Watch Tower is a 0-star charity with Low demonstrated impact. The charity does not have a website and reports very little about its $30m programs and their results. Watch Tower has large funding reserves and is not financially transparent. Before you give, read Charity Intelligence's report. 

Founded in 1967, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada (Watch Tower) is the head office of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada. According to its CRA T3010 filing, Watch Tower granted $27.5m to other Jehovah's Witness charities in F2021. However, the charity's financial statements do not report this number. Of its total disbursements, $2.6m went to JW Congregation Support, which helps other JW congregations build, buy, and remodel churches and other religious buildings. According to its financial statements, Watch Tower spent $9.6m to support charitable programs in other countries in F2021. According to Watch Tower's T3010 filing with the CRA, it spent $10.9m on international programs and activities in F2021, of which $8.7m went to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York.

During F2021, Watch Tower printed 33.5 million copies of the Watchtower magazine, 41.1 million Bible-based tracts, 4.9 million copies of 'Awake!' magazine, and 8,500 Bible-based brochures. These literature items were free for the public and congregation members throughout Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and Guyana. The charity reported that it did not have any paid employees in F2021.

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada is not financially transparent. Financial analysis was based on financial statements provided by the CRA. The financial statements received from the CRA are incomplete; they exclude notes and auditor’s information. There is no indication that the financial statements have been audited. The numbers from the charity’s T3010 filing with the CRA and the charity’s financial statements differ drastically.

Watch Tower is a Major 100 charity, one of Canada’s largest charities in terms of donations. It received $95.2m in cash donations in F2021. Watch Tower’s administrative costs are less than 2% of revenues, and the charity does not report fundraising costs. For every dollar donated, 99 cents go to the cause, which is outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. When a charity reports overhead spending of less than 5%, it sometimes suggests that the numbers are inaccurate or misreported.

Watch Tower has $96.3m in funding reserves, once $11.5m in debt is accounted for. This compares with funding reserves of $27.0m in F2020 and ($11.7m) in F2019. This $108m increase in funding reserves over the past two years can now cover 330% or three years and four months of its annual program costs with reserves.

Charity Intelligence has sent this update to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated June 16, 2022, by Sydney Olexa.