Feast of Kalimát/Words - July 13, 2023

Recently, messages from the Office of the Treasurer have been emphasizing the importance of unrestricted contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund. As a result, questions and requests for guidance have come from the Friends about unrestricted giving. In a letter to a Regional Council, the National Spiritual Assembly recently offered some guidance that may assist many believers who might have questions about the topic of unrestricted giving. Below is an excerpt from that message: 

“It is important to bear in mind that the National Assembly’s guidance on the priority of unrestricted contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund and the freedom to earmark has not changed. Over the years the Assembly noticed that earmarking had become a larger percentage of the annual contributions, leaving the unrestricted funds insufficient to meet the operating requirements of the National Assembly. As a result, the Assembly felt it was timely to remind the friends of the importance of meeting the National Fund goal with unrestricted contributions. However, the emphasis on the priority of unrestricted contributions does not alter the principle of the freedom to earmark. 

To shed further light on your questions, we have included an excerpt from the document entitled, Strengthening the Financial System, Select Working Documents prepared by the Office for the Development of Administrative Systems at the Bahá’í World Centre—May 2023. On the question of unrestricted contributions and earmarking, the guidance states: 

“The contributions of the friends can be given to the Fund at the local, national, or continental level. While they may also wish to contribute towards a specific project or purpose the House of Justice has indicated that, “although it is permitted for the friends to earmark contributions, it is apparent that it is often better that the friends allow the Assembly to use their contributions without restricting them.”