naming an endowment after them. He shares with them
Team for the Lighting the Way Capital Campaign at BYU.
the great difference they can make in the lives of students
In 1999 he was assigned as the project leader for the $50
who are the future builders of the kingdom by fund-
Million Capital Campaign to help build the new Practice
ing scholarships. He is never timid about asking for the
Facility and Student Athletic Complex at BYU.
amount needed. He is always sensitive to donor concerns
and circumstances and helps them find creative ways to
assistant dean of Religious Education with the respon-
Finally, in 2002 he began his current assignment as
contribute that bless both them and the kingdom.
sibility of developing funding resources for Religious
Education Priority Projects. He states: “I am excited and
Ken has always been devoted in his Church and
to community service. After a serving a mission for the
honored to be working in Religious Education. I can
Church in New Zealand from 1969 to 1971, he gradu-
honestly say in my thirty-eight years of fund-raising expe-
ated from BYU in business administration in 1974. For
rience, I have never worked for a nobler cause. The work
the first fifteen years of his career, he worked for LDS
we do not only blesses the lives of thousands of students; it
Philanthropies, first as a regional director and then as an
is a blessing to the entire worldwide Church.”
area director for the LDS Foundation, covering Oregon,
Washington, and Northern California. In Hillsboro,
wonderful colleague, friend, and blessing in Religious
Oregon, he was elected as the youngest individual to ever
Education. He has a marvelous gift for helping others
Of Ken, Dean Terry B. Ball says: “Ken has been a
serve on the city council. He also served on the Planning
understand our mission and how they can help us accom-
Commission, Finance Committee, and the Library Board.
plish it. We so appreciate not only all that he does, but also
In Church service, Ken has served as a bishop two times,
the kind and generous spirit in which he serves. We cher-
as a branch president at the MTC, and as a member of the
ish his association.”
stake presidency of a young single adult stake.
wedding anniversary and have been blessed with three
In 1988 he was asked to be the national director of
Ken and his wife, Debbie, just celebrated their fortieth
field operations for LDS Philanthropies. Then in 1994
children (Tanya, Ryan, and Sarah) and eight grandchildren.
Ken was appointed as the director of the Leadership Gifts
Ken’s approach to work and life is captured in a quote from his youngest daughter, Sarah. Sarah passed away in 1997 at the age of thirteen from cystic fibrosis. Through all her struggles, each time Sarah was asked how she was doing, her answer was always, “Life is good.”
For most of his life, Ken has helped raise critically
needed funds, funds that have blessed the Church, BYU, and countless members and students around the world. Indeed, for them, because of the work of Ken McCarty and the gifts of generous donors, “life is good.”
Most people don’t realize how easy it is to get
involved with some of these endeavors. There are multiple options and a great deal of flexibility for how to structure donations. There are also multiple benefits, including tax benefits, for those who donate. There is no shortage of worthy projects an individual or a group can support. To donate to Religious Education programs, please visit Friends of Religious Education at fore.byu.edu or call Ken McCarty at 801-422-4148.
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