Planned Giving
What is Planned Giving?
Planned Giving is a specific type of financial support offered to the church. Unlike pledges, tithes, or gifts that we offer as part of our worship service, a planned giving gift is a unique, one time gift that can, and often is, given for a specific purpose. For most of us, we “plan” such gifts as an item in our wills. While this is most common, planned gifts are also offered to celebrate other life milestones, like the birth of a child, grandchild, marriage or at any time when we are led by the Spirit to make a special gift to share in the bounty provided to us by God. Unlike fund drives sponsored by the church for things like new construction, or other specific fund raising effort, planned giving gifts are initiated solely by the individual and are not solicited through any recurring stewardship drive.
Planned giving gifts can be made in the form of cash, securities, and other real property to include real estate. Gifts in the form of cash and securities are the easiest for the church to use. Gifts in the form of real property (furniture, art work, furnishings, etc.) are sometimes more difficult for the church to use. It is important to note that the church may not accept a gift if the gift comes with a potential liability that exceeds its value, or if the restrictions on the gift cause a burden to the church.
What is the Purpose of the Aquia Church Planned Giving Program?
In 2010, the Vestry approved the Charter for the Aquia Church Planned Giving Program in to:
- Provide church members with information on how to make such a gift and assist members with special designations for the use of these gifts. This is particularly important for gifts in the form of real property or gifts with very specific restrictions.
- Provide the Vestry with a process to deal with unexpected large gifts. The potential for disputes over how to spend unexpected income is eliminated by the provisions of the Planned Giving Charter.
- The intended long range goal of the Planned Giving Program stated in the charter is to grow the permanent assets of the church, specifically the Aquia Church Endowment Fund, and the Moncure Robinson Fund. After more than 250 years of operation, the permanent assets of our church are quite small. The Moncure Robinson Fund provides for the long term maintenance of the historic church. The Aquia Church Endowment Fund provides a stable income that can offset fluctuations in income and expenses. At this point, the income from the endowment fund is very small, but decades of contributions from planned giving can fix this. All persons considering making a Planned Giving gift are encouraged to designate one or both of these funds as the beneficiary of their gift.
How Do I Make a Planned Giving Gift?
Please fill out this form and either submit with your weekly offering or turn it into the church office. Someone from the Planned Giving Committee will contact you to go over your planned gift to help with the details of your offer. The Committee will ensure that your gift meets both the needs of the church and will be used in the manner intended by the person offering the gift. The gift is then presented to the Vestry for approval .
