“So, we have this endowment, but we aren’t getting any new gifts.”

Sound familiar?

Churches have created foundations and endowment funds for a variety of reasons, perhaps most commonly because some – or one – large donor leaves the church considerable resources either to start an endowment or church members decided that the best way to utilize the large gift was to endow it and use only a portion of the fund annually.

In either case, creators were intentional about stewardship. No doubt, more gifts were anticipated – perhaps even expected.

But what do you do if those gifts don’t materialize?

You do what every other nonprofit organization does to secure resources: you ask.

But more often than not, church members need help promoting the opportunity and making the ask.

Susanna Wesley UMC in Topeka, KS, has been partnering with the Kansas Methodist Foundation to manage their endowment. “Our Endowment Committee members are not alone in charting their funding strategies,” says Norm Klocke, chair of SWUMC’s endowment committee.

KMF not only manages the church’s endowed resources but is also assisting them with creating ways for members to give to the endowment.

How?

The church has actively promoted KMF’s Putting Your House in Order program. Several church members have participated in online Zoom cohorts and in the on-demand option.

As those members plan their estates and consider their legacies, they are invited to make Susanna Wesley UMC a recipient of their generosity.

“KMF’s staff provide a foundation of expertise to help us move ahead with inviting members to consider financial support and legacy giving,” Klick explains.

KMF has also shared messages at worship services and offered an annual calendar of stewardship communications and sermons. The church takes advantage of webinars, too.

 “Congregation members can access various education modules on the KFM website. In addition, KMF provides staff persons for presentations in member group settings and during worship.”

Together, KMF and SWUMC are building opportunities for donors to make gifts to the church and its endowment. KMF can help your church do the same.

“Build it, and they will come” … we trust God’s provision — but growth still calls for faithful action.

At Susanna Wesley United Methodist Church in Topeka, leaders realized that simply having an endowment wasn’t enough to inspire new gifts. Like many churches, they had faithfully stewarded what was given — but growth required something more intentional.

That’s where Kansas Methodist Foundation stepped in. KMF not only manages the church’s endowed resources but is assisting them with creating ways for members to contribute to the endowment.