Financial sacrifice is part of missionary service (see Mark 1:17–18; Alma 15:16). Missionaries and their families have primary responsibility for contributing financially to missionary service. They should make appropriate sacrifices to provide financial support for a mission. Young candidates who have prepared according to their ability should not be delayed from serving for financial reasons. Those who need financial help to meet expected contribution commitments can receive it from extended family and friends.
The ward missionary fund is used solely for donations relating to ward members who are serving as full- time missionaries. Ward missionary funds cannot be sent directly to individual missionaries. Nor can ward missionary funds be used for any missionary activities in the ward or stake. (General Handbook, 34.3.3)
Stake presidents and bishops inform missionaries and others who contribute to the ward missionary fund that these contributions, including those that are prepaid, cannot be refunded. This is true even if a missionary returns home before the expected return date for any reason. Because contributions cannot be refunded, prepaying the cost of a mission is discouraged. (General Handbook, 34.3.7)
When tithes and other offerings are given to the Church, they belong to the Lord, to whom they are consecrated. The essence of all such contributions is that they are freewill offerings made without reservation of purpose, retention of control, ownership in any form, or expectation of any benefit by the donor other than the Lord’s blessings. It is therefore improper to refund contributions given to the Church. Doing so would violate the spirit of freewill offerings. In some countries, refunding contributions could also cause legal and income tax complications for both the contributor and the Church. (General Handbook, 34.3.7)
Church leaders and members should not ask those outside the boundaries of their own Church units to contribute missionary financial support, except for family members.
Missionaries, parents, other family members, and friends make commitments to contribute a specific amount to the Church’s ward missionary fund. This commitment amount is equalized in certain countries. In other countries, the commitment amount is not equalized. If necessary, the stake president or bishop may ask members within the stake or ward boundaries to contribute to the ward missionary fund. Budget and fast-offering funds may not be used to meet missionary contribution commitments. (General Handbook, 24.3.4.1).
The contribution commitment applies only to the following teaching missionaries:
The contribution commitment does not apply to missionary couples, sisters ages 40 and older, or Church-service missionaries.
The bishop ensures that the monthly contribution commitment amount for each missionary serving from the ward is available in the ward missionary fund. These contributions need to be available regardless of whether it is an equalized or non-equalized amount. Each month, Church headquarters withdraws the contribution commitment from the ward missionary fund. The Church uses such funds to help cover overall missionary costs, which vary by location. A report showing the current balance of individual missionary accounts can be generated by leaders to review financial excesses or deficits.
The Church has equalized the contribution commitment requested to help cover the overall costs for the service-related expenses of missionaries whose home wards are in designated countries (contact the area office for a list of these countries). The commitment is the same regardless of where these missionaries serve.
The related expenses of the missionaries are offset through contributions; however, additional expenses are paid with personal funds. These expenses include clothing purchases and repairs, bicycle purchases and repairs, medical costs not paid by the mission, and approved telephone calls home. Other personal expenses, which should be kept to a minimum, might include cameras, souvenirs, gifts, traffic fines, and damage to apartments or vehicles caused by the missionary’s misconduct or negligence. Bishops should encourage family members to donate the contribution commitment before sending personal funds to their missionaries.
For missionaries from countries that do not participate in the equalized contribution program, personal expenses for needed items while in the mission field may be paid by the mission if approved by the mission president. These items may include replacement clothing, bicycles, or eyeglasses.
Senior missionaries serving away from home contribute to their home ward missionary fund each month. These contributions help cover housing and vehicle costs. The contributions may be more or less than the value of Church-provided housing or vehicles. In addition to the monthly contribution commitment, which helps cover housing and a portion of the vehicle use fee, senior missionaries must fully cover all other personal expenses, including food, clothing, in-field travel, and fuel.
Bishops verify that the funds are contributed each month. Funds beyond the monthly amount should not be contributed in advance. Each month, Church headquarters withdraws the housing and vehicle amounts from the ward missionary fund (General Handbook 24.3.4.2).
The bishop may use other general contributions to the ward missionary fund to help cover the monthly housing and vehicle amounts for missionary couples and sisters ages 40 and older when they meet all the following requirements:
Missionary couples and sisters ages 40 and older are responsible for all personal expenses of missionary service that are not covered by the Church using ward missionary fund donations.
Sisters ages 40 and older from countries that are not designated to participate in the equalized contribution program are not called as full-time missionaries unless they can fully support themselves financially.
Missionaries serving at home are responsible for all their financial needs. Those who need financial help can receive it from family members and friends. Ward or stake funds may not be used for mission-related personal needs.
Full-time young church service missionaries do not have a missionary commitment, are not supported by mission funds, and do not have a missionary account visible in Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR). If a missionary account is created in LCR by mistake, leaders must contact the GSD and request the manual inactivation of the account.
Leaders in non-equalized countries may request a change to the missionary commitment amount in some instances. The two main scenarios are:
If a mistake in the missionary application was made, the bishop or stake president contacts the Global Services Department (GSD) and reports the mistake (e.g., 1,000 per month was entered instead of 100; or the full 24-month commitment was entered for one month, instead of divided between 24 months). The GSD will make the change and fix any incorrect charges to the unit.
If the change is requested for any other reason, authorization is required from the Stake President of the missionary’s home ward.
The funding unit is the unit responsible to meet the missionary commitment (this is usually the unit that submitted the missionary’s application). However, sometimes this funding unit needs to be changed (such as when the missionary’s parents move).
