Celebrating 50 Years with a New Look

This year marks a momentous milestone for the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana as we celebrate 50 years of ministry and impact. To commemorate this special anniversary, we unveiled a new logo in January, featuring a tree with green hues symbolizing growth and blue tones representing the stability we have built over five decades. The tree is held together with a cross as the trunk and foundation, signifying our deep-rooted faith and commitment to Christ-centered stewardship.

Founded in 1975 to promote planned giving for the church’s sustainment, the Foundation has since facilitated 421 planned gifts, including charitable gift annuities, endowments, life estate gifts, trusts and more, totaling $50.6 million. What began with just $5,000 in assets has now grown to nearly $250 million under our management. This remarkable success is a testament to the wisdom and foresight of our leadership over time, bolstered by a transformative $6 million bequest from Jesse Stafford in 1992.

Over the years, the Foundation has awarded $8.1 million in grants, positively impacting United Methodist churches and ministries across Louisiana. Our most significant grants have supported seminary scholarships ($1.4 million), the Wesley Conference Center ($1.2 million), clergy leadership training ($989,000), Louisiana Conference outreach programs ($647,000), and the Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home ($475,000).

As we celebrate this incredible journey, we honor the visionary leaders who laid the foundation for our work and look forward to a future filled with continued generosity and growth.