Ways (& Why’s) to Give
We teach that giving isn’t something we do out of obligation; we do it out of joy. We don’t give because the church needs the time and money (though it does!) Rather, we give because that’s how we grow into an understanding of God’s generosity to us.
First, why give?
We often say that we know our true values not by what we say, but by how we actually spend our time and our money. These are profound gifts from God, over which God gives us stewardship, and therefore an important aspect of the spiritual life. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions.
What is a pledge?
Part of our teaching about giving involves not just giving when we have the dough, or when we feel like it. But we ask that our members make a commitment to give each year, called a pledge. This also helps our church leaders make each year’s budget. It’s not a legal commitment, and we realize people’s finances may change; it’s really a statement of faith.
How to Give Wisely
With so many demands on our finances, it is helpful to think about how your gifts can have the most impact, by giving them wisely. Here are some strategies to make charitable giving most tax efficient:
• Offset capital gains by giving the gift of appreciated stocks, bonds, or other funds to the church.
• Life Insurance. You can name the church as a beneficiary of an existing or new policy.
• Retirement Plan Assets. Retirement plans (such as IRA’s and 401k’s or 403b’s) can be the most heavily taxed asset in an estate. Naming the church a percentage or contingent beneficiary of a retirement plan is a tax efficient way to make a gift.
• If you are 70 ½ and have an IRA with a Required Minimum Distribution (RDM), making a special contribution or paying your annual pledge to the church directly out of your IRA saves on taxes.
• A Charitable Remainder Trust to benefit PCOL can be arranged through the Presbyterian Foundation and is a tax saving and effective way to transfer assets to the church while providing you an income source.
• A Donor Advised Fund allows you to “bunch” what you plan to give over multiple years into a single year, allowing you to itemize those donations in one year on your taxes and get a larger deduction.
• Leave a Legacy, your giving can far exceed your life time. Consider remembering the church in your estate planning. Please click here for more information about the Maidenhead Legacy Society, consisting of those who are planning to leave the church a legacy after they are gone.
Please contact the church office (office@pclawrenceville.org / 609-896-1212) if you would like a Pastor or member of our Planned Giving Team to get you started. A financial planner and/or attorney can help you set up any of these vehicles, and many others. May your finances reflect your values, as we celebrate generosity.
Pledge and Give Online
Making your pledge online, or giving a gift online
We encourage our members to make their pledge online. Hey, life’s busy, and we can often forget our checkbook. You can now make your annual pledge directly to our online database, Realm – and even set it up so it’s paid automatically, directly from your bank account. This is convenient for you, and for us – less work on both sides! Just click the button below to get started.
Gifts and special offerings
In addition to pledges, anyone can make an online donation at any time to our General Fund, as well as to any of the other special offerings that we receive during the year. See more information on the Online Giving page.