Planned Giving: Investing in Your Values
We invite you to consider including a legacy gift to South Church. Each of us, at the end of life, wants our assets to support people, causes and institutions we care about. A legacy gift shows your deep, long-term commitment to South Church.
Why are legacy gifts important to South Church?
South Church, formed in 1713, plays an important role in the lives of our members and through our good works in the larger community. Planned giving to South Church will protect us in the future from financial distress.
Each year a portion of the Endowment Fund is provided to support the annual operating budget of South Church. This amount is approximately 4% of the total invested fund.
If we can increase our Endowment Fund, the annual payout from the fund will grow, South Church will be able to do more, and the pressure on annual fundraising efforts will be reduced. The Endowment Fund also provides an additional level of financial security in times of unexpected need or crisis.
Penhallow Society
Several significant bequests and a number of smaller estate gifts provided the foundation of today’s Endowment. Oliver W. Penhallow and his daughter, Harriet Louise Penhallow, were the principal donors to this early fund. In the spirit of their commitment to South Church, the Penhallow Society was established in 1995 to recognize those who have made gifts to the Endowment or who have pledged to do so in the future. These generous individuals have planned a lasting gift that will benefit South Church again and again for generations to come.
Please complete a Penhallow Society form to let us know that you have, or plan to, make a legacy gift. For questions, email: endowment@southchurch-uu.org
Types of Legacy Gifts
We encourage you to work with your attorney and/or financial advisor to select the approach that is right for you.
There are four basic options:
- Include South Church in your will
- Name South Church as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, certificate of deposit, commercial annuity, or a qualified retirement plan
- Open a bank account in trust of South Church
- Name South Church the beneficiary of a charitable remainder trust
In addition, the Penhallow Society in conjunction with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) provides a "charitable gift annuity," a way that you can enjoy income for life, tax savings, and, most importantly, experience the satisfaction of giving to the church’s future.
A charitable gift annuity is an arrangement through which you make an irrevocable gift in exchange for the UUA’s promise to pay you a guaranteed lifetime income.
Furthermore, you can select South Church to receive the remainder from the UUA’s charitable gift annuity after your death. It is recommended you use our official name, postal address, and Tax ID # in your request.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Portsmouth
73 Court Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Tax ID: 02-0231628
Contact the UUA for more information about charitable gift annuities: http://plannedgiving.uua.org/charitable-gift-annuities
How much should I consider giving?
There is no minimum amount for a legacy gift to South Church, but it may be the largest charitable gift you make! Each and every investment, regardless of size, makes an enormous difference in creating a vibrant future for our church.
There are many ways to think about an amount, but one common approach is to choose a sum that would–by adding a certain amount to the Legacy Investment Fund–in effect replace your current annual pledge in perpetuity.
Contact the Endowment Committee
If you have further questions, please contact the Endowment Committee: endowment@southchurch-uu.org
Download the informative Endowment Committee Brochure.