Four major Funds of the Faith
There are four major Funds to which institutions and individuals contribute: the Bahá’í International Fund, the Continental Fund, the National Fund, and the Local Fund. Below is a description of each of these Funds.
Bahá’í International Fund
This Fund is for the use of the Universal House of Justice in connection with the international work of the Faith throughout the world and the maintenance of the Bahá’í World Centre. While some Assemblies will have already achieved financial self-sufficiency, others are still advancing towards that goal, and the Bahá’í International Fund serves as a means for the House of Justice to channel financial resources from national communities with excess to those in need, ensuring that every National Assembly is able to meet its expenses for the expansion and consolidation of the Faith.
Continental Fund
Each Continental Board of Counsellors administers a Continental Fund to cover the operations of the Counsellors and the Auxiliary Board members. A Trustee is appointed by the House of Justice from among the members of each Board to manage the Continental Fund for that continent.
National Fund
Each national community establishes a National Fund which is administered by the National Spiritual Assembly. This Fund is dedicated to the promotion of the Faith in a country and to cover the expenses related to the operation of the National Assembly and its National Office, Regional Bahá’í Councils and their Area Teaching Committees, maintenance of properties, and functioning of committees and agencies. Regional Bahá’í Councils can be authorised by the National Assembly to act as their agent in operating a regional branch of the National Bahá’í Fund, to which the friends in the region may contribute. The contributions received by a Regional Council go towards its approved budgeted expenses. If the amount received is insufficient, the National Assembly and the Counsellors would provide funds to the Council; if contributions exceed the amount of the Council’s budget, the balance would revert to the National Bahá’í Fund.
Local Fund
Each Local Spiritual Assembly establishes and managees a Local Fund to receive contributions and to support the manifold activities of the Faith at the local level.
Other international Funds
From time to time, the Universal House of Justice establishes certain funds for a specific purpose in response to the needs of the world or the Bahá’í community. Some of these funds include:
International Deputization Fund
The International Teaching Centre administers this fund to assist believers who require financial support in order to serve as pioneers or travelling teachers. Institutions or individual believers can apply to a Continental Pioneer Committee for deputisation funds to cover some of their expenses. These requests are forwarded to the International Teaching Centre for its consideration and approval. Funds are then channelled through the Pioneer Committees to the final recipients.
World Centre Endowment Fund
In 2001, the House of Justice created the World Centre Endowment Fund to cover expenses for the preservation, upkeep, and security of the edifices and precincts of the Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Faith. This Endowment Fund is used to defray the related expenses, and whatever balance remains unexpended at the end of each year will be retained as an earmarked fund. As this fund grows in the years ahead, it will provide a continuing source of investment income dedicated to maintaining the magnificent setting of these Holy Places.
Bahá’í Development Fund
Established by the Universal House of Justice in November 2018 to assist both long-standing and emerging development efforts worldwide.
Humanitarian Relief Fund
In 2010, the House of Justice established this fund to which institutions and individuals may contribute to for the work of humanitarian relief and reconstruction.
Temples Fund
In 2012, the House of Justice created this Fund “to support the construction of the two national and five local Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs” and “for the benefit of all such projects.”
Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Fund
In May 2019, the House of Justice inaugurated a Fund for the construction of the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l Bahá.
International Financial Collaboration Goals Programme
Since 1994, the Universal House of Justice has invited selected National Spiritual Assemblies, once a new Plan has commenced, to assess how much they could contribute towards the renovation or enlargement of properties as well as purchases of equipment or furniture, and other similar expenses by other national communities during the course of that Plan. On the basis of these estimates, the House of Justice then calls upon them to assist communities in various countries as and when specific needs come to its attention. Beyond the material needs that have been met in this way, the bonds of unity between geographically distant national communities are strengthened and the worldwide solidarity of the believers enhanced.
For a visual representation, see also Funds of the Faith [visual presentation].
Related pages:
The following document briefly overviews different types of Funds Bahá’í individuals and institutions can contribute to in the United Kingdom.
FAQs-Different Funds
Should individuals and Local Spiritual Assemblies contribute to all the Funds?
Yes. Both Assemblies and individuals have a responsibility to contribute. As noted above, there are four levels: local, national, continental and international. Individuals can contribute to all four whilst Local Assemblies should contribute to the three levels. Individuals should be made aware that they have an obligation to contribute directly to these Funds, over and above that part of their contribution to the Local Fund:
“We therefore appeal to the friends everywhere to exercise the utmost economy in the use of the funds and to make those sacrifices in their personal lives which will enable them to contribute their share, according to their means, to the local, national, continental and international funds of the Faith.“
-Letter from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the World, , Naw-Rúz 1979
Assemblies must likewise ensure that contributions given to them for forwarding to other Funds are not counted as part of the Assembly’s own budgeted allocation to that Fund:
“In your letter of September 28, 1953, you mentioned the sum of … as being included in the amount allocated from your Assembly’s Budget to the World Centre. The principle involved is as follows: The Guardian feels that your Assembly when allocating its annual budget, and having stipulated what sum is for the purposes of the International Centre of the Faith, should immediately pigeon-hole that sum to be at the Guardian’s disposal. Any monies received as contributions from the Bahá’ís for the International Centre should not be credited to this account which represents a national joint contribution, and has nothing to do with individual or local contributions forwarded to the World Centre in your care.“
-Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual Assembly, 20 June 1954
The Local Assembly should advise the friends in its community to make the purpose of their donations clear if they are to be forwarded on their behalf to a National, Continental or International Fund, otherwise it will be assumed that it is a donation to the Local Fund.
Should the believers contribute directly to the National Fund?
“The friends are encouraged to make donations to the National Fund as the progress of the Cause in …(especially the teaching activities) is reliant upon the contributions by the friends. The National Assembly creates a budget yearly which is shared with the friends so that contributions to other funds can be efficiently budgeted.
The need, therefore, is to make clear to individual believers and Local Spiritual Assemblies how they should express their earmarkings so that the National Assembly can know whether a contribution is intended to be towards any particular segment of the national budget or to be a separate contribution merely passed through the National Assembly. In view of the Guardian’s statement one should assume that, unless there is an indication to the contrary, an earmarked contribution is intended to be over and above the allocation made out of the National Fund.”
-Letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, 18 January, 1968
Is it permissible to earmark donations for specific purposes?
Yes.
“… any donor, Assembly or individual, has the right to specify the purpose intended for any contribution of funds or property.”
-Letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, 22 June 1980
The practice, however, has its limitations, as it is better to leave the recipient free to expend the funds in the manner of most use to the Faith:
“Regarding your question about contributions: it is up to the individual to decide; if he wishes to devote a sum to a specific purpose, he is free to do so; but the friends should recognise the fact that too much labelling of contributions will tie the hands of the Assembly and prevent it from meeting its many obligations in various fields of Bahá’í activity.“
-Letter from Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual Assembly, 23 June 1950
“In general, although it is permitted for the friends to earmark contributions, it is apparent that it is often better that the friends allow the Assembly to use their contributions without restricting them. Furthermore, an Assembly is by no means obligated to accept an earmarked contribution; if it does, however, it is bound to respect the earmarking.“
-Letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, 21 August, 1980