The Widow’s Mite Report

Research and analysis on the state of wealth in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Our reports and studies related to LDS Church finances


The Widow’s Mite, 2021 (Launch Report)
A report on the state of wealth in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Year-end Update, 2022 (NEW)
Updated estimates & notable developments in 2022.

 


LDS Charities (2022)
A summary and analysis of reported humanitarian giving, covering LDSC reports from 2011 to 2021.

Caring For Those In Need (NEW)
Analysis of the 2022 annual report. Comparison with 2021 data. Tithing becomes a new source for humanitarian giving. Volunteer hours examined.

Sustainability or Greenwashing? (2022)
As the 2022 annual report includes a new section, “Environmental Stewardship,” we discuss the data and suggest a separate sustainability report, following best practices, to avoid the pitfall of corporate greenwashing.

The Solar Opportunity (NEW)
A brief summary of the cost-benefit analysis if every chapel & temple were upgraded to 100% solar energy. Based on the Church’s emerging emphasis on environmental stewardship.

Related to LDS Charities:


Ensign Peak (the Church’s primary investment arm) (2023)
A data-driven study of Ensign Peak and affiliated Church investment funds. Analysis of EP’s direct holdings in US public stocks and overall investment portfolio returns.

SEC Investigation & Settlement (NEW)
A straightforward breakdown of the 9-page SEC Order, which summarizes a ~4 year investigation of systematic violations of Section 13(f) of federal securities law from 1999 through 2019. Visual analysis of the filings and violations. Clarifications to Q&A in the Church’s published statement on the SEC settlement.

Brief excerpts related to Church investments:

Quarterly updates based on 13F filings:


Temples (2022)
An informative study & analysis of LDS temples, by the numbers. Perspective on temple expansion, long-term costs, a 1,000-temple scenario, and unit cost analysis.

 


General Authority Compensation (Updated 2023)
A brief analysis of the living allowance offered to all of the Church’s General Authorities.

 


BYU Tuition Subsidies & System Financials (2023)
An analysis of audited BYU system financial reports from 2014 to 2021. Tuition comparisons and effective per-student scholarships for each BYU system campus. Trended campus income & expenses.

As recipients of federal student aid, BYU system campuses submit audited financial statements to a federal database, which is accessible to the public.

 


Church Real Estate (2022)
A categorical breakdown and valuation estimate of all identifiable Church real estate holdings, including operating properties and investment assets.

U.S. Land Ownership (2023)
Overview of Church land ownership in the USA. 2.3M+ acres. Share of private land and total acreage owned, mapped state by state, and a brief look at the large-scale Florida development project.

 


Income & Expenditures
A visual “Sankey” chart summarizing our current best estimates of total Church monetary inflows and outflows for the year.


Global Tithing & Membership Summary (2023)
A look at the global distribution of Church membership and tithing income. Ward-level economics, normalized to a global average ward-equivalent size congregation.

Tithing Participation Rates (2023)
Calculated “tithing participation rate,” a financial indicator of membership activity, for four countries with mandatory Church financial reporting (United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands).

 


60 Minutes, “The Church’s Firm” (NEW)
Observations and clarifications related to the May 14, 2023 “60 Minutes” feature and its four extended interview cuts. 

 

Brief Excerpts
Wealth Comparison (2023)
A comparison of our current estimate of LDS Church wealth compared with some of the most cash-rich institutions in the world.

Primary Use of Church Investments (2023)
A one-page graphical illustration of the growth of Church investment savings with the implied year-by-year choices to prioritize accumulating money.

Church Investments as an “Endowment” (2023)
Analysis, based on the BYU endowment policy, showing that if Church investment reserves are like a university endowment, then the Church has enough money to be financially self-reliant forever.

Path to $1 Trillion (2023)
Forecasted timeframes to reach $1 Trillion in total assets, based on historic rates of investment return, assuming the Church continues to reinvest all of its invested savings and surplus donations.

Tax Questions (Australia & Canada) (2023)
A summary of issues raised by news media about the Church’s tax avoidance practices in Australia and Canada.

 

Overview
Mormon Stories feature discussion (2023)
Excerpts from various project reports, referenced during Mormon Stories walkthrough episodes 1736 and 1751.

Main Page: https://widowsmitereport.wordpress.com

Feedback, including critical analysis, questions and links to overlooked sources, may be sent to the.widows.mite.report at gmail dot com

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