Feast of Sharaf/Honour - Dec. 31, 2023
$24.4M Has been contributed towards the Bahá’í National Fund goal of $48M as of December 15th (For fiscal year 2023-24)
Unrestricted (not earmarked) contributions towards the National Fund goal allow for flexibility in supporting the many activities of the Faith. The goal set by the National Spiritual Assembly for this year (2023-2024) is $48M.
Click on the link below to contribute through our Online Contribution System.
National Fundraiser
On Saturday, December 16, 2023, the Office of the Treasurer hosted an online National Fund Celebration and Fundraiser. Over a thousand souls joined the webinar online and enjoyed the beautiful flute music shared by Alvin Bitsilly, which was followed by a presentation by two members of the National Spiritual Assembly, Mrs. Nanabah Foguth and Dr. Robert C. Henderson. Following the presentations, Nabil & Karim shared a heartfelt performance, followed by a question and answer session. We were delighted to hear that many of the Friends joined the webinar in small groups, including several of the Friends who joined from the Indianapolis, Indiana Bahá’í Center, another group who gathered in the Bahá’í Center in Austin, Texas, and several community members who came together at NABI (the Native American Bahá’í Institute).
The presentations echoed the themes of the 28 November letter from the Universal House of Justice as they are reflected in the American Bahá’í Community and called our attention to the inspiring proof it gives that the society-building mission of the Nine-Year Plan is achievable. We were reminded of the remarkable spiritual journey that has brought us to this point in Bahá’í history - a pivotal time that calls upon us to "reawaken the spirit for which we were created and to begin to build vibrant and vital communities… now is the time, as the House of Justice tells us, that we must assume responsibility and to engage everyone in our communities and throughout our nation in the process of society building.” Our hearts were also lifted through the touching images and history of the Native American Bahá’í Insitute, which serves as a powerful example of this process of transformation.
The hearts of the Friends responded, and as a result, approximately $200k has been raised thus far toward the $48M National Fund goal for this fiscal year. The Office of the Treasurer would like to thank all those in attendance and everyone for their loving gifts and contributions.
For any of the Friends who wish to join the participation in the National Fundraiser, please feel free to use this link to do so: bit.ly/3MSz1EP
Below are a few examples of the feedback we have received regarding the event:
“Great balance of information and inspiration!”
“The presentations by Dr. Henderson and Mrs. Foguth were both informative and moving. The spirit of love and unity was strong”
“Beautiful, inspiring and informative; much appreciated. Wonderful to have these moments with the National Assembly representatives.”
“Shared positive stories of community building in the area of the country I know little about. The historical process of growth, the dedication of the people is inspiring and heartfelt.”
“I was thinking throughout almost the entire presentation how very thankful and very fortunate we are to the Blessed Beauty for allowing us to be a part of this perfect and wonderful and precious Cause because as we know, it is the only hope for our world and our future generations. Prayers will be offered for your continued progress”
“It was very inspiring! The history of the Covenant and the news of the progress of the Native American community was amazing.”
Photos shared during the presentation of Mrs. Nanabah Foguth
(National Spiritual Assembly Member)
If you missed our National Fundraiser and would like to participate, click on the link below to contribute directly to the fundraiser through our Online Contribution System (OCS).
Did you know that the Bahá’í.us website has a Planned Giving Resource page? It is a great tool for those who wish to learn about the Planned Giving options available for giving to the Fund.
On the page, you will find information about various Planned Giving services, such as setting up Charitable Gift Annuity accounts, making a contribution through an IRA Charitable Rollover, donating appreciated stock and securities, transferring real estate, and more. You can also download the ‘Writing of a Will and Testament Booklet’ (also available in Persian) as well as other resources.
To navigate to the Planned Giving resources, visit our website here: https://bahaitreasurer.us/planned-giving. We can also be contacted at plannedgiving@usbnc.org or 847-733-3569.
Appreciated Securities
As mentioned above, one of the planned giving options is donating appreciated securities. Donating securities that have appreciated (owned for more than a year) provides a number of tax benefits while benefiting the Fund.
For more information, visit https://bahaitreasurer.us/planned-giving and download the transfer form below.
As we approach the end of the Gregorian year, below please find the instructions for printing a report of your contributions for the 2023 calendar year:
Login to Online Contribution System (OCS)
Select the Report Center option
Select the Tax Report option
Select Run Report
Also, if you would like your contributions to be posted for the 2023 tax year, please make sure that those contributions mailed to the Baha’i National Center through the postal service are postmarked prior to December 31, 2023.
The Online Audit System workshop webinars are here to provide further training in the use of the new Online Audit System – OAS, The Office of the Treasurer invites the friends to join the upcoming OAS Workshop Webinars:
Registration Links :
January 18, 2024 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm CST Role of Secretary or Audit Coordinator in OAS
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_W8BnNG5LQ_WHl_kmIeCMlw
January 30, 2024 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CST Role of Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer in OAS
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KJQY3px-SuirVLL5DBn3OQ
February 6, 2024 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CST Role of Auditor in OAS
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dJ2_hKFfT8eiKI5_Snd_qg