Three Unique Ways to Give (Even if You’re Not a Millionaire) | Iowa United Methodist Foundation
October 27th, 2021
The Foundation can help you give to your church or favorite ministry in all of the traditional ways: bequests, IRA rollovers, setting up endowments, charitable trusts, etc. However, we also have some lesser-known programs that are doing a lot of good and don’t require thousands of dollars to make a difference. Here are unique options offered by the Iowa United Methodist Foundation:
Clergy Tribute Program: a way to honor late clergy members and at the same time help those who wish to follow in their footsteps.
Details: four times per year, the Foundation notifies participants of Iowa Methodist clergy members who passed away during the preceding quarter. Depending on how each participant chooses to contribute (on a per clergy basis or a pre-determined dollar amount), they then mail in their gift or give online. These gifts can be as little as $.50 per clergy or as much as $500 per year – gifts of all sizes are welcome and appreciated! The Foundation then invests these gifts in a scholarship which is awarded annually. Since its inception, the Clergy Tribute Scholarship Fund has awarded over $14,000 in scholarships to Iowa students attending seminary. This program pays a wonderful tribute to bodies of work now complete and opens the door for new chapters of work to begin.
If you want more details or wish to participate, download the Clergy Tribute booklet or our Covenant Agreement form and return it.
Stock Gifts: a way to further the mission of your church or favorite ministry AND potentially save big on taxes (and we don’t charge commission!).
Details: many people inherit, buy or receive stocks through their job and aren’t quite sure what to do with them, especially if they have substantially increased in value over time. The Foundation can help you donate these stocks to your church, which saves you from paying capital gains taxes on any that have appreciated, and also allows you to receive an income tax deduction for their value. And the best part? You will be helping your church without either of you having to pay commission or going through the hassle of setting up a transfer account with your brokerage.
For more information or to get started, visit our website or download the Stock Gift form.
Online Gifts: a way to give to any existing account, including your church’s endowment, a scholarship fund or Friends of the Foundation.
Details: sometimes church members assume that if they don’t have thousands of dollars to give, it is not possible or worth it to contribute to their church’s endowment or scholarship fund. However, if your church already has an account with the Foundation, it is SO EASY to donate to it. From the IUMF homepage, just click the big red GIVE button and it will take you to a site that allows gifts of any amount and to any existing account (just ask your treasurer or finance committee for the account number). This is also an easy way to participate in the afore-mentioned Clergy Tribute program, or if you simply believe in the mission of the Foundation, you can give directly to the Friends of the Foundation account.
Visit the giving page today to see just how easy it is!
Stay tuned as we work to offer more unique ways to give! If you have any questions about different ways to donate, or you want to give in a way not mentioned in this article, contact us at [email protected] or 515-974-8927.