A successful Capital Campaign will make it possible for our church to extend an extravagant welcome to all who enter our Sanctuary. It will also enable us to make critically important, long-overdue improvements to the safety and accessibility of the chancel area. We’ll also be able to upgrade the Sanctuary’s lighting, sound, and flexibility so it can be used in many new and different ways. By redesigning and renewing this space, we’ll create a Sanctuary that is more theologically relevant as it lends itself to a broader range of uses by our congregation and our community.
As a member of FCCSJ, you are asked to prayerfully consider how you will support this important and exciting project with as generous a gift as possible. Your gift can be payable over three years. We anticipate that most of us will make this financial commitment using accumulated assets, rather than drawing on the funds we need for day-to-day living.
To give, complete and return a Letter of Intent, a link to which is available in the box on the right. It was also enclosed with the campaign packet you received in the mail.
Besides outright gifts of cash, please consider alternative ways of providing a generous pledge to our Doors Wide Open campaign:
- A gift of appreciated securities
Ask your broker to transfer shares of stock electronically from your account directly into the church’s account. You can get the church’s brokerage account information by contacting the church treasurer, Mark Domnauer. Remember to ask your broker to identify you as the donor of the shares of stock so you receive both the credit for the gift and the official acknowledgement letter from the church. - Convert jewelry, artwork, or real estate
You may have appreciated assets such as jewelry, artwork, or property that you would like to sell and then donate the proceeds to the church. Special real estate arrangements may be necessary to avoid capital gains taxes. - IRA charitable transfers*
- The donor must be 70½ years of age or older at the time of the gift.
- The transfer must go directly from the donor’s IRA account to qualified charities.
- Gifts cannot exceed $100,000 per taxpayer per year.
- Gifts must be outright. (Gifts do not qualify if transferred to donor advised funds, supporting organizations or charitable life income gifts.)
- Since the gift is not included in the donor’s gross income, no charitable income tax deduction is allowed for the gift.
- The distribution will count toward the IRA owner’s Required Minimum Distribution.
* Congress renewed this IRA Charitable Transfer in December 2015, so it is permanent.
If you have additional questions on ways to give or want to know more about legacy or estate giving and ways you can support the work of the church for generations to come, please reach out to our Treasurer, Mark Domnauer, at [email protected].
Additional information can also be found at the United Church of Christ’s Office of Philanthropy and Stewardship website.
Please note the information included in this document does not constitute legal advice. We encourage you to consult your accountant and/or legal advisor to determine the best way for you to support the FCCSJ Doors Wide Open Capital Campaign.