Bahá’í Funds

2021-04-25T18:18:32Z

Ryan: /* Kingdom Project Fund (US) */ Updated the web link at the end; added a note explaining that the website domain was abandoned and purchased by another entity; improved the 1st sentence (split in two and made them past tense); clarified its temporary nature in the section title; made minor formatting changes.

Note: This page was added in a paragraphed essay-style format and needs to be changed to include quotations from the authoritative Writings only (besides headings, etc.).

==Compilations==
* https://bahai-library.com/compilation_funds_contributions

==Topics==
* [[Bahá'í Fund - contribution responsibilities]]
* [[Bahá'í Fund - eligibility of contributors]]
* [[Bahá'í Fund - treasurer and Assembly]]
* [[Bahá'í Fund - earmarked funds]]

==7 Major Bahá’í Funds==

"…all the funds need to be supported, both directly by the believers, and
also by the making of contributions by Bahá’í Institutions from one fund to another…"

==5 Permanent Funds==
#International Bahá’í Fund
#Continental Bahá’í Fund
#National Bahá’í Fund
#Regional Bahá’í Fund
#Local Fund

==2 Temporary Funds==
#World Center Endowment Fund (Temporary, until the House of Justice tells us)
#Kingdom Project (2001-2006)

==International Fund==

The Baha'i International Fund supports the vast array of work of the Universal House of Justice. It is used, among other things, to finance the operations of the Baha'i World Center and of the Baha'i International Community worldwide, assist various National Spiritual Assemblies, fund agencies for Baha'i social and economic development, and support programs carried out in conjunction with various United Nations organizations.

==Continental Fund==

The Continental Baha'i Fund supports the propagation and protection work of the International Teaching Center, the Continental Boards of Counselors, the Auxiliary Boards and their assistants. The Universal House of Justice wrote: "Nor should the believers, individually or in their Assemblies, forget the vitally important Continental Funds which provide for the work of the Hands of the Cause of God and their Auxiliary Boards. This divine institution, so assiduously fostered by the Guardian, and which has already played a unique role in the history of the Faith, is destined to render increasingly important services in the years to come." Letter dated December 18, 1963. "Nor should the believers, individually or in their Assemblies, forget the vitally important Continental Funds which provide for the work of the Hands of the Cause of God and their Auxiliary Boards. This divine institution, so assiduously fostered by the Guardian, and which has already played a unique role in the history of the Faith, is destined to render increasingly important services in the years to come." (From a message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of East and West, December 18, 1963)

==National Fund (US)==

This fund supports the work of the National Spiritual Assembly. It is used to promote national proclamation, expansion, and consolidation of the Faith; to maintain national properties, including the House of Worship in Wilmette, "the holiest House of Worship ever to be raised to the glory of Bahá'u'lláh"; to promote external affairs of work and defend believers wherever they are persecuted; and to support the international institutions of the Faith.

*"Regarding the state of the National Fund, which you have reported is suffering from a general slackness in contributions form both individual believers and the Local Assemblies and groups: It is only evident that unless the flow of donations is regularly maintained by means of generous and continual support by all the believers, individually and collectively, the National Fund will never be able to meet the needs and requirements of the Cause, particularly in these days when the national activities of the American believers are assuming such wide and increasing proportions." Shoghi Effendi, Letter dated February 3, 1941

==Regional Bahá'í Council Fund==

It's to provide funding that normally comes from the National Fund, for the work of our new Regional Councils. The Universal House of Justice wrote a letter on 30 May 1997 regarding the “Establishment of Regional Bahá’í Councils in Certain Countries, their Characteristics and Functions”.

==Local Fund==

The local Fund supports the work of the Local Spiritual Assembly and the administration of the community's affairs. The Universal House of Justice wrote: "The universal participation of the believers in every aspect of the Faith - in contributing to the Fund, in teaching, deepening, living the Baha'i life, administering the affairs of the community, and, above all, in the life of prayer and devotion to God - will endow the Baha'i community with such strength that it can overcome the forces of spiritual disintegration which are engulfing the non-Baha'i world, and can become an ocean of oneness that will cover the face of the planet." Letter dated December 29, 1970

==World Centre Endowment Fund==

The Endowment Fund was recently established by the Universal House of Justice to defray the annual costs of the Terraces and the new edifices situated on Mount Carmel. This fund will be " used for the preservation, upkeep, and security of the edifices and the precincts of the Spiritual and Administrative Centers of the Faith - activities that currently form so large a part of the responsibilities of the Bahá'í International Fund." Henceforth, the Bahá'í International Fund will be primarily used to support the Teaching work in other countries and provide support to NSA's that are financially jeopardized from the adverse effects of war, economic strife, and other national disasters.

