Legacy Giving
At Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church (ECUMC), we recognize that we benefit from a rich and vibrant heritage. Those who came before us made investments in the church that have enabled us to become what we are today. Our participation in legacy giving continues that practice and shows that we have faith in the future of the church because we are both planning for and funding future missions and ministry.
Here at ECUMC, we offer three ways for people to give a legacy gift:
ECUMC Memorial Fund
A memorial gift is donated in memory of a loved one. The donor or family often designates these gifts for a special purpose. They are held in our Memorial Fund until used.
ECUMC Endowment Fund
The ECUMC Endowment Fund exists to hold gifts in perpetuity with income used for the extension of the mission of ECUMC.
The ECUMC Endowment Fund may be used by contributors as an opportunity to make lasting contributions in support of the mission and ministry of the church. The Fund receives both current and deferred gifts as well as non-cash gifts (such as annuities, insurance policies, stocks and bonds, real estate, and other assets).
Bequests and estate gifts shall be deposited in the Endowment Fund unless otherwise designated by the donor.
Annual earnings of the Fund shall be distributed according to the recommendation of the endowment stewards to the Finance Committee for approval by the Church Council. The donors to the Fund will not participate in this decision process.
The Fund shall not distribute more than the earnings in any given year. Undistributed earnings from previous years may be used in subsequent years.
Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church Endowment Fund is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
ECUMC Foundation Fund
Established in 1959, the ECUMC Foundation is entrusted with the funds that are given to the Foundation with an emphasis to provide support for the additional mission and church needs outside of the annual budget. The ECUMC Foundation is a special endowment, the principal is invested and the interest becomes available to promote the church’s religious, charitable, and benevolent functions. Grants from the ECUMC Foundation are made upon request after a review by the Board of Directors.
Based on requests from the staff and congregation of ECUMC, the ECUMC Foundation has supported many opportunities to date such as:
- Disaster Recovery with United Methodist Relief Fund;
- Clergy and lay-person religious education;
- Annual handbell cleaning;
- New chairs for Celebration Hall;
- Upgrading classrooms with new computers and equipment;
- Scholarships for educational programs;
- New hymnals; and
- New curriculums for youth Christian education.
Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
If you are interested in creating a lasting contribution to our church by making a tax-advantaged legacy gift through one of these three options, please call the ECUMC office at 262-251-3830.
