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Legacy Giving

Why make a planned gift?

During our lives, we grow in gratitude for all of God’s blessings when we give back to support God’s work in the world. By making a planned gift, we have the opportunity to continue to support those ministries long after we are gone. Planned giving enables individuals and families to establish a legacy of generosity and gratitude that provides for the future of the parish that they love.

How do I make a planned gift?

There are many ways that an individual or a family can express what is of importance to them by making a planned gift that integrates charitable, family, and financial goals. Anyone can make a planned gift of any size. Some of the many options are listed below. Perhaps you might endow your pledge so that your annual contribution continues in perpetuity. Maybe there is a program or area of ministry that you want to support through a bequest. Whatever you have in mind, we want to work with you to enable you to establish your legacy through a lasting gift to your church.

St. John’s has a planned giving committee whose mission is to help you make such a gift to the parish. If you are interested in learning more about planned giving, please contact St. John’s planned giving committee representative, Julia Roth, at 256-353-6761. As with all your giving to St. John’s, your contributions are confidential and are known only to the Rector and Financial Administrator.

Types of Planned Gifts

1

Make St. John’s the beneficiary of your IRA or 401(k)

by completing a beneficiary designation form with the company which manages the IRA. The designation could be for St. John’s to be the primary beneficiary, partial primary beneficiary, contingent beneficiary, or partial contingent beneficiary.

2

Make St. John’s the beneficiary of your life insurance policy. 

This is accomplished when the donor signs a beneficiary designation form from the insurance company. The designation could be for all the proceeds available under the policy or for partial proceeds.

3

Give appreciated property

like real estate or stocks to St. John’s during one’s lifetime.

4

Make a bequest in your will

The bequests can be for a specific amount, a percentage or remainder of your estate, or as a contingent bequest. Also, the bequest can be for a specific piece of property or other tangible asset. The bequest designations can by restricted or unrestricted.

5

Give a bequest through a codicil to a will

If you already have a will, you can make a codicil to your will and designate that a specific bequest is also being made to St. John’s in addition to the other provisions in the will.

6

Make a Life Income Gift (LIG)

Through a LIG, the donor makes an irrevocable one-time gift and receives a charitable deduction in the year of the gift, but the donor continues to receives income for the remainder of his/her life, and, upon death, the remainder is given to the parish.

7

Establish a donor advised fund

that enables you to receive the tax-deduction in the current year and continue to designate what organizations receive the financial benefits of that fund. St. John’s could be one of several recipients of that gift.