Online donations for missionaries in other units

The new online donation system being rolled out just became available in our ward, and I love how easy it makes it to donate towards missionaries in other units! However, when I tried to do this for a missionary in another country (Brazil), I get: "The Ward/Branch number you entered seems to be incorrect. Please check your number and try again." Is this a limitation of the system, or of policy, or am I just not getting the number correct (I got it from the online unit directory.)

It appears to be some kind of limitation of the system. It might be policy, currency difference, different area office, or they might be on a different funding system. (Equalized/non-equalized and CUBS vs. another system)

Are you entering the unit number of his home ward, or the ward he's serving in in Brazil? Make sure you enter the unit number for his home (funding) ward.

The unit number of his home ward. It wasn't that it couldn't find him as a missionary - it rejected the unit number as invalid. I tried other wards as well. It consistently accepted units in the US, and did not accept units in any other country I tried.

kenworthyg wrote:it rejected the unit number as invalid. I tried other wards as well. It consistently accepted units in the US, and did not accept units in any other country I tried.

I saw the same thing as far as Brazil vs. US. (I got the numbers out of CDOL.) One thing I didn't check is to see what happens when there's no missionary from that ward.

kenworthyg wrote:The unit number of his home ward. It wasn't that it couldn't find him as a missionary - it rejected the unit number as invalid. I tried other wards as well. It consistently accepted units in the US, and did not accept units in any other country I tried.

I do not know for sure, but I do not believe countries outside of the U.S. and Canada participate in the equalized missionary funding system. That may be the reason. But I think the real reason may be that there are also financial restrictions on sending money outside of the U.S. that may be causing the restriction.

I realize that it appears with CUBS that everything is magic and electronic. But in reality there is real money involved, and there are rules that must be followed any time money crosses the borders of a country.

If the restriction also applies to Canada, then I suspect the system simply isn't designed to "translate" between currencies. I'd think it would take extra effort to make it work and would rarely be used. But that's not to say the feature would never come.

russellhltn wrote:If the restriction also applies to Canada, then I suspect the system simply isn't designed to "translate" between currencies. I'd think it would take extra effort to make it work and would rarely be used. But that's not to say the feature would never come.

Since the Online Donation system uses the ACH transfer process, which is only a U.S. system, I am pretty sure it does not work for Canada.

As for the transfer of money between the U.S. and Canada, I am a little bit familiar with how Church finances work in Canada, It would not be a simple matter of converting between currencies. There are other issues involved.

lajackson wrote:Since the Online Donation system uses the ACH transfer process, which is only a U.S. system, I am pretty sure it does not work for Canada.

Good point. But the question is where is the real destination? We all know it doesn't go to the actual unit. But if it goes to the area office, then it seems that the system should work for units that have CHQ as the area office.

We are trying to donate to the missionary fund in a ward we visited in Mexico, where there is a real need. We have the unit # but, as others on here have seen, it won't accept it as it is in another country. Is there another way to get money to a ward outside the United States (e.g., could we send a check to Salt Lake specifying what ward we'd like the money to go to)? Or are we just limited to donating to the general missionary fund?

curtisheidi wrote:We are trying to donate to the missionary fund in a ward we visited in Mexico, where there is a real need. We have the unit # but, as others on here have seen, it won't accept it as it is in another country. Is there another way to get money to a ward outside the United States (e.g., could we send a check to Salt Lake specifying what ward we'd like the money to go to)? Or are we just limited to donating to the general missionary fund?

The LDS website states specifically that you cannot donate funds online to a missionary of another ward if they are in a different country. I don't know if you could send the funds directly to Salt Lake and have them deposited correctly... Do you have any communication with any of the members from that Ward? Maybe you could send the money via Paypal or Western Union (WU is cheaper if done online) and they could just make sure it is allocated to the Missionary Fund for the ward?

I live in Mexico - out of curiosity, what ward do you need the money to go to?
~Stephanie

curtisheidi wrote:Or are we just limited to donating to the general missionary fund?

This is one of the main purposes of the General Missionary Fund. Just as the Ward Missionary Fund is used in the U.S. and Canada to support missionaries from those countries, the General Missionary Fund supports missionaries from other countries around the world.

Although you cannot be unit specific with the General fund, all of it goes to support missionaries in other countries.

I would like to support a missionary in Mexico, his parents in present circumstances are unable to pay their share. How can I do it? Thanks. I can be reached also at [personal information removed].

billmolina wrote:I would like to support a missionary in Mexico, his parents in present circumstances are unable to pay their share. How can I do it? Thanks. I can be reached also at [personal information removed].

I'm not aware of any way to support a missionary in a different country. You might talk to your bishop about transferring financial responsibility to your ward so you can pay it. I'm not sure if that will work, but it's worth a try.