Search results

SUPPORT AIM Your donation helps the Inter-Monastery Alliance to promote and encourage cooperation and solidarity between monasteries. It contributes to the human, cultural and spiritual formation of communities and supports the exchange of ideas and experiences. We thank you for your contribution to support all of our actions. Support our missions Alliance InterMonastères AIM The AIM supports the projects selected by the Executive Committee and in particular those which have a religious character (training, constructions, etc.). You can make a donation to AIM, but you will not be able to receive a tax receipt. If you would like a tax receipt, see opposite with the Benedictus Foundation. THANKS. Learn more Benedictus Foundation It is a Foundation sheltered by the Caritas France Foundation. The Benedictus Foundation, in close connection with the AIM, supports the social works of monasteries . You can make a donation to support them and receive a tax receipt. Learn more Donate to AIM Without tax receipts Head office: AIM, 7 rue d’Issy, 92170 Vanves President: Jérôme de Leusse Make a donation through AIM ​ By bank check​ ​ Payable to : Alliance InterMonastères To be sent to the address : Alliance InterMonastères, Secrétariat, 7 rue d'Issy - 92170 Vanves Wire Transfer If you wish to make a donation and receive a tax receipt , you must send this donation to Fondation Benedictus, as indicated opposite Make a donation to the Foundation With tax receipts You can help the Benedictus Foundation by making a donation ​ • By credit card Online Fondationcaritasfrance.org/fondations/fondation-benedictus/ By bank check​ ​ Payable to : Fondation Benedictus To be sent to the address : Fondation Benedictus c/o AMTM 7 rue d'Issy - 92170 Vanves Fiscal advantages The Benedictus Foundation works under the aegis of the Caritas France Foundation, founded by Secours Catholique. The Caritas France Foundation, recognized as being of public utility, allows you to benefit from tax deductions for the IFI and IR, on your donations and generosity. Our Work Alliance InterMonastères is dedicated to promoting and encouraging cooperation and solidarity between monasteries. Our work includes supporting communities-led projects and facilitating exchanges between monastic communities to foster spiritual, cultural, and human formation. Explore our gallery to learn more about our work and the communities we serve.

Friends of the Monasteries The association Friends of Monasteries Around the World (AMTM) is closely linked to the AIM. The AMTM was born from the intuition of the father of Floris (OSB), former abbot of En Calcat and president in 1969 of the AIM to involve the laity in the action of the AIM VISION The AMTM is the secular arm of the AIM. People who feel concerned by the work of monasteries come together to support this action and thus participate in the development of the communities and populations around them. ACTION The efforts of the AMTM aim to promote projects supported in close connection with the Benedictus Foundation, sheltered by Caritas France as a legal support allowing all the advantages of tax recognition. MEANS The AMTM is an awareness association. She publishes a letter to present the projects of the monasteries which are supported in particular by the Benedicus Foundation. She would also like to organize conferences and meetings. History of AMTM The AMTM was created in the great breath of renewal sparked by the Second Vatican Council and its constitution Lumen Gentium which insists on the participation of the people of God. From its inception, our association has aimed to participate for more than 50 years in monastic development through the prayer of its members and the collection of donations. ​ It is a tremendous explosion of foundations that emerged from the 1960s on various continents. Between 1969 and today, more than 600 monasteries have been founded. Sometimes they are tiny communities and develop very slowly, other times monasteries develop and can in turn found a new community. We are happy to participate in this development. AMTM Newsletter: N). 171, Easter 2024: AMTM171 .pdf Download PDF • 1.74MB No. 170, Lent 2024: AMTM170 .pdf Download PDF • 1.12MB No. 169, Advent 2023: AMTM169 .pdf Download PDF • 518KB Become a member Head office: AMTM, 7 rue d’Issy, 92170 Vanves President: Jérôme de Leusse Make a donation through Fondation Benedictus Make a donation If you wish to make a donation and receive a tax receipt , you must send this donation to Fondation Benedictus, as indicated below: ​ • By credit card Online Fondationcaritasfrance.org/fondations/fondation-benedictus/ By bank check​ ​ payable to: Fondation Benedictus to be sent to the address: Fondation Benedictus c/o AMTM 7 rue d'Issy - 92170 Vanves Fiscal advantages The Benedictus Foundation works under the aegis of the Caritas France Foundation, founded by Secours Catholique. The Caritas France Foundation, recognized as being of public utility, allows you to benefit from tax deductions for the IFI and IR, on your donations and generosity.

