Philanthropies
Philanthropies is a department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that facilitates donations supporting humanitarian relief, education, and family-history initiatives.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Philanthropies is the charitable-giving and development department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Formerly known as LDS Philanthropies, it channels and administers donations for humanitarian assistance, church-affiliated education, student aid, family-history resources, and related charitable purposes. The department operates under the direction of the church's Presiding Bishopric rather than as an independently governed public charity. The organization began in 1955 as the BYU Destiny Fund. Its remit and identity expanded as the church developed more formal fundraising and development functions. It was renamed the Church Education Development Office in 1971, The Development Office in 1973, the LDS Foundation in 1982, and LDS Philanthropies in 2005. In 2019, the formal name became The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Philanthropies, reflecting the church's broader effort to reduce reliance on the abbreviations “LDS” and “Mormon” in institutional naming. Donations facilitated through Philanthropies support the church's educational network, including Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University–Hawaii, Brigham Young University–Idaho, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, and Ensign College. Funding can be used for scholarships, endowed programs, mentoring and learning opportunities, campus development, and other institutional priorities. The department also supports the Perpetual Education Fund, which provides repayable education loans to qualifying students in developing countries. Repayments are recycled into the fund to assist later participants. A major area of activity is humanitarian giving through Latter-day Saint Charities. Its programs provide assistance without regard to recipients' religion or race and have included disaster response, food and water distribution, hygiene supplies, neonatal-care training, wheelchair placement, eye-care initiatives, and projects intended to improve access to clean water and health services. Relief work is often delivered with local volunteers, service missionaries, governments, and partner organizations such as the American Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, Muslim Aid, UNICEF, and the United States Agency for International Development. Philanthropies also helps finance family-history infrastructure. Church-operated Family History Centers and the FamilySearch genealogy service provide public resources for historical and genealogical research. As reported in the reference material, the church operated more than 5,700 Family History Centers in 146 countries in 2022, while FamilySearch maintained a very large collection of indexed historical records and linked family information. The department's scale is difficult to assess from public financial disclosures because the church and affiliated entities do not publish a complete consolidated account of donations received and their uses. Reference material states that the church reported more than 3,000 community-based projects and over 2,000 partners in 2019, and that more than $2.3 billion had been donated over Philanthropies' existence by 2020. These figures should be understood as reported historical totals rather than independently verified current financial statements. The limited disclosure also means that some affiliated charitable activities are not evaluated by organizations such as Charity Navigator or the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
History
Philanthropies was established in 1955 within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the BYU Destiny Fund. Its earliest function was closely associated with support for Brigham Young University and church education. As the church's fundraising needs broadened, the organization was renamed the Church Education Development Office in 1971 and then The Development Office in 1973. N. Eldon Tanner initiated a task force addressing philanthropic matters in the church and appointed Donald T. Nelson as the organization's first director. For much of its early history, the department's reporting relationship changed as the church refined its administrative structure. It reported to the Church Commissioner of Education until 1980, after which it reported to the First Quorum of the Seventy and church leader Ronald E. Poelman. In 1981, oversight moved indirectly to the Presiding Bishopric's office. In 1986, after the organization had become the LDS Foundation in 1982, it began reporting directly to Presiding Bishop Victor L. Brown. The organization adopted the name LDS Philanthropies in 2005. A formal advisory board to supervise funds was approved on February 5, 2000. The department later consolidated its operations in Provo, Utah, where a dedicated office building was dedicated by Henry B. Eyring on May 16, 2008. Philanthropies continues to function as a church department under the direction of the Presiding Bishopric. Its activity is divided among several connected areas. In education, donations support church-owned or church-affiliated institutions including Brigham Young University, BYU–Hawaii, BYU–Idaho, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, and Ensign College. Contributions can fund scholarships, mentoring, learning opportunities, and institutional development. The Perpetual Education Fund adds a revolving-loan model: eligible students in developing countries receive education loans and later repayments replenish the fund for future students. Humanitarian donations are generally administered through Latter-day Saint Charities. Unlike church welfare assistance funded through member fast offerings, humanitarian donations are intended for people without regard to faith or race. Programs have addressed disaster response, food, water, hygiene, blankets, neonatal resuscitation, wheelchairs, eye surgery, and water infrastructure. The organization works through volunteers, service missionaries, local communities, governments, and nongovernmental partners. Reference material describes projects in 195 countries and substantial reliance on volunteer labor. Philanthropies also contributes to the church's family-history infrastructure. Donations help support Family History Centers and genealogy resources that are made available to the public. FamilySearch, operated by the church, provides access to extensive historical records and genealogical data, while the Family History Library at Temple Square has been described as the world's largest genealogical library. The department's finances are not fully transparent by the standards commonly applied to independent charities. The LDS Church and affiliated organizations do not publish a comprehensive public financial statement showing all donations received and their uses. In a 2018 statement, Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé explained that the church does not choose to publish detailed finances. Some affiliated institutions disclose selected figures; for example, BYU–Idaho reported receiving $6.3 million in donations in 2018, with 69 percent directed to need-based aid through a university grant. Because of the available disclosure, Latter-day Saint Charities is not evaluated by certain established charity-rating groups, including Charity Navigator and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. The organization reported more than 3,000 community-based projects and over 2,000 partners in 2019. A 2020 figure cited in the reference material stated that $2.3 billion had been donated through Philanthropies over its existence. Latter-day Saint Charities separately describes a long-term humanitarian contribution total of $2.3 billion since its founding in 1985. These totals are reported figures and may refer to different scopes or accounting conventions; they should not be treated as interchangeable without further source clarification.
