Endowment

Reach Out and Touch Someone
This slogan was a popular phrase encouraging the use of the telephone for personal communication. In our technological era we have so often replaced the telephone with email, text messages, and chat rooms. These new ideas along with the telephone lack one important factor – face to face communication. True communication requires the subtlety of body posture, the interpretation of facial expression, and the tone of voice. Communication builds relationships and that is vital to our lives.

Making a “planned gift” takes that personal kind of communication with a gift planner who will listen to the spoken and unspoken needs. It takes communication with a person who can help determine the best method for gifting and the wisest use of resources. An ELCA gift planner can help show individuals how they might give a larger gift than they had thought possible. This kind of gift takes time to develop but there is an advantage in that it provides for both future ministry and the care of our own families.

So “reach out and touch someone’. Make a phone call to our synod’s Director of Planned giving, Dr. Patricia Larsen. Use her knowledge to help you make the gift you have always wanted to make a reality. Reach out and call her at 503-244-4102 or even email her at Blessed2Give@cs.com. Her help is free and without obligation.

How to Make A Good Gift Better
More and more people are taking advantage of the many gift-planning options available today. These include bequests by will, revocable trusts, gift annuities, pooled income funds, charitable trusts, gifts of securities and real estate, in-kind gifts, endowment giving and other possibilities.

Some gifts can be made to benefit the charity now (current gifts) and others can be made now to benefit the charity later (deferred gifts). Some gift arrangements are revocable (you can change your mind); others are irrevocable.

A planned gift usually requires more thought than a quick check written against monthly income. These gifts often come out of estate assets. You have to consider the impact of your gift on your overall financial condition. Can you afford a sizable gift at this time, or should you make it later by will? What is the best way to make this gift? Do you need temporary or lifetime income from your gift arrangement? What are the tax implications?

Careful planning can actually make a good gift better. Consider these potential benefits of planning your gift:

 Maximize the size of your gift.
 Obtain life income from your gift.
 Optimize the tax-related benefits.
 Tailor your gift to a specific need.
 Protect yourself from hasty decisions.
 Increase your personal satisfaction.

Help For You
This congregation and the ELCA Foundation want to help you make a good gift better. Our planned giving director,
Patricia Larsen, can assist you in finding the best gift plan for your needs. She will explain the various options and provide helpful tailor-made illustrations. She will be sensitive to your financial needs and objectives, and will protect your confidentiality.

For further information about charitable gift planning, call her at (503)244-4102 or email her at Blessed2Give@cs.com.