Tech Forum

We have a returned missionary that is still being listed in the Ward Missionary Fund. How do we request to remove the returned missionary? Is it because they still have a balance and how do we transfer that balance so their name no longer is an option under the donations for Ward Missionary Fund?

The sub-category will generally be removed automatically when the missionary has returned and when the balance has been 0 for a month or two. If there is a positive balance then you need to transfer the remaining amount to the top level Ward Missionary Fund category. If it's negative you need to make a transfer from the top level Ward Missionary Fund to zero it out or obtain the remaining payment from the family, missionary or friends if the bishop thinks that's an option.

eblood66 wrote:The sub-category will generally be removed automatically when the missionary has returned and when the balance has been 0 for a month or two. If there is a positive balance then you need to transfer the remaining amount to the top level Ward Missionary Fund category. If it's negative you need to make a transfer from the top level Ward Missionary Fund to zero it out or obtain the remaining payment from the family, missionary or friends if the bishop thinks that's an option.

How do we transfer the positive amount? Do we need permission from the missionary or Stake to do the transfer? From my understanding, positive balances should not be returned to the missionary and transferred to the general Ward Missionary Fund.

cchang wrote:How do we transfer the positive amount?

Use the Transfer tool found in LCR > Finance > Transfers.

cchang wrote:Do we need permission from the missionary or Stake to do the transfer? From my understanding, positive balances should not be returned to the missionary and transferred to the general Ward Missionary Fund.

Once a donation is made the donor loses control of the funds and cannot provide direction on the use of those funds. The missionary does not own or have any control of those funds. There have been other discussion threads around this topic in the Tech Forum. There are the important points to keep in mind. First is that the Ward Missionary Fund subcategories are only for tracking funds used to support the individual missionaries and do not belong to the donor(s) or the missionaries. Second is the financial responsibility belongs to the ward even though someone such as the missionary, a person, a member, or a family related to the missionary has made a promise to make the financial contributions. Since the ward is financially responsible, the management of the Ward Missionary Fund, and the subcategories, is the ward's responsibility. Transfers from the parent category to the subcategories, and likewise in reverse, is under the management decisions of the ward (more specifically the bishop).