Faith Forever Endowment Fund
Investing in the Future
The Faith Forever Endowment Fund of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School serves as a means to provide support for our ministries — forever. We do this by prudent investing of the gifts received and providing annual support from the investment earnings which can include interest, dividends, and capital appreciation.
Choose a Designation
Gifts of any size are welcomed, and may be designated for these ministry areas:
St. Paul’s Lutheran School Ministry
Youth and Children’s Ministries
Local and Global Outreach Ministries
Worship and Music Ministries
Building and Grounds Upkeep and Enhancement
St. Paul’s congregation has designated St. Paul’s Lutheran School as the default ministry if no other ministry is designated for the gift. In addition, all bequests to St. Paul’s are considered gifts for the endowment unless otherwise specified.
Rooted in History
The Endowment Fund was established in 1972 as part of St. Paul’s centennial celebration. At the time, the church family gave thanks for the past and looked ahead to the future for its school, a remarkable place of quality education in a Christ-centered environment.
The fund has distributed income from the endowment each year to support the ministry of the school and its far-reaching impact on lives and communities. The fund has also expanded in its core mission, now supporting an array of ministries.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School’s Endowment Fund grows with each new gift received. Deep roots provide support for St. Paul’s to continue our ministry into the future — forever.
Faithful Management
The Congregation Council appoints the Endowment Committee responsible for the prudent investment and management of the fund. The committee consists of six members of St. Paul’s Church & School. The lead pastor and the director of administration serve as advisory members of the committee.
At the annual congregational meeting, the committee presents an account of gifts received, income, expenses, distributions, and a balance sheet listing assets of the fund. That account is part of the church’s annual report and is available to all members.
Leaving a legacy gift to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School Faith Forever Endowment Fund is a way for all of us to provide for future ministries after our deaths. Our congregation is continually blessed by the vision of the forebears of St. Paul’s and the faith that sustained them and nurtured their ministry. We, too, are blessed to be a blessing to those that will call us ‘forebears.’
Our dream for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School is that we will continue to excite and challenge young learners; and fellowship for our energized to give joyfully to do things we haven’t even imagined yet.
— Vern and Jean Byl, Endowment Fund Contributors
Give in the way that makes sense for you.
The Faith Forever Endowment Fund has received gifts ranging in size from a $5 memorial gift up to a $1.4 million bequest of real estate. It isn’t the size of the gift, but the intent behind it. We welcome any gift that is given thoughtfully and supports the stewardship goals of the donor.
The endowment booklet provides details and examples for these giving options.
Gifts That Cost You Nothing During Your Lifetime
Gifts in Your Will or Living Trust (Bequests)
Give without affecting your cash flow during your lifetime. A bequest is one of the easiest gifts you can make to significantly impact the ministries of St. Paul’s. Your estate planning attorney can include a provision in your will or living trust specifying a gift to or St. Paul’s as part of your estate plan.
Gifts Made Through Retirement Plans
Most people hold retirement savings in assets such as IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and pensions. Preserve the worth of your retirement assets when all or a portion is given, tax-exempt, to St. Paul’s.
Testamentary Life Income Gifts
A testamentary life income gift is a trust that pays income to one or more beneficiaries upon your death for a fixed number of years, after which the remaining assets in the trust pass to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School. It’s a good way to leave a gift to family members who may not wish to manage a large, lump-sum bequest.
Gifts of Life Insurance
Give a policy you no longer need to St. Paul’s, or name St. Paul’s as one of the beneficiaries.
Gifts That Pay You Back
Charitable Gift Annuity — Immediate
Receive stable lifetime payments and significant tax benefits. A charitable gift annuity is a contract between you and St. Paul’s in which you make a gift and, in return, you receive a lifetime stream of income payments.
Charitable Gift Annuity — Deferred
Build retirement earnings by deferring the start of annuity payments. A deferred charitable gift annuity is like an immediate charitable gift annuity, but it begins making payments for the life of the beneficiary at a date you designate at least one year in the future. It can help build a retirement fund.
Charitable Remainder Unitrusts
Create a flexible source of income and receive tax advantages. With a charitable remainder unitrust you transfer an irrevocable gift of cash or securities to a special trust that is invested to generate income for you and other beneficiaries you designate. Your income payment is a fixed percentage of the trust amount, valued at the beginning of each year.
Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts
Receive fixed payments and tax advantages. With a charitable annuity trust unitrust you transfer an irrevocable gift of cash or securities to a special trust that is invested to generate income for you and other beneficiaries you designate.
Gifts Made Through Strategic Use of Your Assets
Gifts of Appreciated Securities
A gift of stocks or bonds may provide you even greater tax benefits than a gift of cash as you avoid capital gains tax if the securities have appreciated in value, in addition to receiving a charitable income tax deduction.
Gifts of Real Estate
A gift of real estate owned for more than one year provides you with both a charitable deduction based on the current value of the property and avoidance of capital gains tax on the sale of the property.
Gifts of Personal Property
Donate artwork or valuable personal articles and secure an income tax deduction.
Gifts of Endowment Funds
Make a gift to ensure your philanthropic legacy lives forever.
Gifts from an IRA
If you have a traditional IRA and you are 70½ or older, you can transfer up to $100,00 per year to qualified charities, for which St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School qualifies. These charitable IRA transfers avoid taxes and count toward the minimum required annual distribution.
Other Gifts That Give You Strategic Advantages
Retained Life Estates
Receive a large deduction by donating a residence, farm , or ranch while retaining the right to live there for life. With a retained life estate, you deed your home, farm, or ranch to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School and receive a charitable deduction and the right to remain living in your home, farm, or ranch for the rest of your life.
Bargain Sale
With a bargain sale, you sell appreciated real estate for less than its market value and receive a charitable deduction for the difference between the sale price and full market value.
Charitable Lead Trusts
Discover an innovative way to pass appreciating assets on to family members while making gifts in the interim to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School. A charitable lead trust is the opposite of a charitable remainder trust. A gift is made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School that generates tax benefits to the donor and pays income to St. Paul’s for the term of the charitable lead trust.
Questions?
Navigating your giving options can be confusing. We encourage you to contact the church office, directory of administration, the lead pastor, or any member of the Endowment Committee for information or assistance. Confidentiality is always respected.
Specialized expertise may be available from an attorney, insurance agent, or financial advisor.
The information published here is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax adviser. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. References to estate and income taxes include federal taxes only. State income/estate taxes or state law may impact your results.