What is planned giving?

Giving to the church is a cause of celebration, of moving towards oneness in Christ in spreading the Gospel.  Planned giving is a fitting and suitable affirmation of faith and expression of thanksgiving for God’s blessings in our lives, realizing that all we have comes from God and one day returns to God.

There are three basic methods of giving for carrying out the mission of a church:

• Annual Stewardship
• Capital Campaign
• Planned giving / Endowment

Planned giving is the means by which an individual can make a gift to a charitable organization from accumulated resources while gaining various tax and estate planning benefits.  In general, the most common methods of making such a gift include a:

• Bequest in a will
• Life income gift (such as a pooled income fund, a charitable gift annuity, or a charitable remainder trust)
• Gift of life insurance
• Gift of a life estate (such as a home or farm)
• Gift of appreciated real property or other asset

Planned Giving at Middleham and St. Peter’s

The following have been established to support and encourage planned giving at Middleham and St. Peter’s:

• The Endowment Fund – enables donors to give gifts which will allow the Parish to provide for the long-term care and capital improvement of its infrastructure, especially its two historic chapels, and more completely develop ministries beyond what is possible through annual operating funds. The fund is prudently and responsibly managed in order to assure present and future donors that their gifts will be administered according to their wishes.
• The 1684 Society – is a legacy society named for the year of the founding of Middleham Chapel and has been formed to recognize those persons who have made a documented planned gift to the Parish or to the Endowment Fund. Members of the 1684 Society know that they have looked beyond this life and made provision for the continuing financial support of their Christian community. A person becomes a member of the 1684 Society when they make provision for the Parish or the Endowment Fund through a planned gift or a financial contribution of $10,000 or greater to the endowment. Provision is also made for special membership in the Society for those who have made an outstanding contribution to the Parish in the form of time, skills, devotion, dedication and love.
• The Planned Giving and Endowment committee – has been established by the Vestry to administer the endowment, receive gifts, administer the disposition of memorials and a parish wish list, administer the endowment grant process, promote planned giving, and support the 1684 Society. The Board carries out an active program of seminars and events in response to the interests of the Parish. The Board includes:

Hugh Davies

Jim Shepherd

Carolyn Steiner

 Plus the following ex officio members:

• Fr. Nathan Beall - Rector
• Joan Shisler – Senior Warden
• Jim Yoe – Junior Warden

 What are ways that the Endowment benefits the Parish?

The purpose of the Endowment Fund is to enable the Parish to fulfill its mission more completely by developing ministries beyond what is possible through its annual operating funds. There are limits on how much can be drawn from the endowment each year. These funds can be used for capital improvements of the Parish, ministries and grants and seed money for new ministries. Each year the committee makes available endowment funds for the development of such ministries through a grant process.

• To learn more about opportunities for planned giving at Middleham and St. Peter’s, contact the clergy at the church office (410-326-4948), Committee Chairman Hugh Davies (410-326-0370), or any of the Committee members.