Many times, those of us involved with the finances of the church receive questions about the difference between donating to the Church or donating to the Charitable Trust. The answer is that it depends on what you want to accomplish.

If you want to have your donation (outside of your normal pledge) to be used to accomplish some immediate need of the church, then you probably would want to make your donation to the church. For example, when the church had to repair and upgrade the ladies’ bathroom because of unanticipated expenses with the kitchen renovation, some members made extra donations to the church’s account for Building and Grounds so that the church board did not have to request funds from the Trust, as these expenses were not in the church’s current budget. Or if a deceased family member had asked that donations be made to the church to enhance the church’s current music program or the kitchen, sound system speakers, landscaping, etc. (in other words, some immediate need), then the donation should be made to the church (UUCP) and it should include a notation as to how it should be used.

If you want your donation to benefit the church long-term and in a perpetual fashion, then you should make your donation to the UUCP Charitable Trust. A donation to the UUCP Charitable Trust goes into the Endowment Fund where it is invested in stocks. The Endowment Fund earns interest/dividends which are available to the Church Board to spend if needed. The long-term hope is that the Endowment Fund will build over years so that it earns a significant amount of interest/dividends each year, so the church won’t have to rely on pledges or fund-raisers as heavily as it does currently. The Charitable Trust has grown significantly when members’ donations were made to the Trust following their death. Also, many times family members suggest donations to the deceased member’s church and don’t really have a special purpose in mind—in these cases, it is most appropriate to make the donation to the Charitable Trust. For info, the Charitable Trust currently has about $300,000 invested and the amount of interest funds currently available to the church is about $40,000, which is a cumulative amount that has occurred because the church has not tapped the Trust each year for funds. Annually, the interest earned is about $8,000 depending upon the whims of the Stock Market.

If you have questions, please contact Erin Renfroe, Church Treasurer or any one of the Trustees for the UUCP Charitable Trust: Marcy Moreland, Chair; Treasurer, Gerry Donnelly; Secretary, Georgieanna Bryant; or the Trustees, Bob Gerold and Erin Renfroe.