April 2022 update
-from the Endowment and Special Gifts team!
We are very proud to thank the 113 active Legacy Partner families who have included First Pres in their wills. A Legacy Partner gift can be applied to a specific First Pres endowment fund like Mission, Residency, Property or the general fund.
It has been a long time since we enjoyed our last Legacy Partner Sunday, handed out carnations, enjoyed cake and fellowship in the Social Hall, and hosted an educational seminar on estate planning. In June 2022 we will restart the Legacy Partner testimonials in the monthly First Press Newsletter. And, in a few months we will announce a date for the next Legacy Partner Sunday and educational seminar.
Please contact Anna Miller for any questions that you might have about becoming a Legacy Partner.
What is a Legacy Partner?
A Legacy Partner is any member or friend of First Presbyterian Church who includes the Church in his/her estate plans with a planned gift that will come to the church in the future. Such a gift will continue to support the church and its ministries far into the future. Legacy Partners are a vital part of keeping the church financially sound. Each person's generosity establishes a legacy and is an example for others to follow.
The church currently has 113 Legacy Partners with a goal of getting to 200 by 2026 when the Church will celebrate its 200th anniversary.
Please see examples of testimonials that illuminate why our members have felt compelled to become Legacy Partners, please click here.
Why is it important to grow the church's endowment?
Changing demographics, and aging facilities, present specific challenges to First Presbyterian Church Ann Arbor. In the coming years, there will be the need to reinforce our financial foundation to ensure that the current levels ministry and mission are able to be maintained. Through its Christian endeavors, First Presbyterian Church Ann Arbor has a long history of positively impacting the local community, as well as the broader world to which it is connected. This positive impact needs to be sustained!
Un-designated gifts will be placed in the church’s General Endowment Fund. Designated gifts may also be made to support specific programs like the Resident Ministry Fund. The principal of an endowment will remain invested, but the income may be spent when needed. This means that a well-funded endowment can provide financial support for the Church into perpetuity.
For a simple illustration of how an endowment can help provide consistency to the church’s operations, please click here.
How to contribute?
The Church has many resources to help you establish a Will/Estate Plan. Finance Manager, Anna Miller amiller@firstpresbyterian.org is experienced in fielding numerous types of questions about your estate, as are Melissa Anne and Jay. If they can’t answer your questions directly, they can refer you to Estate and Financial Planning professionals within our own congregation, or to unaffiliated estate professionals whom the Church has worked with in the past.
The Legacy Partners Workgroup sponsored an educational session on estate planning on October 9, 2022. Click here to watch the video.
If you would like to help safeguard the permanence of First Presbyterian Church in the Ann Arbor community, please contact us about becoming a Legacy Partner.