ABOUT ALLIANCE INTERMONASTÈRES The statutes of the AIM were established in 1966 (see printed text Ius Proprium Confoederationis Benedictinae, 1985) and revised in 1996, 2002 and 2003 and submitted for approval to the Council and the Congress of Abbots in 2004. Vision & Action Organization Historical AIM accounts Friends of the monasteries The benedictus foundation Vision & Action What are the main areas of work of AIM? What is his goal ? What means does she give herself? Learn more Organization The statutes of the AIM were established in 1966 (see printed text Ius Proprium Confoederationis Benedictinae, 1985) and revised in 1996, 2002 and 2003 and submitted for approval to the Council and the Congress of Abbots in 2004. Learn more Historical The Inter-Monastery Alliance has existed since 1961. During the sixty-three years that have passed since then, many events have occurred in the life of the monasteries founded in this period. AIM has therefore adapted to the needs of the communities, it has moved from the status of a mutual aid structure to that of an Alliance between all the houses of the Benedictine Family throughout the world. Here is a brief echo of this story. Learn more AIM accounts Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Learn more Friends of the Monasteries The association Friends of Monasteries Around the World (AMTM) is closely linked to the AIM. The AMTM was born from the intuition of the father of Floris (OSB), former abbot of En Calcat and president in 1969 of the AIM to involve the laity in the action of the AIM Learn more The Benedictus Foundation The Benedictus Foundation was created in 2022. It is a Foundation sheltered by the Caritas France Foundation. It supports projects in favor of social works which benefit the populations living around the monasteries in continents outside of Western Europe and North America. Learn more FIND YOUR PATH The Rule of Saint Benedict invites us to listen for rooting in the interior Source. It is a profound journey that is both personal and community. From there flows both a life of silence and prayer and at the same time, an all the more effective human commitment. ​ With the monks and nuns living under the Rule of Saint Benedict, you can share this ideal, under the guidance of the Gospel, following Christ.

This path appears to be incorrect. Check the URL or return to the home page and try again. Back to Home

Accessibility statement Last updated on May 1, 2024 This Accessibility Statement applies to the Alliance InterMonastères (AIM) association. ​ Company recognizes the importance of providing its users with accessible websites and web and non-web applications (“Products”). ​ We are committed to ensuring that our websites and products are accessible to all users regardless of physical abilities, including people with disabilities such as blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, learning disabilities, cognitive limitations, limited movements, speech disorders, photosensitivity and combinations thereof. ​ We have and will continue to design our websites and products with accessibility in mind, following the recommendations made by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) in its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) . ​ We also ensure that third-party content providers are aware of our accessibility statement and the Alliance InterMonastères (AIM) association, third-party providers and partners based on their compliance with the W3C WAI recommendations. ​ If you have any questions regarding the accessibility of our websites or products, please contact us at contact@aimintl.org ​ We will review this statement on an ongoing basis no later than May 1, 2025, and annually thereafter.

AIM accounts The largest part of the AiM budget is reserved for donations for monasteries living under the Rule of Saint Benedict in continents other than Europe and North America. Here we say the latest statement of AIM accounts. Please note that secretarial costs are very low.