Funding unit changes can only be processed if the missionary is in the field (including MTC training). Requests may be made by either the current or former bishop or branch president, however, both leaders should agree on the change being made. Clerks may also make the request, but they must provide confirmation that both bishops approve the changes.
The missionary’s funding unit can only be changed while the missionary is serving. No changes can be made to the missionary’s funding unit once the missionary has returned home, including but not limited to transferring outstanding balances to a new unit.
When the missionary’s funding unit needs to change, the following guidelines must be followed:
Missionary Funding Units can be changed to a different country. However, missionaries and families need to be aware that the commitment amount may change.
A missionary account is created and made available in LCR when the missionary receives the mission call, which usually happens weeks or even months before the mission’s start date.
Once the missionary starts service, the pro-rated commitment amount based on the number of days in the field for each month (including days in the MTC) will be charged to the missionary account at the beginning of the following month. If a missionary is on leave or returns home early, they will only be charged for the days spent in the mission field.
The unit is responsible to regularly review all missionary account balances and share individual missionary account balance and activity with individuals responsible for the missionary commitment (e.g., missionary’s parents).
At the end of the missionary’s service, the unit is responsible to bring the missionary account’s balance to zero. Once the balance has been cleared, the missionary account will be inactivated automatically. Please note that an inactive missionary account will no longer be available to donors but will still be visible on the Income and Expense report on LCR until the end of the year.
In special circumstances the missionary account can be inactivated manually by an authorized employee in the GSD. Such circumstances include but are not limited to the following:
If a missionary account has a positive balance at the end of the missionary’s service, the unit may clear it as follows:
The unit’s Ward Missionary Fund (undesignated) balance should not be excessive. Excess funds may be transferred to the stake. The stake may transfer excessive funds to the Administration Office.
If a missionary account has a negative balance at the end of the missionary’s service, the following escalation steps must be followed:
Please remember:
Contributions in cash, check or by direct deposit are received and recorded by the ward using LCR. Donors may designate the contribution to be applied to any active missionary account in the ward or to the ward missionary fund undesignated account. Donations received in a ward cannot be applied to a missionary account in another ward.
In countries where Online Donations is available, members can make contributions directly from their bank account (or a custom payment method where approved). Click here for additional information.
Note the following:
Expatriates are members whose membership record is in one country (host country), but their payroll or financials are in a different country (home country). Expatriates often desire to donate in their home country, including donating to a missionary whose home ward is in that country. By default, Online Donations offers donors the ability to donate in their host country. Expatriates wishing to make online donations in their home country instead, must send an email request to OnlineDonationSupport@churchofjesuschrist.org and include their full name, membership record number, and desired home country. Upon receipt of the request, the Online Donations support group will add the requestor to the expatriate list. Once added, the requestor will access his/her home country’s page when logging into Online Donations.
Note: The Frequently Asked Questions section under Help in Online Donations answers how to select a specific unit and a missionary when choosing to donate to the Ward Missionary category.
While on assignment abroad, an expatriate’s child may receive a mission call. In those cases, the funding unit for the new missionary will be the ward where they reside. Making contributions to that missionary account may be difficult since the expatriate’s financials are in a different country.
Since donations need to be posted and remain in the country where they are made (see Contributions to missionary accounts in other countries section), the missionary’s funding unit would need to be changed to a unit in the expatriate’s home country (see Change in the Missionary’s Funding Unit section).
In this situation the expatriate is invited to contact the bishop of a ward in his/her home country with which he/she maintains some ties (such as the ward attended before moving abroad or one where some extended family members attend) and asks if he would be willing to have his unit be the funding unit for his/her child’s missionary commitment. If he is, the bishop contacts the GSD and requests the change of funding unit. Once done and provided the expatriate has already been added to the expatriate list, the expatriate will be able to make the missionary commitment payments via Online Donations.
The Audit and Legal departments have stipulated that, to ensure the Church meets all local donation and tax laws, missionary support donations must remain in the country and currency in which they are donated.
Donations intended for missionaries whose home ward is in a country other than the donor’s, should be directed to the General Missionary Fund. However, these donations cannot be designated to cover the contribution commitments of specific missionaries. Each international missionary meets with local leadership to determine the monthly missionary payment.
Home Unit – Unit that submitted the missionary’s application. This is usually the unit the prospective missionary attends and where his/her membership record resides.
Funding Unit - Funding unit is the unit responsible to meet the missionary commitment. This is usually the home unit. In some cases (e.g., YSA wards), the funding unit may be a different unit such as the unit the missionary’s family attends.
Missionary Commitment – Also referred to as Contribution Commitment, is the amount that missionaries, parents, other family members, and friends make a commitment to contribute to the Church’s ward missionary fund during the missionary’s period of service.
Missionary Account – Account created in the missionary’s funding unit to track contributions and commitment charges associated with the missionary.
Non-equalized Country – Country where the missionary commitment amount varies based on the willingness and financial situation of the missionary, family, and unit.
Equalized Country - Country where the missionary commitment amount is fixed and does not vary by missionary regardless of their personal circumstances.
Monthly Sweep - The process ran by the missionary department once a month to withdraw the missionary commitment payments from the units.
GSD – Global Services Department
LCR – Leader and Clerk Resources. Membership and financial system used by local units.
WMF – Ward Missionary Fund
GMF – General Missionary Fund