The Kansas Methodist Foundation believes it is never too early to plan when it comes to estate planning. Every adult needs a plan, which includes a last will & testament, durable powers of attorney for both health and finance, and a living will. Though the documents may be simple during a young person’s life, part of being a responsible adult includes having a plan.

Young families also need a plan that includes all of the items above with special focus on child care and guardianship in the event parents die with minor children. At this stage, the plan may not be much more complex than a young adult’s, but the addition of naming guardians and establishing a way to provide for their children in case of an untimely death are critical components at this stage.

For most families, the time will also come when the children earn their wings. Babies and children grow into kids and young adults. As they do, they become more independent and start supporting themselves. It is in this stage where Rev. David and Tracy Livingston are finding themselves.

Rev. David Livingston has been an ordained pastor in the Great Plains Conference for 25 years. Since 2019, he has served as the senior pastor of Old Mission UMC in Fairway, KS. Tracy is a special education professional and a board-certified behavioral analyst. Her work has largely focused on autism issues.

David and Tracy have two girls, one in college and one soon to be in college. While still dependents, the Livingstons found themselves at the point in their lives when a simple will and guardianship plan was no longer adequate.

“This is something we have known we needed to do for a long time. Honestly, we just never took the initiative to do it. We took the PYHIO program still unsure if we would actually create an estate plan. The program took all the intimidation away and it made it very simple. At that point we just had to decide if we were going to do what we knew we needed to do or keep putting it off.”

David and Tracy were part of KMF’s first Putting Your House in Order cohort. Composed of several clergy members and spouses, the group completed the program together and provided valuable feedback to KMF on the presentations.

David and Tracy met with KMF staff once a month during group presentations followed by monthly meetings with Tyler Curtis, Chief Development Officer. Together, they worked through questions and discussed options related to establishing a trust and creating a legacy.

“We had three goals. First, and most importantly, with one child still in high school and the other in college, we wanted to make sure they were protected. Second, we wanted to establish a long-term plan for our estate. Third, we wanted to be able to include charitable giving in the estate plan and have the ability to change that giving easily if our priorities shift. The third goal seemed like the trickiest but Tyler and KMF were able to make it simple, too.”

Following their time together, the Livingstons were connected with an attorney in the Kansas City area to draft their documents. KMF staff assisted in arranging an initial meeting and facilitated a conversation to clarify the Livingstons desired terms and conditions. Following that meeting, the attorney created a draft. Once again, KMF staff assisted in reviewing the document and providing feedback.

In the end, David and Tracy created a revocable living trust and updated their power of attorney documents and living wills. They also created a legacy fund at the KMF to facilitate their charitable wishes.  

What happens next? Will their plan change? Sure, it will. Can they make amendments as life continues to happen and their family situation further evolves? Of course. Are they prepared for both the unlikely event of a premature death as well as the inevitable? Yes, they are.

No matter your age, it’s never too early to plan. And once you have a plan, it’s wise to continue to refresh it to reflect your wishes at different stages of life. Single. Married with no children. Married with young children. Empty nesters. Retirees. Aging seniors. Each stage of life and life situation entails different priorities.

“Tyler was great at helping us understand the decision-making process we needed to go through. He was always informative without pushing his opinion. We made all the decisions. Sometimes when a person who is about to have ‘routine’ surgery shares their anxiety with me, I remind them that they are anxious because while the surgery is routine for the surgeon it isn’t routine for the patient. In the same way, this is a regular part of what KMF does. They knew the questions we should be asking and then let us answer the questions. They could give advice based on prior experience without taking away our decision-making ability. It was clear that for them this was routine, which made it much less stressful for us.”

For both now and the foreseeable future, David and Tracy have peace of mind knowing they are prepared and ready for this stage of life as the kids spread their wings and begin flying the coop, leaving them as empty nesters. Are you prepared for your stage of life? If not, KMF is here to help you just like we helped David and Tracy. Please contact Tyler Curtis at tyler@kansasmethodistfoundation.org or at 620.664.9623 for more information.

When you think of Kansas, images of land, a barn or two, some tractors and combines, and a farmhouse are sure to come to mind. Located in Morris County northwest of Council Grove, Leland and Hazel Parker’s home reflects this image of a Kansas farming family. Having raised their five kids on their family farm, the couple now follows their grandkids, attending as many games and performances as possible.

