Does Your Church Have a Planned Giving Program?

When speaking with churches across the Conference, we often ask the question, “Do you have a planned giving program?” Most tell us no and this is unfortunate because churches would receive more if they had planned giving programs in place. Do you know that more than half of Americans do not have a will?  For those who have wills, about 95% do not include charitable bequests.

This raised the question, “Why do people not include charitable requests in their wills?” The only reason we could determine is that the church is frequently not equipped to handle planned giving, and oftentimes no one talks about it. At the Foundation, we suggest that people consider a “Golden Tithe”.  This could very easily be inserted into a will and when the person dies, 10% of the will could go towards their church or a special mission project.

However, to prepare for a “Golden Tithe,” a church needs to have an Endowment Committee in place. Most churches do not, implying that the church has nothing in place to handle long-range gifts. Commonly, the Endowment committee is made up of the Pastor, the Treasurer, the Finance Chair, a Trustee, a staff parish member and several others. Together, they make a plan for a planned giving program, which encourages people to give. Church leaders are often embarrassed to talk about gifts, especially after someone dies. However, the reality is that when this subject is discussed, people are happy to give and participate.  There are no legitimate reasons to neglect a planned giving program and its many benefits. An Endowment Committee can be established very easily, and the Foundation would be happy to help your pastor and Nominations Committee, if asked.

It is important to note that many church members who have been faithful their entire life would welcome a chance to continue to be a witness at their death. They have been faithful their entire life, yet the church is often not prepared to present to them a planned program at their death. These faithful givers have always given to the church because they believe in its ministry.  A gift from an individual’s estate would guarantee that the ministry of the church would continue in perpetuity. Giving for something that would last into perpetuity would bring great satisfaction.  Planned giving allows individuals to establish permanent living memorials for themselves or for others.

Educational institutions have known for a long-time that planned giving is a major source of income.  Churches should come to the same realization.  A consistent planned giving program can produce major benefits over time. Receiving sizeable bequests would be more common in the church, if churches had a well-defined planned giving program.

If your church would like to make plans for the future and would like to consider a planned giving program, contact us at 804-521-1121 or email Tommy Herndon directly at tommyherndon@vaumc.org. We would be happy to assist you.

Author: Tommy Herndon