LDS Philanthropies

LDS Philanthropies is a department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and is responsible for facilitating donations to humanitarian and education initiatives including Brigham Young University (Provo, Idaho, and Hawaii campuses), LDS Business College, and the Perpetual Education Fund. The humanitarian arm of the organization is Latter-day Saint Charities (LDS Charities). While welfare programs within the LDS Church funded by fast offerings are generally for members, humanitarian donations are used to provide assistance in countries around the world to people without regard to religion or race. These donations provide assistance to victims of natural disasters, including aid such as hygiene kits, food and water, and blankets. Current humanitarian projects include neonatal resuscitation training, wheelchair placement, eye surgery initiatives to help the blind, well drilling projects for water sources, and other health and wellness projects. One hundred percent of all donations are used to help the needy; overhead for administering aid is paid from the general funds of the LDS Church. Humanitarian aid deliveries are supervised by service missionaries who live and serve in countries around the world. In some parts of the world their efforts are best known by the volunteers in yellow T-shirts that say "Mormon Helping Hands". Donations to education efforts helps to provide scholarships and create mentored learning opportunities for students from around the world. Brigham Young University–Hawaii, for example, helps students from the Pacific Islands and Asia. The Perpetual Education Fund provides repayable loans for students in developing nations to obtain an education; when graduates become employed they repay the loan and the money is used to help another student.