Compassionate Service Meals: Fast Offering Expense?

Our Relief Society put together frozen dinners as a compassionate service project for families in need. No families have been identified yet; the sisters wanted to have meals already prepared so that when they hear of a family in need they can quickly and easily provide the meal.

Since we don't know who the meals are going to yet, can fast offering funds be used to reimburse the cost of the meals? The screen in MLS requires (I believe) that a recipient be entered for a fast offering check. What if there is no recipient?

I actually found out that our RS had done this a few years ago. I went back and found the check. It turns out that fast offering funds were in fact used and "Unknown" was entered under "Fast Offering Recipient." Apparently, "Unknown" had been added as a fast offering recipient.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Is this an appropriate use of fast offering funds? If so, is putting "unknown" as the recipient going to create any potential issues during an audit?

steveheath wrote:Since we don't know who the meals are going to yet, can fast offering funds be used to reimburse the cost of the meals? The screen in MLS requires (I believe) that a recipient be entered for a fast offering check. What if there is no recipient?

You are correct that fast offering expenses require a recipient. There is no way around that. There are ways around that (the "unknown" that was entered before), but you will not likely find much support for that approach here.

steveheath wrote:Any thoughts or suggestions? Is this an appropriate use of fast offering funds? If so, is putting "unknown" as the recipient going to create any potential issues during an audit?

This seems like a legitimate FO expense to me, but ultimately that is a decision your bishop has to make. I am not a fan of putting "unknown" in, but I see no other way around it and it seems counter-intuitive to penalize your RS for being prepared. One question I would have is how do wards normally fund compassionate service?

steveheath wrote:Since we don't know who the meals are going to yet, can fast offering funds be used to reimburse the cost of the meals?

Not all recipients of compassionate service would necessarily qualify for fast offering assistance. Without knowing who the assistance is going to makes it questionable as to whether the expense qualifies as FO assistance.

steveheath wrote:The screen in MLS requires (I believe) that a recipient be entered for a fast offering check. What if there is no recipient

There should be a recipient name since the purpose of FO assistance is for a family or an individual. While the wiki is not definitive guidance, the Fast offering guidance section of the Expensesarticle states that "Each check written for fast offering purposes must specify a recipient." The audit checklist also states in the details for each transaction tested that for payments from fast offerings, include the name of the person assisted.

steveheath wrote:I actually found out that our RS had done this a few years ago. I went back and found the check. It turns out that fast offering funds were in fact used and "Unknown" was entered under "Fast Offering Recipient." Apparently, "Unknown" had been added as a fast offering recipient.

I would not use this as a guide for the acceptability of this action. Was it written up in the audit? If it wasn't, did the auditor even examine this particular expense as one of the tested transactions?

steveheath wrote:If so, is putting "unknown" as the recipient going to create any potential issues during an audit?

One of the purposes of an audit is to identify misuse of funds or fraud. In my opinion this is misuse of funds if any meals are provided to anyone who does not qualify for FO assistance. And as I stated earlier recipients of compassionate service would not necessarily qualify for fast offering assistance.

For questions of this nature I would consult my local leaders. The bishop should consult the audit committee chairman or stake president. If the stake president has any questions he should consult the area auditor.

steveheath wrote:Since we don't know who the meals are going to yet, can fast offering funds be used to reimburse the cost of the meals? The screen in MLS requires (I believe) that a recipient be entered for a fast offering check. What if there is no recipient?

Sounds like a perfectly reasonable use of the RS budget. As with any other compassionate service projects, any reimbursements should be taken from the RS budget. Fast offerings are only for those members in need of welfare assistance.

To me, rendering compassionate service in emergency situations is more the responsibility of visiting teachers and neighbors. The handbook says this:

9.6.2Compassionate Service

All Relief Society sisters have a responsibility to be conscious of the needs of others. They use their time, skills, talents, spiritual and emotional support, and prayers of faith to help others.
Through the help of visiting teachers and others in the ward, the Relief Society presidency identifies those who have special needs because of old age, physical or emotional illness, emergencies, births, deaths, disability, loneliness, and other challenges. The Relief Society president reports her findings to the bishop. Under his direction, she coordinates assistance. She assesses the skills and circumstances of all sisters as she determines who may be able to help.
She may ask a counselor, a compassionate service coordinator, or a visiting teacher to help coordinate these service efforts. She may also form a committee to help. Sisters can assist by providing meals, providing child care or home care, helping individual sisters improve literacy skills, providing transportation for needed medical assistance, and responding to other needs.


