In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25: 14-30), Christ encourages us to be good stewards of our assets. He encourages us to manage our assets so that they will grow and multiply. The Perpetual Fund of the First United Methodist Church was established in 1978 to carry out such a mission in the church. With contributions, gifts and bequests given to the church, the Perpetual Foundation Board of Trustees seeks to maximize the growth of these assets to provide support for the ministries of the church. This provides the church with an endowment program that lives forever. Please consider joining the wonderful donors to this important Fund of the Church. We have had over 80 donors who have contributed from $1 to over $500,000 to this fund.

Estate Planning and Will Preparation are important events in one’s life. They provide an opportunity to give a perpetual, charitable gift to the church that keeps on giving.

Management

The Trustees of the Perpetual Foundation are members of First United Methodist Church of Sarasota. The assets of the Perpetual Foundation are held in a trust at a Trust company and managed by investment professionals. The Trustees of the Perpetual Foundation meets quarterly with trust company investment managers to oversee the planning and progress of these investments.

Your Estate Planning
We encourage you to leave a legacy by including the Perpetual Foundation of First United Methodist Church in your estate-planning decisions. Memorial/tribute gifts can be made upon any occasion.

Not A Replacement
A contribution to the Perpetual Foundation should not replace or decrease an annual pledge as the church is dependent upon these yearly commitments to carry out ongoing church operations.Visitor F.A.Q. page

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Types of Gifts
Cash
Stocks and Bonds
Life Insurance
Real Estate
Art
Jewelry

Gift Recognition
A plaque listing the names of donors or the names of persons memorialized by gifts to the Perpetual Foundation is displayed at the church. The plaque recognizes three levels of giving:

Patrons - gifts of $10,000 or more
Benefactors - gifts of $5,000 or more
Donors - gifts of $1,000 or more

Gifts may be accumulated. For example, when a series of gifts over a period of time reaches $1,000.00 the name of the donor or person memorialized will be added to the plaque.

Please Note: If you or your tax or legal counselor would like further information regarding contributions to the Perpetual Foundation of First United Methodist Church of Sarasota, please contact the Perpetual Foundation’s Chair through the church office at 941.955.0935.