A lightly used parking lot on University Avenue is making way for a new building to house LDS Philanthropies. The site is Brigham Young University property at 1500 North. Completion of the three-story building is expected in spring 2008.
LDS Philanthropies is a department of the Office of the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The purpose of LDS Philanthropies is to correlate, encourage and facilitate donations to the church’s institutions of higher education (including BYU) and other charitable efforts (such as Humanitarian Services and the Perpetual Education Fund). The department’s main office has been located in Provo for the past 35 years. Other LDS Philanthropies offices are located in Salt Lake City; Rexburg, Idaho; and Laie, Hawaii.
The building is being funded by the Office of the Presiding Bishopric. No dollars donated through LDS Philanthropies will be used in constructing or maintaining the building. Every penny of every donation given through LDS Philanthropies goes to the cause designated by the donor.
Speaking to a group of BYU donors about the work of LDS Philanthropies, Bishop Richard C. Edgley of the Presiding Bishopric said: “Whenever I am thanked for what the church, including BYU, does to help people, I respond that it is not really the church, but the millions of members and friends with generous hearts who donate just because they want to help. Thank you for giving and helping.”
In addition to the professional fund-raising and support staff, the new building will house the BYU Telefund, a call center that employs BYU students to ask alumni and friends of the university to provide charitable financial support.
Writer: Brooke Eddington