I think you are depriving visiting teachers, home teachers, and neighbors blessings by not letting them render compassionate service.

jdlessley wrote:Not all recipients of compassionate service would necessarily qualify for fast offering assistance. Without knowing who the assistance is going to makes it questionable as to whether the expense qualifies as FO assistance.

I had the same thought. Until the meals are actually distributed, there's no way to determine if the recipients would qualify for FO assistance.

jdlessley wrote:There should be a recipient name since the purpose of FO assistance is for a family or an individual. While the wiki is not definitive guidance, the Fast offering guidance section of the Expensesarticle states that "Each check written for fast offering purposes must specify a recipient." The audit checklist also states in the details for each transaction tested that for payments from fast offerings, include the name of the person assisted.

Where can I find a copy of the audit checklist?

jdlessley wrote:I would not use this as a guide for the acceptability of this action. Was it written up in the audit? If it wasn't, did the auditor even examine this particular expense as one of the tested transactions?

No, it wasn't written up in audit and no, I don't believe the auditor examined the expense.

jdlessley wrote:One of the purposes of an audit is to identify misuse of funds or fraud. In my opinion this is misuse of funds if any meals are provided to anyone who does not qualify for FO assistance. And as I stated earlier recipients of compassionate service would not necessarily qualify for fast offering assistance.

Thanks for the feedback.

TinMan wrote:I think you are depriving visiting teachers, home teachers, and neighbors blessings by not letting them render compassionate service.

The meals are not intended to replace all acts of compassionate service. VTs and HTs will continue rendering CS. These meals are intended to be used in situations that require swift action. The sisters involved in preparing the meals will in no doubt be blessed for having given of their time and energy.

Thanks for all of the responses. I will share some of your feedback with my bishop. At the end of the day, he is the one that ultimately decides how the expense is to handled.

steveheath wrote:These meals are intended to be used in situations that require swift action.

I thought that is why Little Ceasar's was invented.

steveheath wrote: Where can I find a copy of the audit checklist?

On the audit, of course!:)

You locate the most recent version of the ward audit by opening up "Other Resources" , or it could be "Other forms," on the MLS menu bar. One of the options is the audit forms.

steveheath wrote:Where can I find a copy of the audit checklist?

In MLS from the menu bar select Other Resources > Church Audits > Ward Financial Audit. It is not necessary, however, to open MLS to open any of the audit checklists. They are PDF documents. On a Windows XP computer the path and file for the ward audit checklist is
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\LDS Church\MLS\data\forms\WBAud.pdf. On a Windows 7 computer the path is C:\ProgramData\LDS Church\MLS\data\forms\WBAud.pdf (Note this is a hidden folder).

The information for expense payments and FO recipient name is on page 8, column 4.

jdlessley wrote:In MLS from the menu bar select Other Resources > Church Audits > Ward Financial Audit. It is not necessary, however, to open MLS to open any of the audit checklists. They are PDF documents. On a Windows XP computer the path and file for the ward audit checklist is
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\LDS Church\MLS\data\forms\WBAud.pdf. On a Windows 7 computer the path is C:\ProgramData\LDS Church\MLS\data\forms\WBAud.pdf (Note this is a hidden folder).

The information for expense payments and FO recipient name is on page 8, column 4.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

steveheath wrote:These meals are intended to be used in situations that require swift action.

Unless you have an unusually large or overly "needy" ward, I don't see the need for preparing many meals for immediate use. When my wife was RS Pres, she always kept a ready meal in our freezer for whenever the normal VT/Compassionate Service resources couldn't meet an immediate need. She never needed more than one in reserve.

The thought occurred to me that there are many members who would be happy to make or purchase and deliver meals, but who cannot afford to do so. I know the whole idea of service is to give of your time, talents, and resources. There are some who have the time and talents, but not the resources to assist others in the ward. Would it be appropriate to reimburse these members using budget funds, assuming they can provide sales receipts for their costs?

drepouille wrote:Would it be appropriate to reimburse these members

I believe that would be a decision for the bishop to make, probably after a very interesting discussion with the ward council.

lajackson wrote:

drepouille wrote:Would it be appropriate to reimburse these members

I believe that would be a decision for the bishop to make, probably after a very interesting discussion with the ward council.

Even after a careful discussion with the Ward Council and approved, can the funds be taken from Fast Offering assistance or should it come from the Ward budget? Does the Bishop get audited for these "compassionate service" Fast Offering expenses and what would make it difficult for the Bishop to decide if it should come from FO or Budget or is there a Max limit in these FO per year? I agree that members have the time but not the resources to help with these types of services and the budget is already tight so can FO be provided? I understand that compassionate services does not always have to involve something monetarily but it would be nice once in a while to help in these situations when it does require it.