We love our church. It has been there for us through thick and thin. For many of us, the relationship stretches over decades, even generations. We have worshiped and worked together. Many of us have raised our children in the church and will die as church members. St. Anselm's has sustained us throughout. Is it not natural that we consider ways to sustain it for future generations? We make that happen through Planned Giving.

St. Anselm's Planned Giving Commission is concerned with gifts that support St. Anselm's future. Such gifts will obviously benefit the church. It may be less apparent, but they can also benefit you.

To start, studies show that 50% of Episcopalians have no will. This alone should give us pause. If you have no will, the State has an estate plan for you. It may—or may not—provide as you would wish. For many of us, the question of guardianship by itself is worth some thought. One of the things the Committee is planning is assistance with making wills.

Then we come to the question of gifts to St. Anselm's. Studies also show that only 5% of Episcopalians have provided a charitable bequest in their wills. Obviously, we would like to encourage bequests to St. Anselm's. But what is not well known is the possibility of real tax savings for you with careful planning. Consider your IRA. The portion of the IRA you give to your children can be heavily taxed—but give that portion to the church, and it is not taxed at all. You may give the children something else. Professional advice is necessary and we will help with that.

(For information on from the Episcopal Church Foundation about several options, click here. You can view this information in PDF format with Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to go to Adobe's website to obtain a free download of Adobe Acrobat reader).

Finally, St. Anselm's has set up an Endowment Fund. Gifts to that fund are not spent—only the income is. The income is spent only on capital needs, outreach, and seed money for new ministries, the things St. Anselm's needs to remain the vibrant and relevant parish it is today.

If Planned Giving interests you, please contact a member of the Committee. Committee members are Kelvin Booty, Doug Merrill, Ted Sawyer, Gordon Hart, and Fr. John Sutton.

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