Planned Giving
Stewardship of the Annual Budget
Members of our church join together to meet the ministry and material needs of the congregation. Annually, all members are asked to participate in the Annual Giving campaign that will fund the next year’s budget.
Annual Giving Campaign 2023: Giving with Gratitude
Click HERE for more information and to pledge.
The total of the pledges is the primary determinant of the church’s revenues that will be available to cover the costs of our programs and ministry to the congregation and outreach to the community as well as the salaries of our staff and day-to-day operations in the coming calendar year.
Test: Enter a Planned Amount and Frequency, then Tab to see the impact on all frequencies.
We ask every member to make a pledge of financial support by December 31 of each year, in an amount as generous as circumstances allow. Please use the link to MyFirstChurch or at I Am First Church to make your pledge.
Endowment Fund
Income from the Endowment Fund is used for building maintenance every year; the fund itself is the church’s emergency reserve. Gifts, bequests and a longstanding policy of reinvesting at least one-half the earnings on the fund keep this essential source healthy and current.
A gift to the endowment helps guarantee the church’s financial future. There are many ways to structure planned gifts to secure tax advantages for you while benefiting our church.
Wills and Bequests
Call the church office at 203-637-1791 or Lori Romano, Director of Planned Giving, at 203-637-3799 for sample wording and consult your lawyer to revise your will or add a simple codicil.
Pooled Income Fund
Our Church has created a planned giving vehicle which benefits the church and offers many economic and tax advantages to donors.
Church members donate property to the Pooled Income Fund, get a tax deduction, and then have the use of the income from the Fund for the rest of their lives (or you can name other beneficiaries). This irrevocable gift benefits you in the present and the church in the future. (At this time, the minimum gift to participate is $10,000.)
For more information on the Pooled Income Fund, contact Lori Romano, at 203-637-3799.
Special Gifts
There are many special projects, like air conditioning the Meetinghouse or installing the Liftovator. Our church is blessed to have members who have stepped forward in the past to finance special projects or provide “angel” support to ongoing programs. The church maintains a wish list for just such situations. Spread your wings!
At First Congregational Church of Greenwich, every member is a minister and every minister is a giver.