History of monastic congregations The Benedictine Confederation At the present moment all Benedictine monasteries belong to an organisation called the Benedictine Confederation, whose head, the Abbot Primate, resides in Rome. It is a relatively young organisation, founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1893. ​ Originally St Benedict did not foresee any organisational structure between monasteries: each lived in complete autonomy under the vigilant eye of the local bishop. For various reasons, in the course of centuries, monasteries formed groups, often because of geographical proximity or because they were founded from the same monasteries and followed the same rule of life. Thus in the ninth century, under the aegis of the Carolingian Kings and Benedict of Aniane, monasteries achieved a certain union with similar usages. A century later a large number of monasteries grouped together under the aegis of Cluny, a grouping which would later lead to the regular ‘Orders’. ​ In the twelfth century, under the leadership of St Bernard, Cistercian monasteries constituted themselves a real structured Order on hierarchical lines. Seeing the advantages of this, various Benedictines tried to follow their example by making regional associations. However, this movement was far from being general. As a second stage Pope Benedict XII attempted in the fourteenth century to apply the principles of unification and centralisation to the Benedictines, with only partial success. However, a number of abbeys did group themselves together by countries and set up national Congregations. That was how the English, Italian, Hungarian Congregations, etc, came to be formed in the face of all political changes of fortune. Pope Leo XIII in his desire for unity decided to federate the Congregations into a single organisation, and in 1893 decreed the ‘Benedictine Confederation’. Nevertheless, the Congregations, jealous of their privileges and their traditions, retained their own structures and internal organisations. Some of them preferred an abbacy for a limited time while others retained life abbacies. One congregation had a single noviciate for all the monasteries, while others had as many noviciates as monasteries; for some congregations parish ministry was the norm, for others the exception; for one congregation the missionary apostolate was a specific aim, while for others it was categorically excluded. Thus each retained its own rights and specificity. In short, each Benedictine Congregation (and at present there are twenty of them) was organised as an autonomous religious Order, with its own instruments of government (Abbot President, Abbot General or Archabbot), its own General Chapter (with the supreme right of legislation) and its own Constitutions, and so on. The Congregations are of different sizes; some of them consist of a thousand monks, others barely a hundred. The same disparity exists in the number of monasteries: the Hungarian Congregation numbers only one great monastery in Hungary and another recent creation in Brazil. By contrast, the Congregation of Subiaco is spread over several European countries, in Africa, the Philippines and Vietnam, to the extent that it is divided into several provinces. Some Congregations can boast of several centuries of history, such as those of Vallumbrosa or Camaldoli, while others are quite young, such as the Congregation of Cono-Sur (Latin America), created in 1976. If the Congregations differ from one another by their structure and their activity, nevertheless they are all deeply marked by the Benedictine spirit, eager to put into practise what St Benedict envisaged in his Rule. They have sufficient common resemblance to make it possible to come together as one Benedictine family. At the head of the Confederation there is an Abbot Primate, elected for a fixed term by the body of superiors; he resides at the Abbey of Sant’Anselmo in Rome, and represents the Confederation to the Holy See. CONFEDERATED BENEDICTINE CONGREGATIONS • Cassinese Congregation, stemming from the ancient Congregation of Santa Justina founded in 1408. This Congregation was incorporated into the Congregation of Subiaco on 7th February, 2013. The Subiaco Congregation became the Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation • English Congregation, founded in 1336 and restored in 1619 • Hungarian Congregation, founded in 1514 and restored in 1639 • Swiss Congregation, founded in 1602 • Austrian Congregation, established in 1625 • Bavarian Congregation, founded in 1684 • Brazilian Congregation, stemming from the Portuguese Congregation and set up in 1827 • Congregation of Solesmes, established in 1837 • American Cassinese Congregation, set up in 1855 • Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation, set up as the Subiaco Congregation in 1872 and divided into 9 geographical provinces. At the incorporation of the Cassinese Congregation in 2013 it acquired its present name. • Congregation of Beuron, set up in 1873 • Swiss-American Congregation, set up in 1881 • Congregation of St Ottilien, founded in 1884 • Congregation of the Annunciation, founded in 1920 • Slavonic Congregation, set up in 1945 • Congregation of Vallumbrosa, set up in 1036 • Congregation of Camaldoli, set up in 1113 • Silvestrine Congregation, founded in 1231 • Congregation of Cono-Sur, set up in 1976 A few monasteries, belong to no Congregation, are directly under the Abbot Primate. COMMUNITIES 0 There are numerous communities in the world today that follow the rule of saint Benedict. They are present on five continents. Here, presented country by country, the contact details of all these communities. See all countries See all communities

Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum (CIB) The Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum (CIB) The Communio Internationalis Benedictarum (CIB) was born in 2001 in Nairobi, Kenya, during a meeting of representatives of female Benedictine communities from around the world. It had been about thirty years since efforts had been made to bring together through a fraternal bond the nuns and sisters affiliated with the Benedictine Confederation. If each of the communities has its own charisma and particularity, the sisters have learned to recognize and appreciate their unity in the rule of Saint Benedict and in the Benedictine tradition, which has spread across the cultures and countries of the world. The CIB allowed the sisters to experience in depth and in a concrete way all the richness of the Benedictine charism, which is expressed in the life of their communities. Brief history of the CIB The Benedictine Confederation Between 1886 and 1893 Pope Leo XIII took steps towards the establishment of the Benedictine Confederation, the structure for the network of male congregations existing at the time, with the Abbot Primate for unity at the head of the community at Sant'Anselmo in Rome. The aim of the Confederation was to create and consolidate international contacts between male Benedictine monasteries in order to promote the common tradition of Western monasticism and to prepare monks through serious study for their service in the Church in the 20th century. There was no parallel foundation for the Benedictines. Gradually monasteries and women's congregations were admitted by association into the Benedictine Confederation, but not with full rights. Their status in the Confederation did not give them the possibility of helping each other through regular meetings and international contacts. First steps to form a network between Benedictines after Vatican II In Paragraph 23 of the Decree Perfectae Caritatis , this conciliar document concerning the renewal of religious life, conferences and councils of major superiors are expressly encouraged as a means of bringing small communities out of isolation and sharing potential. Since 1893 the Congress of Abbots was such a conference of major superiors comprising all Benedictine monasteries. From 1965 it became clear that something had to be done to create a similar possibility for the Benedictines. 1968 The Synod of Abbot Presidents around Abbot Primate Rembert Weakland voted that the Primate would constitute a Commission for the nuns and sisters and that this Commission would be divided into two sections, one for the nuns and one for the sisters, but with the ( the ?) same secretary for both. It was also decided that these two consultative groups would be made up of an equal number of men and women (Circular letter to the Benedictines of October 28, 1968). These two Commissions met separately around the Abbot Primate a number of times over the following years. 1972 The Synod of Presidents decides to invite the Commission of Nuns and several prioresses general of Benedictine sisters as observers to the Congress of Abbots. 1980 The Confederation organized a centenary symposium to celebrate the 1500th anniversary of the birth of Saint Benedict. Fifty-five abbesses and prioresses were invited to represent the women. It was the first time that Benedictine abbesses and prioresses, nuns and sisters from various traditions and from various parts of the world met in Rome, but then only as guests at the Congress of Abbots. 1984 The two Commissions meet together for the first time to discuss the possibility of a common meeting of nuns and sisters. 1987 The Benedictine sisters invite sixteen nuns and forty sisters for an assembly on the implications of the rule of Saint Benedict for the life of Benedictines, to the Casa Santo Spirito , general house of the Benedictine sisters of Tutzing in Rome. This first symposium organized by the sisters had a pioneering role for cooperation between nuns and sisters. 1988 The two Commissions merged around Abbot Primate Victor Dammertz. Members were to be representatives of eighteen regions of the world, international congregations and the AIM. An Executive Committee was to organize the following symposium, common to all. The Executive Committee wrote a first draft of the statutes with the help of Abbot Primate Victor Dammertz. For more details, see the CIB website: http://www.benedictines-cib.org/ List of Regions sending delegates to the CIB Conference 1. Italy, Malta 2. Spain, Portugal 3. France, Israel website 4. Great Britain, Ireland 5. Benelux 6. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia (AASS) 7. Poland 8. Croatia 9. USA, Canada (with 3 delegates) 10. ABECCA (Benedictine-Cistercian Association of the Caribbean and the Andes: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bahamas, Cuba, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Bolivia, Venezuela) 11. Brazil 12. Cono-Sur (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay) 13. Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam 14. Philippines 15. Oceania 16. East Africa 17. Central and West Africa, Madagascar 18. South Africa, Namibia, Angola 19. India, Sri Lanka COMMUNITIES 0 There are numerous communities in the world today that follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. They are present on five continents. Here, presented country by country, the contact details of all these communities. See all countries See all communities

