A Guide For Giving
Planned Giving to First UMC
After careful planning and consideration, First UMC has established a permanent endowment with the goal of sustaining our church as a spiritual resource long into the future. Earnings from our endowment will help maintain our historic building, continue a music ministry, and expand outreach programs.
Our church holds a special place in Richmond and in the Bay Area. We are a popular venue for music performance and composition, promote community outreach events, and advance activities of social justice and inclusion. A permanent endowment will allow First United Methodist to continue and expand its work in the community and beyond.
We hope you may wish to donate to this endowment and become a part of this special church and celebrate the difference it has made in your life and in the community.
Types of Gift-Giving
Yearly tax-deductible gifts offer one way to give. Legacy gifts may include but are not limited to wills, property, and life insurance. All gifts will be overseen and managed by the endowment committee.
You may designate your gift to specific uses consistent with the mission of the endowment. These designations include the church building and grounds, music, worship, missions, scholarships, and community outreach.
Annual Gifts
Tax-deductible annual gifts provide a reliable way to manage your personal financial giving and support the long-term work of First United Methodist Church
Legacy Gifts
Including First United Methodist, Richmond, in your long-term financial plan leaves a legacy for future generations to continue outreach and fulfill its missional purpose to promote peace, justice, and discipleship in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will my gift be invested? The endowment committee has the obligation as steward of your gift to manage the endowment fund. Only the fund’s earnings will be spent on our designated projects and reinvested to grow principal for increased earnings.
Can a gift to the endowment be rejected? Yes, a gift may be rejected if the endowment committee decides the gift is too difficult, costly, or risky to administer.
If the church has an endowment, does that mean I don’t give at Sunday service? The endowment’s earnings are meant to supplement the tithes, gifts, and special fundraising events that connect this church to the community and support its operation.
What if I want to make a special donation, but not to the endowment? You may continue to make direct donations to our church for major projects or special programs.
What accountability does the endowment have to safeguard my gift? The endowment committee exists under the authority of the administrative board and follows the guidelines of the United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline. Annual financial reports on the funds will be made to the church conference.
What happens if First United Methodist ceases to exist? In establishing our Endowment, steps were carefully taken to place the assets at Schwab Charitable in a donor-advised fund. Donor-advisors, chosen from our members, have sole discretion over the fund’s disposition in case our church ceases to exist. If that ever happens, our donor-advisors can direct grants from the fund to another related charity, for example, UMCOR.
Contact Us
You may reach out to our endowment committee leadership for any questions you may have concerning your gift to the church. mfoster@pointrichmondmethodist.org
