The gift of security --Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation insights

One of the best things we can do for a loved one is to give the gift of security, and a charitable gift annuity can provide that security.

A gift annuity will provide a lifetime of payments to your loved one no matter how long he or she lives. The payments are fixed and will never change—no matter how the stock market, real estate, or any other aspect of the economy performs. A charitable gift annuity may be funded through cash, securities, or real estate.

The payment rate is based on your loved one’s age. When you fund a gift annuity to benefit someone else, you will have to consider gift tax calculations. However, any gift tax may be offset by the income tax deduction you will receive.

Another benefit is having the satisfaction of knowing you will care for your loved one for as long as he or she lives.

After a lifetime of payments, the gift annuity will be used for mission and ministry by funding an endowment for your United Methodist church or favorite ministry. You will create a legacy for you and your loved one.

Call David Battles at the Foundation, 800-259-6863, for details on how you can establish a charitable gift annuity for someone you love, while ultimately benefiting the ministry you also love.

The Foundation’s Clergy Endowment Fund recently awarded annual grants. The fund’s grant-making committee awarded $5,000 this year.

The grants include scholarships for seminary students at Saint Paul School of Theology at Oklahoma City University and money to start a new Project Transformation site in Tulsa at Aldersgate UMC.

In previous years, the Clergy Endowment Fund has supported ministries such as the building campaign for the Wesley Foundation at Langston University, Cookson Hills Center, the Clergy Covenant Crisis Fund, student scholarships, and much more.

Contributing to this fund is a great way to honor a special clergyman or woman, or a clergy family. Gifts of all sizes come from people of all backgrounds. Some donors are family and friends of clergy, and some are group donors such as church committees and Sunday school classes.

Giving to the Clergy Endowment Fund honors and memorializes clergy now serving as well as those who are retired and those deceased.

Visit the Foundation website to make your contribution online, or call the Foundation at 800-259-6863 to find out how you can honor the life of a clergyperson who has made a difference in your life.