Like most farmers, the Parkers are not retired. Far from it. While their son, James – or perhaps “Jim” and at times “Jimmy” - has taken more and more of a role in the family business, Leland continues to work every day while Hazel supports him, Jim, and others. On a farm, there is always work to be done.

Part of that work also entails succession planning. Farmers are in a unique position: self-employed and typically owners of expensive equipment as well as land, an asset that has almost assuredly appreciated in value over time. These days, there may not be a family member who wants to take over the farming operation. In the Parker’s case, this is not true. Jim has been working alongside his dad since he was old enough to walk, and he plans to be the third generation to farm the Parker family’s land.

While this is in many ways ideal, it makes estate planning complicated. Knowing that many of their assets are tied to the farm, how do Leland and Hazel fairly pass along resources to both James and his four siblings? How do you divide non-cash assets? What if something happens and one of the children pre-decease Leland and Hazel? How do they support the grandkids they love so much?

Lots of questions. And fortunately for the Parker family and others, the Kansas Methodist Foundation offers the services of an expert estate planner, John Griffin, Jr. Esq. With 33 years of experience in estate planning, including extensive experience with farm succession planning, John and his firm Stewardship Counseling, LLC, worked with the Parker family to update an existing plan and put new terms in place.

By including Jim in the discussions, the family was able to work through tough questions and address issues of fairness together. In the end, a new plan along with updated supporting documents provided Leland and Hazel with the peace of mind they were seeking.

Like many of our faithful Methodists, the Parkers are stewardship-minded. Practitioners of sustainable farming and livestock practices, the Parkers desire to not only steward well the land they have been entrusted with but also the rest of their assets, always focused in actions that produce the most good. Thanks to KMF, John Griffin and the Parkers worked together to accomplish this goal. 

If you would like the opportunity to meet with John Griffin to either review an existing plan or create a new plan, please contact Tyler Curtis at tyler@kansasmethodistfoundation.org or at 620.664.9623. John’s services are offered at no cost to you as a service of the Kansas Methodist Foundation. 

When it comes to charitable giving techniques, Donor Advised Funds (DAF) are often overlooked and underutilized. Not so for Pete and Cindy Burton of Stilwell, KS. Having been intentional and discipled about giving proportionally throughout their adult life, the DAF provides the Burtons with an easy way to organize and make charitable gifts. 

“It just makes our giving so much easier,” says Pete. “Our gifts come out of a single bucket.”

The Kansas Methodist Foundation has a close relationship with Stilwell United Methodist Church. Stewardship presentations and generosity workshops provided opportunities for the Burtons to meet KMF staff and learn about our programs.

According to Pete and Cindy, “We know people who use other foundations and organizations to manage their donor advised funds, but we wanted to partner with an entity that shared our values and were more aligned with our charitable goals, so we chose to partner with the KMF."

In 2018, the Burtons established a Donor Advised Fund at the KMF. Since then, Pete and Cindy have made several gifts to their donor advised fund at opportune times and then direct KMF to make gifts to their chosen charities on their behalf.

But why do they do that?

In 2018, the standard deduction for tax purposes doubled from the previous amount and has been adjusted for inflation ever since. For 2024, the standard deduction is $14,600 for an individual or $29,200 for a couple. What does that mean? Prior to 2018, many people and families itemized deductions since those amounts typically added up to a total higher than the then standard deduction. Mortgage interest, educational loan interest, child tax credits, medical expenses, and charitable gifts commonly resulted in deductions that would lower tax liability and exceeded the then allowable standard deduction.

Since 2018, though, individuals and families typically no longer have itemized amounts totaling more than the standard deduction. In 2020, over 87% of tax filers used the standard deduction. While a higher standard deduction makes it easier for tax preparers, people who make charitable gifts may no longer “feel” the benefit of their charitable gifts when it comes tax time.

Enter in Donor Advised Funds. The standard deduction increase ushered in a new giving opportunity, and DAFs are a significant part of that strategy. If people have the ability to do so, then they can leverage a giving technique known as “bunching.” By transferring a more significant dollar amount to a DAF in a single tax year, the donor may be able to itemize in Year A but use the amount stored in the DAF for charitable gifts in subsequent years.