Vision & Action Alliance Inter-Monastères (AIM) is an Association of monasteries promoting cooperation, solidarity and mutual support among communities. AIM contributes to the human, cultural and spiritual formation of communities, encourages and supports exchanges between communities, and supports funding projects presented by communities. OUR VISION AIM envisions a world where monasteries are united in their spiritual quest, and their solidarity promotes peace and harmony in society. We believe that monasteries have a unique role to play in the world today, and that by working together, they can make a significant difference in the lives of people and communities. WHAT WE DO AIM provides a platform for monasteries to come together and share experiences, knowledge and resources. We support workshops, seminars and conferences where monks and nuns can exchange ideas and learn from each other. We also facilitate exchanges between communities and support the financing of projects presented by the communities. OUR COMMUNITY AIM is a community of monasteries from different traditions and cultures, united in their commitment to promote cooperation, solidarity and mutual support among communities. We believe that by working together, we can make a difference in the world, and contribute to the well-being of all beings.

Organization The statutes of the AIM were established in 1966 (see printed text Ius Proprium Confoederationis Benedictinae, 1985) and revised in 1996, 2002 and 2003 and submitted for approval to the Council and the Congress of Abbots in 2004. Organisation and staff The Statutes of AIM were established in 1966 (see printed text in Ius Proprium Confoederationis Benedictinae , 1985), revised in 1996, 2002 et 2003 and submitted to the approval of the Council and the Abbots’ Congress in 2004. President: Dom Jean-Pierre Longeat, OSB Secretariat : Sister Christine Conrath, OSB Council and Executive Committee (representatives of Benedictine Confederation and Cistercian Orders) International Team The AIM Council: – It is kept informed of, discerns with and accompanies monastic communities in their daily life and development. – An annual two-day meeting takes place each year in a different country in order to make the work of AIM known and understood by the monasteries in the region. Members: Abtprimas Gregory Polan OSB; Dom Mauro-Giuseppe Lepori (General Abbot of OCist); Dom Bernardus Peeters (General Abbot of OCSO); Sr Lynn McKenzie OSB (moderatrix CIB); Fr William Skudlarek OSB (Director of DIM); Fr Lluc Torcal OCist; Abt Maksymilian Robert Nawara OSB; Abt Maximilian Neulinger OSB; Sr Metilda George, OSB; Sr Ann Hoffman OSB (Executive Director) AIM USA; Prior Gregor Brazerol OSB; Abbot Guillermo Arboleda OSB; Abbot Armand Veilleux OCSO; Prior Peter Egwrugjakpor, OSB; Mother Anna Brennan, OSB; Mother Franziska Lukas OSB; Dom David d’Hamonville OSB; Fr Javier Aparicio Suarez OSB; Sr Lumen Gloria Dungca OSB; Abbot Jean-Pierre Longeat OSB (President of AIM); Sr Christine Conrath OSB (Secretariat of AIM). AIM Council in England, 2022. The Executive Committee: – Delegated by the Council to make decisions concerning the requests made by the General Secretariat at and discussed by the International Team. – It meets twice yearly, in May and November. Members: A nun (Sr Lumen Gloria Dungca OSB); a Cistercian monk (Fr Lluc Torcal OCist); a Benedictine monk (Fr Javier Aparicio Suarez OSB); the President of AIM (Abbot Jean-Pierre Longeat OSB) and a Secretary (Sr Christine Conrath). The International Team: – It is a consultative body composed of members chosen by the President. They take a personal interest in the life and development of monasteries on specific continents, know the communities well, visit them frequently and keep in touch on a regular basis. They also encourage collaboration and meetings between monasteries. – 3 meetings are planned each year. Members: Fr Mark Butlin OSB; Fr Geraldo Gonzalez y Lima OSB; Abbot Paul Stonham OSB; Dom Armand Veilleux OCSO; Fr Andrea Serafino OSB; Sr Regina Tesch OSB; Sr Thérèse-Benoît Kaboré OSB; Fr William Fennelly OSB; the Président of AIM, Jean-Pierre Longeat OSB; Sr Christine Conrath OSB. The International Team, in 2023. The Secretariat: – This is the central body of AIM, coordinating the collection and distribution of funds and all the requests that are made. At its headquarters take place the meetings of the Bulletin Committee, the International Team, the Executive Committee and the Association of the Friends of the Monasteries (AMTM). – The work of the Secretariat lies essentially with the Secretaries who manage the finances of AIM, supervised by a Finance Manager. Secretariat Offices. The President: – He coordinates every aspect of the work of AIM. He represents AIM at all meetings to do with AIM as well as the organizing the Bulletin and the Website. He takes part in most of national and international monastic meetings. He is responsible for all this to the Abbot Primate and the AIM Council. – His mandate is for a period of five years and is renewable. The decision rests with the Abbot Primate after consultation with the other Orders and the Synod of Abbot Presidents.

