects of churches and church facilities accounted for the largest share of funding.
Significantly more funds were used for Mass stipends in 2020, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total budget. Justifiably so, for during the coronavirus pandemic priests had hardly any income from urgently needed col-lections. Our warmest thanks for your support!
Distribution of Bibles, religious books and media
Receiving nearly one-third of the funding, Africa (32.6%) was again the priority re–gion for our aid projects in 2020. The sit–uation there is dramatic, especially in the Sahel zone, where Christians are victims of persecution, violence and expulsion. The coronavirus pandemic has further aggravated the situation of the Church.
Europe (19.1%) moved further up the priority list in 2020. Many funds went to countries in Eastern Europe, as many priests, but also nuns, are suffering existential hardships due to the pandemic.
Another funding priority is Asia (18.0%). The continent was hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Thanks to our coronavirus emergency aid, local churches were at least able to purchase protective equip–ment and cushion their financial burdens.
Latin America (14.8%) was also one of the epicentres of the pandemic in 2020, further increasing poverty among the population and causing priests to face added hardships due to the lack of collections.
The sharp drop in aid to the Middle East (14.2%) is due to the construction stop for Christians on the Nineveh Plains. As a result of Covid-19, simply no building material could be delivered.
