HappyJackWagon Posted June 4, 2015 Posted June 4, 2015 I recently read an article about how the Red Cross collected 1/2 a billion dollars for relief in Haiti and the ended up building 6 homes. It got me thinking about the overhead charities have and what percentage of donated dollars actually go toward the intended purpose. With Charities like the United Way, Red Cross, Salvation Army etc, there are reports so contributors can see how their much of their donation goes toward humanitarian efforts. This got me thinking about the church as a charitable organization. On the lds Charities website we find this about donated funds. Receive funds dedicated to humanitarian aid efforts.OUR FUNDING:Comes from normal, everyday people who are members of our Church and others, not from government grants or large corporate donations.Supports only humanitarian work—100 percent of the funds go toward project expenses.Doesn't have to cover overhead costs, as they are paid fully by our Church. 100% of humanitarian aid donations goes toward project expenses which matches what I've always believed and told others. But I'm wondering if there is any documentation to back up this claim. Donations we make to the church are generally counted as charitable donations and receive special tax benefits but of course it would be impossible for the entire church to function at 100% efficiency. I've seen a recent estimate (I can't recall where so don't ask for a CFR) that put the church's payroll at about 60% of income. This seems really high to me but it reminds me that we really have no idea because the church doesn't share it's information. Or am I wrong about that? Does the church give a verifiable accounting of it's humanitarian effort and donations?
Calm Posted June 5, 2015 Posted June 5, 2015 (edited) http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/topic/humanitarian-servicesDonations, principally from Church members but also from people around the world, are used to make relief projects possible. One hundred percent of the donations given to the Church’s humanitarian services are used for relief efforts. The Church absorbs its own overhead costs. I would say either tithing or it comes from business ventures. Most likely both. It would make sense for the infrastructure needed to transport and store to come from tithing though as well as other costs such as salaries for employees where volunteers aren't able to fulfill the need. Can't imagine any member would feel that was wrong. Similar reference to overhead: The Church and its members try to follow the Savior’s admonition to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and otherwise care for the less fortunate. One hundred percent of the donations given to the Church’s Humanitarian Services Fund are used for relief efforts—100 percent. The Church absorbs its own overhead costs. So, all donations go 100 percent to the wonderful programs and relief efforts. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/los-angeles-world-affairs-council-president-dieter-f-uchtdorf-26-may-2011 Edited June 5, 2015 by calmoriah
Calm Posted June 5, 2015 Posted June 5, 2015 (edited) But I'm wondering if there is any documentation to back up this claim. While you can see some of the results, I don't think there is any public documentation that you can access. I would assume that the Church itself is very careful in documentation from what I've seen and heard about how things are handled for welfare recipients and other things, but if you need documentation to verify beyond seeing the work in action, I don't know how you would get it. Here are some of the leaders' resources for welfare: https://www.lds.org/topics/welfare/leader-resources/topics?lang=eng#14 Edited June 5, 2015 by calmoriah
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