DAFs function like a charitable savings account. Gifts are made and credited for tax purposes at the time the donor makes the contribution to a DAF. Afterwards, the donor can use those funds at any time to make gifts to charities of their choice. Funds can be given, used, and then replenished at opportune times to continue the cycle.

“Once we went through one annual cycle with our DAF, we were sold on its value. It makes our giving so much more efficient,” says Pete.

The chart below highlights how an individual who wants to make four years’ worth of gifts in a single year would use this technique.

	2024	2025	2026	2027
DAF Contribution	$ 45,000	$     0	$      0	$      0
Your Annual Gifts to Charities	$ 13,000
Your Annual Gifts to Charities from Your DAF		$ 14,000	$ 15,000	$ 16,000
*Annual Tax Deduction	$ 58,000	Stan Deduct	Stan Deduct	Stan Deduct

*Note: Tax deductible charitable gifts are capped at 60% of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), and unused deductions can be rolled over to other tax years for up to five years. KMF recommends working with your tax professional to analyze your tax situation and ensure DAF’s are right for you.

Most people are not sitting on enough cash to make this technique helpful; however, consider these scenarios:

• Do you have appreciated stock? Gift it to a DAF and use those proceeds for your giving starting this year and in years to come.
• Do you own rental properties? Gift them or a portion of the interest in that property to your DAF and use the proceeds from the sale to make your charitable gifts.
• Are you a farmer who has depreciated equipment that still has significant value? Gift that asset to your DAF, sell the equipment, and use those proceeds for giving purposes.

According to Pete and Cindy, their DAF has been a useful giving tool. “The beauty of it is that the donor advised fund takes the question of taxes off the table. We already have our tax receipt and tax deduction. Now we can just give generously to charities and causes we want to support without having to think about any tax-related issues.”

If you would like to visit about DAFs or other tax-advantaged giving strategies, then we are here to assist. Please contact Tyler Curtis at tyler@kansasmethodistfoundation.org or at 620.664.9623 for more information.

One of the ministries the Kansas Methodist Foundation provides to the churches we serve is helping them strengthen endowment programs and legacy giving ministries. KMF comes alongside congregations to review policies, strengthen donor development programs, and steward well resources to support ministry and mission. This specialized ministry allows KMF to be a key partner with congregations to grow resources for ministry.

At the beginning of 2023, the Kansas Methodist Foundation began a process of working with College Hill United Methodist (CHUM) Foundation to do a holistic review of their endowment program and ministry. KMF President and CEO, Dustin Petz, met with the Foundation board to review policies and consider best practices to organize and strengthen the operation in order to serve well the congregation.

Before long, it became apparent that a new way of operating could help CHUM better steward their funds to support the church’s ministry.  The questions became:

• Is there a new way to function that could reduce the administrative burden of managing a foundation?
• Would a new way of organizing effectively refocus the church’s efforts to cultivate new gifts?
• Is there a better way to support CHUM’s ministry and deploy funds for ministry?

After much discernment and advice from outside legal counsel, it was finally decided that the College Hill United Methodist Foundation would terminate as a separately incorporated foundation and gift those assets to the Kansas Methodist Foundation for the benefit of the College Hill United Methodist Church. In essence, this decision leveraged the KMF’s professional expertise to administer and steward the funds so that the church could focus greater attention on the ministry the funds support and being the church God has called CHUM to be, for such a time as this.

The Kansas Methodist Foundation is excited about this expanded partnership and is committed to helping CHUM grow in stewardship and generosity so that the work of the church can continue, expand, and provide a place for new people at College Hill United Methodist Church.

I encourage other churches to consider this model. KMF is a resource to all of our churches & we benefit from their expertise & professional knowledge in this area. Using KMF frees me & my congregation to do what we’re an expert in: sharing grace beyond belief!       - Rev. Jill Sander-Chali , CHUM

I believe this will relieve CHUM’s staff & lay leaders from the administrative burden of managing our own Foundation. It allows us to focus our energies on raising money for the future & deploying funds to support & grow our current ministries!-                          Rev. Jill Sander-Chali , CHUM