Churches frequently ask me: “What’s the best way to increase our endowment funds?” Smart leaders know that an endowment can help the mission of their congregation. Once we do the hard work of establishing the Endowment – creating the Endowment Policy, opening the fund accounts, and establishing the invesment and disbursement strategies – then the hard work of funding begins. […]
Tag: bequests
Three Tips to Jump Start Planned Giving in Your Church
Very few church members will leave a planned gift to their church. Adding a church to one’s will is very easy to do. So why aren’t more members doing that? Because the church doesn’t ask. Fortunately, asking for a planned gift in the church is easy. There are three components which, when used together, help […]
Answered: Top Ten Ways to Grow Givers’ Hearts
Here are the answers to last week’s quiz: 10. Know Your Numbers. Pearson’s Law states, “That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.” Here are some important numbers to know: average giving per worshiper, new givers, how many stopped giving (and why!), aggregate giving by age group. 9. Remember the […]
The Third “T” – Legacy Giving
Time, talent, and treasure. These are the three resources we have as gifts from God. Generosity is the way we show our commitment to Christ, to being his disciples. We can consider our entire lives as an offering we make in response to God’s love. Christians are inclined to be generous. Since the day of […]
What’s In Your Will?
A whopping 32 percent of all charitable giving in the United States is directed to religious causes, mostly local congregations. Many churches have received significant gifts that have involved a structured plan such as a will or trust. Often, these planned gifts were received without any prior effort or knowledge of the congregation. Gifts of […]
Legacy Giving Made Easy for Your Church
Planned giving* is easier than you might think. Last week, I asked What Are You Waiting For? If you’re ready to start, here are some basic tips and tricks. Charitable bequests are the simplest way for someone to support their congregation beyond their lifetime. It is estimated that 85 to 90% of legacy gifts come through […]
What Are You Waiting For?
Planned Giving is a no-brainer. Especially in churches. So what are you waiting for? A typical comment I hear from church boards, finance committees and pastors is this: “Planned Giving is difficult, because people don’t like to talk about death.” First of all, I’ll leave it to the reader to come up with some hypotheses […]
She Didn’t Give to Your Congregation – Why?
A life-long, faithful member is facing the end of life. The pastor is there at the bedside. Friends from within the church keep in very close contact. Stephens’ Ministers from her congregation visit her and sit with her family. The call eventually comes: “Pastor, she’s gone.” Rushed and somber meetings with the family, a funeral, […]
God Loves a Cheerful Giver
One offering I will never forget – I was young, new to ministry, and it was my first Vacation Bible School as an ordained pastor. We had a top-notch team of adult volunteers and a fabulous week planned. But I wasn’t prepared for the offering that week. Our director that year was captivated by Heifer […]
Claim Your Share of $12.5 Million Each Year!
One of my mantras with churches and organizations I work with is, “Diversify, diversify, diversify.” But what I really mean is this: “Stop relying on inefficient and unsustainable fundraising activities (events and grants) and invest more effort in long-term, sustainable and efficient revenue streams (especially major gifts and capital campaigns). Another revenue stream worth consideration […]