Legacy Funds Ministry

The Columbia Presbyterian Church Foundation is a 50l(c)(3) charitable organization with its own board, formed in 1991 to benefit the church.  Its purpose is to grow, preserve, and manage an active portfolio of long-term assets to provide for the Church’s future.

The Foundation offers Legacy giving to the Congregation as an extra dimension of stewardship.  While the Church’s budget is primarily funded by pledges and offerings, the Foundation focuses on encouraging Church members to consider financial gifts or commitments beyond their annual giving to support the Church’s long-term ministry.

A Legacy gift is any donation made during your lifetime or at death as part of your financial and estate planning.  Legacy giving is a life-affirming experience that celebrates the values you cherish most.  It is an expression of gratitude and thanks to God for all that you have been given and enjoyed. Legacy giving enables you to benefit from applicable charitable tax regulations.

“In our good works, nothing is our own.” ~John Calvin

• In 2014 a Church member established a trust for her disables adult child.  After her death and the child’s death, she had bequeathed the remaining funds to the Foundation, which the Foundation received in 2021. 
• A married couple with no children bequeathed all their assets to the Foundation.  After both of their deaths, their assets passed to the Foundation.

Your financial picture is unique and so will be your Legacy gift.  Here are some of the Legacy gifts you might consider:

Bequest

Make a gift after your lifetime through your will or trust.  This could be a fixed dollar amount, a specific asset, or a percentage of your estate.

Designate the Foundation a beneficiary of your retirement account or life insurance.

Real Estate

Contribute property in your will or trust, or gift a life estate prior to your death.

Charitable Trusts or Annuities

These can provide both financial and tax benefits during your lifetime while benefiting the Foundation upon your death.

**To ensure that a particular Legacy gift is right for you, consult your legal and tax advisors

You can designate your Legacy gift for a specific church activity or program of special interest to you, or you can designate your gift to one or more of the Foundation’s three Legacy Funds:

Capital Facilities Fund

Used for Session-approved capital projects that enhance the physical building, aesthetics, and overall safety of the church properties.

Ministries Fund

Supplements the church ministries including worship, education, music, and fellowship as well as special projects at Session’s discretion.

Mission and Benevolence Fund

Used for Session-approved missions and extraordinary benevolence.

Should you choose not to designate a specific fund, project, or program, the Foundation will allocate one third of your Legacy gift to each Legacy fund.

Foundation funds are invested with the goal to achieve a long-term return that targets capital appreciation and income generation with a moderate to low risk tolerance.

As you consider sharing God’s material gifts with the Church, you may wish more information to help decide what is right for you.  Please email the Foundation at foundation@columbiapresbyterian.org.  A Foundation member will be honored to discuss with you how you can further His ministry at Columbia Presbyterian Church.