Writing a check from the Fast Offerings account into a budget account?

[nathangg]

I've been asked to research this issue:

* This year is not our ward's year to attend FSY
* The bishop counseled with a family in the ward and decided that it would be beneficial for one of their youth to attend FSY this year (even though it isn't our wards year to attend)
* This family did not have the financial means to pay the full amount for their youth to attend FSY
* The bishop indicated that the ward would pay half ($75) if the family could pay the other half ($75, also).

The youth attended FSY and the ward was charged $75 out of the budget category. The bishop asked me to find out about writing a check to the Church, and recording it as a fast-offering expenditure, and depositing that check into the budget category in which the FSY charge was recorded. (The intent being that this was meant to be a fast-offering expenditure in the first place, not a budget expenditure).

I will keep looking for documentation, however, if anyone can point us in a direction to understand the policies to make sure we're following them, that'd be great. (FSY budgeting is discussed here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/you ... n?lang=eng . I've found this: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/too ... s?lang=eng already. It does encourage bishops to use funds to sustain life, not lifestyle. My bishop felt that given the family's financial situation that helping the youth attend FSY would greatly benefit the youth).

Note: The FSY budgeting page indicates that budget funds should be used when a participant cannot pay. This makes sense when it is our ward's year to attend. However, since this wasn't our ward's year to attend, we started wondering if the "use budget funds" directive applied, and if instead Fast Offering funds would be okay.

(Even as I type this, I'm starting to get the feeling that this is probably a "Ask your stake president" question. Let me know if anyone else has found anything that would be helpful as we present this up to the stake president).

Thank you~,

[jdlessley]

It sounds to me like your ward does not have the ability to fund the ward fee from the ward budget at all. Your bishop is trying to justify using fast offering assistance funds to pay the fee. General Handbook, 22.4.2, identifies the purpose of fast offering assistance. It states "The goal of Church assistance is to temporarily meet basic needs while members strive to become self-reliant. Fast-offering assistance is generally used to pay for essential items, such as food and clothing. However, it may also be used to pay for housing, utilities, or personal services such as counseling, medical care, or short-term skills training." Attendance at For the Strength of Youth (FSY) conferences is not an essential item or any of the other day to day costs of living.

The For the Strength of Youth conferences are a Church program rather than a day to day cost of living. GHB, 34.6, identifies the purpose of the budget allowance program. It states "The budget allowance program provides general Church funds to pay for the activities and programs of stakes and wards." As a Church program the Church has identified how attendance at FSY conference fees are covered. The links you provided are clear in how the fees are to be handled. An additional reference to look at is the February 22, 2024, Off-Cycle Registration to Attend FSY notice. In short, if the bishop feels an off-cycle attendance to an FSY conference is needed for a youth then any portion of the fees paid by the unit comes from the unit budget. There is no mention of using fast offering assistance.

Since the off-cycle attendance and fee is unplanned then the dilemma is where in the ward budget are the funds coming from. If there is no wiggle room in the ward budget to accommodate this expense, then instead of getting stake president approval to use FO assistance, the bishop should be asking if the stake could assist with the expense from the stake budget.

[russellhltn]

You didn't say what your calling is. If it's the ward clerk, then I'd talk to your trainer, the stake clerk. I've done that a few times when I've run into situations that didn't quite sit right with me.

My understanding is that it's preferred to supply the family with food so they can afford FSY. (22.4.3)

[nathangg]

@jdlessley and @russllhltn - thank you so much!

Your replies are spot on and have been super helpful. We're leaving this as a budgeted expense.