One could ask the same question of donations to Catholic charities.
In general IRS doesn"t care what your intention is ~ so just about all the charitable donations are counted as charitable donations to the giver ~ at the same time the receiving organization may have to consider them unreleated business income and subject to the applicable tax (see ubit ~ marvelous night time reading)
However, my question is about the status of an otherwise charitable contribution that entitles the giver to downstream monetary benefit ~ like insurance ~ that is, a benefit inures to the individual making the gift.
In general IRS doesn"t care what your intention is ~ so just about all the charitable donations are counted as charitable donations to the giver ~ at the same time the receiving organization may have to consider them unreleated business income and subject to the applicable tax (see ubit ~ marvelous night time reading)
However, my question is about the status of an otherwise charitable contribution that entitles the giver to downstream monetary benefit ~ like insurance ~ that is, a benefit inures to the individual making the gift.
In Mormonism the tithe is required to go to the best heaven, and to become a God, and even to enter those temples that we see.
To be a temple Mormon you must go under examination every two years and one of the things being verified is that you are giving them at least 10% of your income, if so, and you retain your temple status, then you are issued an ID card which must be renewed every year, along with the interviews with the Bishop every 2 years.
Catholics don’t have that.