Creating additional subcategories of Ward Missionary Fund

[lajackson]

But you are right in consulting the Tax and Auditing department of the church.
They will probably just tell you to keep a seperate set of books in a spreadsheet for donations to WM.

If I make a donation to the ward missionary fund, I expect it to be credited to the ward missionary fund, which is a charitable contribution, and not some temporary other subaccount, which is not.

I understand that with CUBS it now is difficult to keep track of contributions for the purpose of figuring out if I have contributed sufficiently to the ward missionary fund because I have had, or will have, or presently have a missionary from my family serving. But that is a different issue.

The contributions need to go where they are contributed. A donation to the ward missionary fund is a charitable contribution no matter when it is donated. It has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not a missionary happens to be serving from my family.

[waynecooke]

If I remember correctly, the question originally was based on the situation where the "pre-paid" contributions would take the Ward Missionary Fund account too far into the black that the Stake would ask for the "excess" funds to be transferred to the Stake. I would think that a conversation with the Stake would solve that problem.

Of course it would be helpful, I think, to keep a separate spreadsheet for those "pre-pay" donations.

[daveywest]

All donations to the ward missionary account (regardless of being directed for a specific missionary or not) are freewill tax deductible offerings. The worldwide average cost to pay for a missionary is higher then the $400 standard contribution requested from the missionary's family.

While the sub-categories are a useful tool to track a family's contributions, it should never be used as hard accounting of what a family owes. Instructions from CHQ request that local units periodically review their ward mission account and forward any funds above the local unit's needs in the next three months. Even if a missionary or their family contributes future funds, those funds may (and should) be forwarded to HQ to support currently serving missionaries.

If a family wishes to create a savings account and earmark those fund for a specific missionary, they should open a bank account outside of the church financial system and make the monthly contribution. Should they need to make an early large contribution for tax purposes, they should be aware that all charitable contributions are freewill and may be used by the governing councils as they see fit.

[russellhltn]

Instructions from CHQ request that local units periodically review their ward mission account and forward any funds above the local unit's needs in the next three months.

It would be interesting to see the wording on that. There are times when the things are paid for in advance. If everything beyond 3 months was transferred, then the ward would have to ask for it back a few months later. As long as it's not earmarked for a particular missionary, the advice is fine.

Back when I was clerk of a YSA ward, the stake would help us out with some missionaries from non-member families. The stake would pay for the whole year in January. No way would I forward those funds.

Should they need to make an early large contribution for tax purposes, they should be aware that all charitable contributions are freewill and may be used by the governing councils as they see fit.

And the ward leaders should be aware that forwarding the funding will likely leave them in a bind later.

[aebrown]

Even if a missionary or their family contributes future funds, those funds may (and should) be forwarded to HQ to support currently serving missionaries.

Most of what you said was a good reminder, but the above quote does not reflect any policy I have ever heard. Indeed, our stake has had direct communication with a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on this specific topic, and he was in agreement that contributions for future support of missionaries beyond three months may appropriately be retained in the ward missionary account. That's one reason that we track donations by missionary subcategory.

[86Bengal-p40]

The wiki makes it pretty clear under "Remitting surplus missionary funds". Be sure to keep donations made in advance for a specific missionary, but don't hoard a surplus that's not specifically earmarked for somebody.

[djgreenland]

First on the remitting of excess ward missionary funds to the church. The letters our stake has received have instructed us to keep 3 months plus any funds that has been prepaid for a missionary.

As to the sub accounts, there have been some interesting discussions in our stake concerning this issue. We have had some who have contributed two to three years in advance for their "missionary" only to have them not serve. Others "having excess" in a sub account when one child comes home want to transfer it to the next child who is to serve sometime in the future. This has been a source of misunderstandings and hurt feelings. As has been said before that these funds are not the missionary's funds but have been donated to the church. In the information received on CUBS it said that an account would be created for the missionary when they received a call. This would seem to imply, and is the feeling of the Presidency of this stake, that these sub accounts are set up for a missionary with a call not as a savings accout for those preparing to receive a call and that we create all kinds of unintended consequences when we try to use them otherwise. That is how we understand it and approach it.