==Kingdom Project Fund (US, temporary: 2000-2006)==

This was a temporary fund in the US, from April 2000 - April 2006. The purpose of the Kingdom Project was to build and strengthen the American Baha'i national infrastructure in order for us to prepare to serve the changing world and welcome the multitude of people among us. Our National Spiritual Assembly decided that to ensure that the needs of our national infrastructure are met we must 1) Provide for the restoration of Bahá'í properties; 2) Establish an endowment for their long-term care; and 3) Secure the resources necessary for our community to achieve its mandate. The Kingdom Project, an historic undertaking for the American Bahá’í Community, has acted as the vehicle for the community to accomplish the following: Almost $27 million has already been committed, with over $12 million having been paid. The funds have been used to complete four of the Kingdom Project initiatives: the renovations of Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, the construction of Unity Hall at Lou Helen and the establishment of an endowment which has recently been designated for the Temple and most recently, the classroom complex at Green Acre Bahá’í School. It has also allowed for the launch of “Bahá‘í Publishing”, and the beginning of the renovation work on the Mother Temple. Additional information is available on the archived version of the project's website at https://web.archive.org/web/20060205005456/https://www.kingdom-project.org/ (Note: the kingdom-project.org website domain appears to have been abandoned between 2011 and 2014 and was later purchased by a non-Bahá’í organization in 2020).

==Priority of Funds==

=== Fixing of priorities dependent on the Cause and individual's circumstances ===
The fixing of priorities is dependent on many factors, related both to the Cause as a whole and to each individual in his or her own circumstances."

:([[Universal House of Justice]], August 1993)

===General and national interests and Funds take precedence over local ones===
"The beloved Guardian has explained that the general and national interests of the Cause take precedence over local ones; thus contributions to local funds are secondary to those to national funds."

:([[Universal House of Justice]], August 1985)

=== All funds must be supported, directly by believers and by institutions ===
"As far as the Cause is concerned, all the work must be kept going; all the funds need to be supported, both directly by the believers, and also by the making of contributions by Bahá'í institutions from one fund to another, which do not take the place of contributions from individuals - the source of the life-blood of the Cause.

=== Individual's attention to different Funds parallels loyalty to different levels of mankind ===
"At the level of the individual believer, attention to the needs of the funds of the Faith parallels the principles which govern multiple loyalties. The first loyalty of a Baha'i to the whole of mankind, for the benefit of the part is best achieved through the welfare of the whole. But this widest loyalty does not eliminate the lesser loyalties of love for one's country, for the area in which one lives, or for one's family. They all constitute a network of interdependent and mutually beneficial loyalties. So it is with the individual believer's relationship to the International, Continental, National and Local Funds.

===While using personal judgment, individual contributor should bear in mind priorities of the work of the Cause as a whole===
Although the setting of priorities for contributing is a matter for personal judgment, the individual believer will certainly bear in mind the priorities of the work of the Cause as a whole."
: ([[Universal House of Justice]], 1993)

===Assembly should educate friends of prerogative to contribute directly to all of the Funds===
"In educating the friends to be conscious of contributing to the fund as a fundamental element of Baha'i life, the Assembly should make them aware of the individual believer's prerogative of contributing directly to all the funds of the Faith: international, continental and national as well as local."
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to a National Spiritual Assembly, February 12, 1987, in ''[[Lights of Guidance]]'', p. [[log:260|260]])

==ACS==

Children (0-9), Junior Youth (10-14), Youth (15-20) and Adults (21+) are encouraged to give to all of the funds either directly or they can give to all (but the Local Fund) by using an ACS form (if they have a checking account and feel comfortable having a certain amount taken out each month). The ACS method of giving to the Baha'i Funds (all except for the local fund, which should be giving directly to the local Treasurer) is preferred because the NSA can count on a regular amount and also it takes a much shorter amount of time and less money to process each ACS transaction.

==Forms==

You can contribute to all the Funds (except local) with one check and one contribution slip. Please be sure to write your full legal name and Bahá’í ID number on the contribution slip, check the Funds and amounts you wish to give, and make sure your check matches your contribution slip. If this information isn’t there or is incorrect it takes a longer time to process your contribution. Thank you dear friends for all of your participation – it surely brings you and our communities spiritual and material bounties.

==References==

* '''"Bahá’í Dictionary"''' by Wendi Momen, Published by George Ronald Publisher Abingdon, UK, 1996
* '''"Lights of Guidance, A Bahá'í Reference File"''', edited by Helen Bassett Hornby, Published by Bahá'í Publishing Trust INDIA, 1988 (2nd edition)
* '''"Stewardship and Development"''', 2nd edition, by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 1999.
* '''Treasurer's Office Page''' http://www.usbnc.org
* '''Kingdom Project Website''' http://www.kingdom-project.org
* '''Bahá'í Funds and Contributions''' https://bahai-library.com/compilations/funds.html
* See also this Bibliography '''Bahá'í Financial Bibliography''' https://bahai-library.com/books/biblio/financial.html

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Bahá’í Funds