Part 8 of 9
- Part 1 -- The Place of Endowment Funds in the Local Church
- Part 2 -- How Pastors Can Encourage Planned/Deferred Gifts
- Part 3 -- Encouraging Gifts to a Local Church Endowment Fund
- Part 4 -- Guide to Memorial and Honor Giving in the Local Church
- Part 5 -- Descriptions of the Major Planned Gift Vehicles
- Part 6 -- Planned Giving Resources for Your Use in the Local Church
- Part 7 -- Getting Started on a Local Church Endowment Fund
- Part 8 -- Holding an Estate and Gift Workshop in Your Church
- Part 9 -- A Model for an Estate Planning Seminar in Your Church
This material is excerpted from the "Planned Giving Handbook for Local Churches" published by the National Association of United Methodist Foundations.
Here are Tips and Ideas on How to Set Up a Wills Clinic or Estate and Gift Workshop in Your Local Church
(You might want to consider a conversation with John G. FIke, CFRE, Executive Director of your Detroit Annual Conference United Methodist foundation about how to find people to lead this workshop. Special attention needs to be given to subjects to be covered and time limitations for all speakers/leaders.)
- Opening (15 minutes)
- Welcome
- Devotional
- Statement of purpose for the workshop
- Welcome
- Introduction to Estate Planning and Charitable Gift Planning
- Estate Planning
- Charitable Gift Planning
- Estate Planning
- My Will
- What is a will?
- Who can make a will?
- Who needs a will?
- What can a will do? Not do?
- What does a will cost?
- Can my will be changed?
- How often should it be reviewed?
- What about estate taxes?
- How can I remember the church in my will?
- What is a will?
- Creative Gift Planning
- Cash
- Securities
- Real estate
- Tangible personal property
- Gifts through life insurance
- Life income gifts
- Gifts through retirement plans
- Gifts through business
- Change-Your-Mind gifts
- Income interests
- Endowment gifts
- Cash
- Planned Giving and Endowment Funding in the Local Church
- Why "planned giving" in the local church?
- The benefits of endowments for local churches
- Why "planned giving" in the local church?
- Closing
- Thank all who attended
- Invite attendees to pick up displayed/available resources
- Invite attendees to remain and discuss personal matters with leader(s)
- Close with prayer
- Thank all who attended
FOLLOW-UP:
One of the keys to success in a program like this is "follow-up". During the week following the event send those who attended a brochure (linked to the theme of the program) and a letter of appreciation for their attendance. Invite their response to the event and inquire to see if they need any additional information.
Your Detroit Annual Conference United Methodist Foundation publishes a newsletter. So you can send the names and addresses of all attendees to them and request that these persons be placed on the mailing list to receive this newsletter. Call 1-888-356-6202 and speak to Jeanne Pitt in the Foundation Office.
The information in this newsletter will be supportive of what you are doing in the local church, and it will inform your members there is professional assistance beyond their local church available to them.
