LDS "Mormon" Philanthropies
As early as 1955, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognized the need and the desire of Church membership to establish a fund for philanthropic causes. Since that time, the single fund has evolved into an organization managing several institutions and charities.
Philanthropies is a department of the Office of the Presiding Bishopric of the Church of Jesus Christ. It is important to note that 100 percent of all donations go to help those in need. No administrative costs are deducted by Philanthropies or their affiliated charities. Among the institutions and charities administered by Philanthropies are:
• Brigham Young University • BYU-Hawaii • BYU-Idaho • BYU-Pathway Worldwide • Ensign College • Humanitarian Services (Latter-day Saint Charities) • Church History • Family History/FamilySearch • Missionary Fund • Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square • Self-Reliance Services/Perpetual Education Fund • Temple Patron and Construction Funds
Church members voluntarily give what they can in addition to the 10 percent of their income in tithing, [1] either generally or specifically to one of these areas. Like the widow’s mites (see Mark 12:42-44), however small the donations, they are regarded as sacred and will not be misused.
In addition, Philanthropies specialists work with individual members on planned giving, estates, wills, and trusts. These donations are used for a whole gamut of causes from providing a wheelchair for a young boy in Haiti to subsidizing tuition at Brigham Young University for a talented organ student from Chile.
In 2011/2012 much attention was focused on the Church of Jesus Christ because of the so-called “Mormon Moment.” Although Jon Huntsman pulled out of the presidential race, his and Mitt Romney’s candidacy highlighted The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a way not seen since the 2002 Winter Olympics.
In general, members of the Church are not comfortable trumpeting their charitable giving. As the donations are regarded as sacred by those administering and receiving them, so too the making of those contributions is done for the most part silently and in confidence. However, the Philanthropies website [2] has many heart-warming stories of the impact of these donations.
On 23rd January 2012, Mitt Romney released his tax returns. In an estimate of his 2011 taxes, Romney is reported to have donated $2.6 million to the Church of Jesus Christ. [3] Part of this would be tithing, but the rest would be donations through Philanthropies, either specifically designated to projects within the institutions or charities listed above, or generally disseminated. It is again worth noting that none of the money given through Philanthropies would have gone to administration.
Anyone who has used familysearch.org to search for their ancestors, visited the Polynesian Cultural Center, or listened to the Weekly Tabernacle Choir broadcast has benefited from the funds administered by Philanthropies and donated by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