- 2021
Global COVID-19 vaccine commitment
[1]Latter-day Saint Charities pledged $20 million to support UNICEF vaccine delivery and related global vaccination initiatives.
- 2019
Current church-identifying name adopted
[1]The formal name changed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Philanthropies.
- 2008
Provo office building dedicated
[1]A dedicated Philanthropies office building in Provo, Utah, was dedicated by Henry B. Eyring on May 16.
- 2005
Renamed LDS Philanthropies
[1]The organization adopted the LDS Philanthropies brand.
- 2000
Advisory board approved
[1]An advisory board was approved to supervise philanthropic funds.
- 1985
Latter-day Saint Charities founded
[1]The church's humanitarian arm began its modern charitable-relief operations.
- 1982
Renamed LDS Foundation
[1]The organization adopted the LDS Foundation name.
- 1973
Renamed The Development Office
[1]The department broadened its name beyond education as its development responsibilities grew.
- 1971
Renamed Church Education Development Office
[1]The fundraising organization adopted a name reflecting its expanding role in church education.
- 1955
BYU Destiny Fund established
[1]The organization was founded as the BYU Destiny Fund to support church education and related development efforts.
Products and positioning
A church-administered philanthropic platform connecting donors with global humanitarian relief, educational development, student assistance, and family-history programs.
Humanitarian relief and development · 1985
Latter-day Saint Charities
The humanitarian platform associated with Philanthropies provides disaster relief and longer-term development assistance. Its programs have included food, water, hygiene kits, blankets, neonatal resuscitation training, wheelchair placement, eye-care initiatives, and water projects. Work is carried out with volunteers, service missionaries, government agencies, and nonprofit partners, and is intended to serve people regardless of religious affiliation or race.
Education finance
Perpetual Education Fund
The Perpetual Education Fund provides repayable loans for students in developing countries seeking education and employment qualifications. Once graduates enter employment, repayments return to the fund and help finance loans for later participants. It is designed as a revolving educational-support program rather than a conventional scholarship-only model.
Higher education philanthropy
Educational development and scholarships
Donations facilitated by Philanthropies support Brigham Young University, BYU–Hawaii, BYU–Idaho, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, and Ensign College. Uses include student scholarships, need-based assistance, mentoring and learning opportunities, endowed programs, and other educational priorities. BYU–Hawaii's programs particularly serve students from the Pacific Islands and Asia.
Genealogy and family history
FamilySearch and Family History Centers
Philanthropic support contributes to the church's public family-history infrastructure, including Family History Centers and the FamilySearch genealogy service. These resources provide access to historical records, indexing tools, and research assistance. The church reported operating more than 5,700 centers in 146 countries in 2022.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021COVID-19 vaccine access commitment
Global
Latter-day Saint Charities committed $20 million to UNICEF's global COVID-19 vaccine-delivery work, supporting the ACT Accelerator and COVAX efforts. The commitment followed a separate $3 million contribution for food, water, and medical supplies during the pandemic.
Outcome. The commitment was presented as support for worldwide vaccine distribution and was described in the reference material as the organization's largest private-sector contribution to UNICEF's relevant global effort.
- Mormon Helping Hands
International
Volunteers and service missionaries participating in humanitarian and community projects have used distinctive yellow shirts associated with the Mormon Helping Hands identity.
Outcome. The program increased the visibility of volunteer-led relief and community service activities, although the reference material does not provide a complete campaign evaluation.
Brand decisions
2021
Committed funding for global COVID-19 vaccine deliveryOtherBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic created a need for international vaccine distribution, particularly through UNICEF-supported programs.
Action taken
Latter-day Saint Charities announced a $20 million pledge for UNICEF vaccine-delivery efforts, following an earlier $3 million contribution for essential supplies.
Aftermath
The pledge supported the ACT Accelerator and COVAX initiatives and expanded the organization's pandemic-response activity.
Pledge amount. $3 million earlier contribution → $20 million vaccine-access pledge (2021)
2019
Adopted the name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – PhilanthropiesStrategyBackground
The parent church was seeking to reduce institutional reliance on the terms “LDS” and “Mormon.”
Action taken
The department changed its formal name from LDS Philanthropies to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Philanthropies.
Aftermath
The name aligned the department more explicitly with the church's preferred full institutional identity.
Recent events
- 2021
Latter-day Saint Charities pledges $20 million for global COVID-19 vaccine access[1]
Other · Campaign
Latter-day Saint Charities announced a $20 million commitment to support UNICEF vaccine delivery and international COVID-19 vaccination efforts through the ACT Accelerator and COVAX initiatives. The commitment followed an earlier $3 million contribution for food, water, and medical supplies.
- 2019
Philanthropies adopts its current church-identifying name[1]
Other
The organization changed its formal name to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Philanthropies as part of the church's effort to move away from the institutional use of “LDS” and “Mormon.”
Sources2 sources
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