LUBA Billing Information

Stake presidencies and bishoprics are responsible for overseeing the budget for the Children and Youth program, which includes For the Strength of Youth (FSY) conferences. Below are answers to questions about budgeting for FSY conferences. Please ensure that this information is shared with all leaders who have responsibilities related to FSY conferences.

1. How often should units budget for an FSY conference?

Stakes are invited to attend FSY conferences every other year. Stake and ward youth conferences and handcart trek activities are not held during the same year that a stake is invited to attend an FSY conference. Please adjust your current schedule to make sure that you do not have youth conferences or trek scheduled during your FSY assignments.

2. How will the costs for FSY conferences be covered?

Individuals will contribute a participant fee of $75 USD or $100 CAD to attend an FSY conference (paid online when they register). An additional $75 USD or $100 CAD per participant, known as the ward fee, will be drawn from the ward’s Budget-FSY category within one month after the FSY conference is over. Most conference expenses will be provided from general Church funds.

3. Can wards subsidize the registration fee for youth who are unable to pay it?

If the cost to attend an FSY conference is prohibitive to any youth, the ward may pay the participant fee from the ward’s Budget-FSY category. The bishopric will indicate this when they submit approvals for youth to participate in an FSY conference. This $75 USD or $100 CAD fee will be drawn from the ward’s Budget-FSY category after the FSY conference is over. If a youth will pay a portion of the participant fee, he or she should use a printed donation slip and write “FSY” in the “Other” section (using the old tithing slip) or write "FSY" in the "Local" section (using the new tithing slip). The ward clerk should input those funds into the ward's Budget-FSY category.

4. In what account should LUBA funds be held?

The $75 USD or $100 CAD ward fee for every youth attending an FSY conference should be held in the ward’s Budget-FSY category. Funding to subsidize any youth who is unable to pay the participant fee should also be held in the ward’s Budget-FSY category.

5. Can a fund-raiser be used to help cover the participant fees for an FSY conference?

Fund-raising activities are not usually approved because expenses for stake and ward activities are paid with budget funds. If needed, wards may hold one fund-raiser per year to help cover individual participant fees for FSY conferences and other youth activities (see General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 20.6.8). Funds raised through fund-raising activities should be held in categories created by the ward in the Other Authorized Member Financed Activities budget category. If some of the FSY budget charges are covered by fund-raising, the charges may be adjusted from the Other category to the FSY-Budget category.

If wards choose to use funds from a fund-raising activity, the bishopric should mark "Yes" on the youth approval tool under "Ward to Pay Participant Fee." The youth may then submit a physical tithing slip with "FSY" written in the "Other" category (using the old tithing slip) or with "FSY" written in the "Local" category (using the new tithing slip) with the amount owed to the ward that is not covered by the funds from the fund-raising activity. The ward clerk should input those funds into the ward's Budget-FSY category. If the bishopric has so indicated on the youth approval tool, the participant fee of $75 USD or $100 CAD fee will be drawn from the ward's Budget-FSY category after the FSY conference is over.

6. When will registration funds for the FSY conference be collected from the ward?

Registration fees will automatically be withdrawn from the ward after the end of each session in which the ward has youth attending.

7. If a ward splits or is dissolved, or if a participant moves from one ward to another, which ward will be charged the ward fee from LUBA?

If a youth moves, the ward that approved the youth to attend FSY will be charged for the ward fee (and participant fee, if the bishopric agreed to cover that cost) unless the new bishopric chooses to move the youth's approval to their ward, in which case the new ward will be charged the ward fee (and the participant fee, if the bishopric agreed to cover that cost). If a ward is dissolved, the stake will be charged the associated fee(s).

8. How will charges be assessed if a youth withdraws from an FSY conference in 2024 ?

If the ward approves a youth who is a member of the Church.

The ward DID NOT agree to pay the participant fee.

Youth does not register - Youth will not be charged AND ward will not be charged.
Youth registers without withdrawing - Youth will be charged upon registration AND ward will be charged after session.
Youth withdraws by 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT) the Sunday before the session begins - Youth will be charged upon registration and reimbursed upon withdrawal AND ward will not be charged.
Youth withdraws after 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins due to an emergency, as approved by the bishop and communicated to FSY - Youth will be charged upon registration and reimbursed upon withdrawal AND ward will be charged after session.
Youth withdraws after 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins for non-emergency reasons - Youth will be charged upon registration and not reimbursed upon withdrawal AND ward will be charged after session.

The ward DID agree to pay the participant fee.

Youth does not register - Ward will not be charged for either participant fee or ward fee.
Youth registers without withdrawing - Ward will be charged for both participant fee and ward fee after session.
Youth withdraws by 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins - Ward will not be charged for either participant fee or ward fee.
Youth withdraws after 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins due to an emergency, as approved by the bishop and communicated to FSY - Ward will not be charged for participant fee BUT will be charged ward fee after session.
Youth withdraws after 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins for non-emergency reasons - Ward will be charged for both participant fee AND ward fee after session.

If the ward approved a youth who is NOT a member of the Church.

The ward DID NOT agree to pay the participant fee.

Youth does not register - Youth will not be charged AND ward will not be charged.
Youth registers without withdrawing - Youth will be charged upon registration AND ward will not be charged.
Youth withdraws by 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins - Youth will be charged upon registration and reimbursed upon withdrawal AND ward will not be charged.
Youth withdraws after 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins due to an emergency, as approved by the bishop and communicated to FSY - Youth will be charged upon registration and reimbursed upon withdrawal AND ward will not be charged.
Youth withdraws after 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins for non-emergency reasons - Youth will be charged upon registration and not reimbursed upon withdrawal AND ward will not be charged.

The ward DID agree to pay the participant fee

Youth does not register - Ward will not be charged for either participant fee or ward fee.
Youth registers without withdrawing - Ward will be charged for participant fee after session, but not the ward fee.
Youth withdraws by 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins - Ward will not be charged for either participant fee or ward fee.
Youth withdraws after 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins due to an emergency, as approved by the bishop and communicated to FSY - Ward will not be charged for participant fee or the ward fee.
Youth withdraws after 6:00 p.m. MDT the Sunday before the session begins for non-emergency reasons - Ward will be charged for participant fee after session BUT not the ward fee.