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.



Mission Loan Fund Now Available!
The Oregon Synod is pleased to make a new Mission Loan Fund available to our congregations. For many years, a Ministry Loan Fund was maintained at Region I, but for legal and administrative reasons, it was dissolved and the funds distributed to NW synods. Oregon will have about $80,000 available for revolving loans. Our goal is to make loans easily and inexpensively available for our congregations' use.

This loan fund is available to help with your congregation's program and equipment needs. We plan to loan up to $25,000 per congregation, repayable within 5 years. Loans up to $10,000 are made on signature only and those over that amount will be negotiated. The application process is very simple - the entire application is on the reverse of this letter. We ask only that the congregation commit it to repaying the loan. Otherwise, there are no onerous terms and conditions. Simply complete the loan application and promissory note and return to the Oregon Synod Office.

Repayment per $1,000 at 4%

Months

Repay/month

2

$85.15

24

$43.42

36

$29.52

48

$22.58

60

$18.42

To determine your preferred repayment pattern, first decide how much you wish to borrow and over what number of months you wish to pay it back. Then go to the table to the right and multiply the amount in the right column for the period you have selected by the number of thousands you wish to borrow. The result is the amount of your monthly payment to the Synod. For example, if you wished to borrow $3,000 for 4 years (48 months), multiply $22.58 (from the table) by 3 (number of thousands) to get your $67.74 repayment per month.

Repayment is simple -include it on your remittance slip and check to the Region 1 Financial Services Office (FSO) along with your Mission Support and other gifts. Alternatively, you can send your monthly repayment check separately (with a note to tell them what it's for) to Oregon Synod/Region 1 FSO, 766 John Street, Ste B, Seattle, WA 98109.

Money will be loaned for almost any worthwhile purpose including building improvements or repair, equipment purchases or repair, and sponsorship of outside program providers (workshops, seminars, events, etc). The Mission Loan Fund will not make loans for normal, on-going expenses, such as salaries.

Questions?
Call Tricia Larsen, Oregon Planned Giving Director at (503) 244-4102 or e-mail at Blessed2Give@,cs.com or Grieg Anderson, Synod Treasurer at (503) 244-1774 or grieganderson@comcast.net. As always, the folks at the Synod Office can help as well. We look forward to hearing from you!

Your Oregon Synod Endowment Committee

Have you Joined the Vineyard Society?
Oregon Synod
Contact
Dr. Patricia Larsen
Blessed2Give@cs.com

Director of Planned Giving
of the Oregon Synod
503-244-4102
Regional Gift Planner
of the ELCA
 
 
Quick Links

 

503-413-4191 Oregon Synod 2800 N. Vancouver Avenue Suite 101 Portland, Oregon 97227-1643