Sitemap HOME ABOUT US Vision & Action Organization Historical AIM accounts Friends of the monasteries The benedictus foundation MONASTIC LIFE Trainings Regional associations Statistical Developments Reference texts NEWS OSB OCSO OCist Specials ALL NEWS COMMUNITIES Storie of monastic congregations Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum Africa Asia North America South America Europe Oceania ALL COUNTRIES ALL COMMUNAUTIES PROJECTS Meetings and Assemblies Vehicles Livelihood Development Buildings Formation ALL PROJECTS REPORT NEWSLETTER SUSTAIN CONTACT Legal Notice Sitemap Terms of service Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Accessibility statement Search results 404 error page Landing page

The Benedictus Foundation The Benedictus Foundation was created in 2022. It is a Foundation sheltered by the Caritas France Foundation. It supports projects in favor of social works which benefit the populations living around the monasteries in continents outside of Western Europe and North America. VISION Monasteries are engaged in development projects that benefit the surrounding populations. By participating, donors are assured of contributing effectively to the transformation of the regions in which the monasteries are located. PROJECTS The latest projects supported by Benedictus concern: educational support around the Koubri monastery, a health bus in the Philippines, a dispensary in Cameroon, tree plantations in Madagascar, etc. SUSTAIN THE FOUNDATION The Benedictus Foundation collects donations made to it to support the projects it validates. contact.benedictus@gmail.com www.fondationcaritasfrance.org/fondations/fondation-benedictus/ Example of projects financed by the Benedictus Foundation: BABETE (Cameroon) – Dispensary to care for displaced populations on the Anglo-French fault line The fifteen Benedictines of Babete are rooted in the diocese of Bafoussam, in Cameroon. Their life is organized between prayer, work and hospitality. Due to the crisis in the English-speaking North-West part of Cameroon, reception has taken up much more space than before. The community opened an orphanage for 25 children aged between 2 months and 15 years old. In addition to care, food, health and education, the sisters are looking for host families to ensure the future of these children. The sisters also run a health center. People coming from villages in the North-West region are fleeing violence and abuses. Some were injured by bullets; they are taken to the hospital. Less severely affected people are treated at the health center (small injuries, fevers, headaches, malaria). Formerly the center was open for a few hours during the day; now it is open 24 hours a day. In such a context, juvenile delinquency develops with its share of serious consequences. Thus, many single mothers give birth at the age of 17, without having had any prenatal visit. Parents arrive at the health center with more diverse expectations: request for consultations, laboratory analyses, request for medications, dressings, prenatal visits, vaccinations, etc. The first objective is the reduction of infant mortality; it is necessary to acquire good equipment for ultrasound scans. For this dispensary project the sisters are requesting financial aid of €8,000. Make a donation You can help the Benedictus Foundation by making a donation ​ • By credit card Online Fondationcaritasfrance.org/fondations/fondation-benedictus/ By bank check​ ​ payable to: Fondation Benedictus to be sent to the address: Fondation Benedictus c/o AMTM 7 rue d'Issy - 92170 Vanves Fiscal advantages The Benedictus Foundation works under the aegis of the Caritas France Foundation, founded by Secours Catholique. The Caritas France Foundation, recognized as being of public utility, allows you to benefit from tax deductions for the IFI and IR, on your donations and generosity.