Put simply, the Society relies on donations in order to operate, and the main source of donations is inevitably from publishers in wealthier lands. However, not only is the growth slowing down in these countries (thanks in part to the internet), but the ever-dwindling donations received from these regions must also be spent on servicing the expansion in poorer countries of the third world, where the local publishers are unable to finance the printing of their own literature, or the building of their own kingdom halls. This financial model is completely unsustainable. What you have is…
- The slow growth in wealthier countries dragging down the worldwide growth rate that is fueled by relative expansion in poorer countries.
- The poverty of publishers in poorer countries (experiencing growth) draining the dwindling donations from wealthier countries that are experiencing slow growth.
Not only is the Society unable to function in the longterm with this state of affairs, they are already experiencing a negative impact as the money starts to dry up. This has resulted in drastic measures being taken to reduce costs, abandon expansion plans, and gather in funds from anywhere they can think of. This is partly why the magazine printing commitments have been slashed in such a relatively short period of time.
