The Grace of Giving – Workshops (Live and Online)

Inform and Inspire

Workshops are a great way to build long-term financial support for the ministries that matter to your church family.  Filled with timely, practical information, these sessions can be a brief overview for a Sunday School class or a more detailed discussion. To schedule a workshop contact the Foundation office at 573-875-4168 or 800-332-8238.

Where two or three are gathered…(or Zoomed!)

Small Groups — Take about 20-30 minutes and let your group know how easy and tax-wise it can be to give a gift of stock, give out of an IRA, create a gift that provides fixed income to the giver, or create a donor advised fund. All can create lasting legacies for your church.

Add Food! — Gather for lunch, coffee and donuts, or an evening meal. Take about an hour to cover basic tax and estate planning topics, the ways charitable gifts can complement other plans, and how a legacy gift can make a difference at your church.

Leadership Team — Make sure your key leaders (and givers) know about all Foundation services including grant and scholarship programs, stock gift processing, church investments, planned gift administration, and free educational materials.

Leaving a legacy for your church — Your church makes a difference in your community and beyond. There are lots of ways faithful disciples can create a lasting legacy of financial support for favorite ministries.

Gift “How-To” — Gifts can come in a variety of shapes and sizes — shares of stock, IRA distributions, real estate, personal property, farm products — and tax savings can add icing to the cake!

Foundation “101” — Ministry grants, scholarships, planned gift administration, endowments, church investments, educational materials, sample policies — there are many ways to use your Foundation to strengthen ministry.

Estate Planning — The workshops can address basic estate planning topics that are particularly timely in this era of Covid. These can be sensitive issues that are important for churches to handle with care and compassion, and with trustworthy, objective information. The program includes lots of resource and reference materials for folks to take home. The workshops are an excellent forum for discussion and help spark ideas and plant the seeds.

  • Basic estate planning terminology
  • Basic planning documents
  • Wills and Living Revocable Trusts
  • Tax issues
  • Legislative Updates
  • Gift Ideas
  • Tax-wise giving
  • Gift Annuities
  • Donor Advised Funds
  • Gifts of appreciated stock
  • Gifts from IRAs
  • Beneficiary designations
  • And more

FAQs:

Will There Be Professional Legal and Accounting Advice Provided?

We share resources provided by the Missouri Bar Association. We are also happy to partner with local attorneys, accountants and other financial professionals from your congregation who may wish to participate or join in a panel discussion.

What Demographic Are The Workshops Focused On?

Workshops can be tailored to the interests of any group and any format. Live video conferencing is the primary format at this time, but we are starting to return to some partially live (and socially distanced) hybrid events. Your UM Men’s or UM Women’s groups may want to add a program to a picnic as the weather improves.

How Much Do The Events Cost?

Workshops are a FREE service provided by the Foundation for local churches and United Methodist-related institutions and organizations in Missouri.

When Do These Workshops Take Place?

Any time. It is good to try and schedule as far in advance as you can to ensure flexibility and to allow time to promote the program.

Is There Printed Literature?

Lots of free printed materials relating to the topics are provided.

How Long Do The Workshops Last?

The programs generally last anywhere from about 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the format and the amount of discussion.

To schedule a workshop contact the Foundation office at 573-875-4168 or 800-332-8238.