LDS Philanthropies

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LDS Philanthropies is a department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is responsible for facilitating donations to humanitarian and education initiatives including Brigham Young University (Provo, Idaho, and Hawaii campuses), LDS Business College, and the Perpetual Education Fund. Humanitarian donations are used to provide assistance worldwide without regard to race or religion, and plays a significant role in assisting victims of natural disasters, including being among first responders with aid such as hygiene kits, food and water, and blankets.^{[citation needed]} Current humanitarian projects include neonatal resuscitation training, wheelchair placement, eye surgery initiatives to help the blind, well drilling projects for water sources, and other health and wellness projects. 100 percent of all donations is used to help the needy (overhead for administering aid is paid from the general funds of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).^{[citation needed]} Humanitarian aid deliveries are supervised by service missionaries who live and serve in countries around the world. In some parts of the world their efforts are best known by the volunteers in yellow t-shirts that say "Mormon Helping Hands".

Donations to education efforts helps to provide scholarships and create mentored learning opportunities for students from around the world. Brigham Young University Hawaii, for example, helps students from the Pacific Islands and Asia. The very successful Perpetual Education Fund provides repayable loans for students in developing nations to obtain an education. When graduates become employed they repay the loan and the money is used to help another student.