Church's annual humanitarian aid increases to $1.45B

SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released details Tuesday about how it spent a significant part of the tithing, fast offerings and other donations it received in 2024.

The church spent $1.45 billion in humanitarian aid, welfare and other relief in 2024, according to a new report, "Caring For Those in Need: 2024 Summary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

The church's humanitarian aid expenditures have risen sharply in recent years, up from $906 million in 202. That's an increase of more than half a billion dollars — or 60%.

"We are deeply grateful for your generous donations of time and resources in 2024. Last year, members and friends of the church were invited to seek and reach out to 'the one,' as Jesus Christ taught in his parables and demonstrated through his mortal ministry," the First Presidency said in a statement included in Tuesday's report.

Church leaders credited all donors but made specific mention of the efforts of teenagers and young adults. The report highlighted a major expansion of the faith's global initiative for mothers and infants.

That expansion included a donation of $55.8 million, announced in June, for maternal and child health improvements in 12 countries in Africa and Asia.

"The church has been vigilant in looking for opportunities to bless women and children," said President Camille N. Johnson, who leads the general presidency of the Relief Society, the church's women's organization that had 8,097,952 members in 2024, according to the report.

Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé said that Latter-day Saints and others who provide donations through tithing, fast offerings and other contributions made it possible for the church to help people in 192 countries last year.

"The welfare system of the church is not really the facilities. It's not the bishops' storehouse. It is found in every ward, every ward council, every Relief Society, in ministering brothers and sisters and bishops and in people fasting every month," he said Tuesday.

President Johnson serves with Bishop Caussé on the international Welfare and Self-Reliance Executive Committee. She has traveled around the world to review how the church's charitable spending reaches those in the most need. She said leaders work diligently to reduce duplication and inefficiency in providing aid and told the Deseret News that faithful donors can be proud of what their contributions provide.

"I hope that people feel like they're part of a grand cause, part of a global effort to lift and love and care for those in need," she said.

The women and children initiative focuses on child nutrition, maternal and newborn care, immunizations and education.

"Global progress starts with nourishing children and strengthening women. When you bless a woman, you bless a family, a community, a nation. When you bless a child, you invest in the future," President Johnson said in the report.

The report reflected the local aid efforts that occur in each of the 31,490 Latter-day Saint congregations around the world as well as the large global initiatives the church undertakes with major national and international charities as partners.

The report also captures some of the efforts church members engaged in to give one-to-one aid and support to those in need. The church's president, Russell M. Nelson, encouraged such heart-to-heart efforts as part of the celebration of his 100th birthday in September.

"Your heartfelt responses are truly humbling," President Nelson and his counselors in the First Presidency said in their statement in Tuesday's report. "Throughout the world, you have acted on this invitation to reach out to the one and to love your neighbor. We are thankful for your contributions and are pleased to share this year's report of our collective efforts."

The church increased its charitable efforts by about $90 million in 2024, up from $1.36 billion in 2023. The church's giving in this category reached a landmark $1.02 billion in 2022.

The church has not released figures for its overall humanitarian welfare spending prior to 2021, but Bishop Caussé told the Deseret News that the church has expanded its total humanitarian welfare expenditures every year from at least 2015 to the present.

"During the pandemic, we had a huge surge of needs all around the world," he said. "After the pandemic, we continued the great collaborations we have built in many countries with governments, local organizations and members of the church, so it's continue to increase every year."

The annual report does not capture all of the church's relief work, because so much is done person to person. Many members also give to other charities each year.

The spending detailed in the report also does not include some other initiatives. For example, the church makes more than $1 billion in annual charitable contributions to its global educational system.

The summary showed the church continuing to respond to emergencies and feed the hungry around the world.

"There's an unprecedented need for global aid," said Elder Blaine R. Maxfield, an Area Seventy and managing director of the church's Welfare and Self-Reliance Services. "People know all over the world that in times of disaster, the Latter-day Saints will show up with friends to help."

In addition to emergency relief and providing food, the church also provides job training, self-reliance services, educational opportunities, mental and emotional health services and addiction recovery programs.

Bishop Caussé and Elder Maxfield each mentioned that many Latter-day Saint youth have launched JustServe clubs at their high schools in North America.

"The young generation of the church is really hungry for opportunities to serve," Bishop Caussé said. "They just love it and love the spirit of it more than maybe any other generation. They like to come together as groups and as quorums in classes and do those kind of activities."

He said the church has included service and aid activities now in Young Single Adult conferences and For the Strength of Youth conferences for teenagers.

"There's a lot of excitement among the rising generation about helping others," Bishop Caussé said.

"It's something that is natural to them, and they really need it in their own personal lives as part of their identity. When you can have opportunities to help your brothers and sisters, it's also a good way to know yourself better and to appreciate more about who you are and how much you can accomplish," he added.

By the numbers

The report said the church provided engaged in 3,836 humanitarian aid projects in 2024.

The projects ranged from health care (732 projects) to emergency relief (710), food security (591) and clean water, hygiene and sanitation (267).

The church was involved in:

• 4,119 humanitarian projects in 191 countries in 2023.
• 3,692 projects in 190 countries in 2022.
• 3,909 projects in 188 countries in 2021.
• 3,600 projects in 160 countries in 2020.
• 3,221 projects in 142 countries in 2019.
• 2,885 projects in 141 countries in 2018.

Church members provided more than 6.6 million volunteer hours in 2024, according to the report.

In addition to giving, the church operates global programs to help people build self-reliance. In 2024, the church operated 579 self-reliance education projects with 128,028 participants.

The church also supported 2,503 addiction recovery meetings per week.

The JustServe community service platform supported the creation of an additional 30,246 service projects in 2024.

"As we continue to care for God's children, we can help them feel his divine love," The First Presidency said. "Heavenly Father loves each of His children and recognizes the good work they do. We invite you to continue serving and loving those around you. May God bless you in your inspiring efforts."

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