We are stewards of God’s bounty. Caretakers. For a brief period we are given time, energy, and resources.What we do with these gifts ultimately defines the character of our life and the depth of our spiritual understanding.
Gift Planning is one expression of the wise use of the personal resources God has entrusted to us. Understanding gift planning and making it available through your church is both a ministry to the donor (giving the donor a means of thoughtfully transferring resources to the next generation), and to the church (helping the church to gather the resources necessary for its mission and ministry).
What is Gift Planning?
Gift planning encompasses a variety of ways that gifts can be made to the church from accumulated resources. It usually involves financial or estate planning; however, it is not reserved for the wealthy.
Gift planning is a means by which anyone concerned with the wise use of his or her personal resources makes a considered choice about their ultimate disposition.
In general planned gifts are made through:
- A Bequest in a Will
- A Life Income Gift…such as a pooled income fund, a charitable gift annuity, or a charitable remainder trust
- Gifts of Special Assets (real estate, closely held stock, life insurance)
Gift planning establishes a way for a donor to provide for family members while remembering the church as well. It often enables the donor to provide more for his or her heirs and to make a larger gift than thought possible. It often reduces taxes.
Planned gifts can be designated for an organization’s general fund or for its endowment. Planned gifts are either outright gifts (i.e., gifts of appreciated securities, real property, personal property, etc.) or deferred gifts (i.e., charitable gift annuities,charitable trusts).
For more information about Planned Giving, please contact Lori at 910-762-5273.