Grow Your Church’s Endowment: Building a Legacy for the Future
Every church desires to thrive—not just today, but for generations to come. One of the most effective ways to ensure long-term ministry impact is by growing your church’s endowment, or creating an endowment if your church does not already have one.
An endowment creates a permanent financial foundation: gifts are carefully invested, and the earnings can support ministry year after year, while the principal remains intact. In this way, generosity continues giving long after the gift is made.
If Your Church Already Has an Endowment…
You want to grow it! Every gift—large or small—strengthens your endowment and expands the ministry your church can do in the community. From supporting programs and outreach to maintaining facilities, a growing endowment provides stability and flexibility for the future.
If Your Church Does Not Yet Have an Endowment…
The Foundation’s Endowment Match Program can help you start one. Your church contributes $5,000, and the Foundation matches it—creating a $10,000 starting endowment. With the support and engagement of your congregation, that fund can grow steadily and provide ministry resources for generations.
Three Simple Ways to Contribute
Once your church has created its endowment, here are some creative ways to let donors know how they can contribute, other than a general cash gift, to help it grow:
Memorial Gifts – Honor or remember a loved one by making a gift in their name for any occasion—such as a birthday, anniversary, or in memory at the end of life.
Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) – Donors aged 73+ can direct RMDs to the endowment, thereby saving on taxes.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) – Donors aged 70½+ can transfer up to $108,000 annually from an IRA directly to the church, reducing taxable income while supporting ministry.
Planned Gifts for a Lasting Legacy
Planned gifts cost nothing now but allow for a meaningful contribution to the endowment after your lifetime:
Bequests in Your Will – Include the church in your estate plans.
Beneficiary Designations – Name the endowment fund on retirement accounts or life insurance.
Life Estate Gifts – Transfer property while retaining the right to live there, potentially reducing taxes and building a legacy.
Why It Matters
Every contribution grows the endowment and increases your church’s capacity to serve. By investing in your endowment today—whether starting one or growing an existing fund—you are securing a thriving future and leaving a lasting impact on your community for generations.
Take the Next Step
If your church doesn’t yet have an endowment, ask the Foundation about the Endowment Match Program. If you do, find ways to grow it with your congregation. Together, you can build a foundation that will strengthen your ministry and ensure your church remains a beacon of hope and service for years to come.