Your gift to Meetinghouse Church will impact our church, our community, and the work of God’s kingdom as we seek to welcome the beloved.
We will sustain, grow, and pursue faithful worship, spiritual formation for all ages, and intentional missions through your gifts. We can also maintain our facility, through which we bless our congregation and the community at large. Most importantly, through your generosity, people will learn the good news of Jesus’ grace and love and what it means to follow him.
No matter how you choose to financially support Meetinghouse Church, we are grateful for your generosity and look forward to the good work we can do, for Christ’s sake, as a result of your giving.
The annual operations of Meetinghouse Church rely on recurring gifts, gifts to fulfill pledges, annual giving campaigns, loose offerings, etc. These gifts allow church leadership to make use of funds where the church discerns it can best serve its Mission during each fiscal year. This is both the easiest way to give and the easiest for staff to make use of in the current year.
Some donors to Meetinghouse want to support specific ministries and causes within the Church, and/or choose to give gifts where the benefit can be stretched over multiple years. Such gifts are sometimes known as directed gifts, designated gifts, or restricted gifts. In order to enable our staff to manage such gifts both efficiently and effectively, please consider the information below.
Before making a restricted/designated gift, please contact our Church Administrator, Finance Director, Treasurer, and/or Senior Minister, who can work with you to consider the numerous ways that your generosity can benefit Meetinghouse Church. You may also reach out to the staff member who would be responsible for utilizing the funds. Our goals in accepting designated gifts are to:
-Ensure that your charitable intentions are captured and respected
-Ensure that the church can reasonably manage the funds that we receive (i.e. not so narrow a purpose that we can’t find a meaningful way to put your generosity into action)
Such designated gifts can be directed in the following ways:
Unrestricted gifts to the Meetinghouse Church Foundation (MCF) – Can be used for any purpose, subject to approval by both Council and the MCF Board. Past examples include Innové, the Blessing Initiative, Name Change related expenses, Bell Tower repairs, and covering our operating deficits.
Restricted gifts to Meetinghouse Church (MHC) – Accessible to staff for special initiatives or expenses not covered within the operating budget. Fund owners must obtain approvals from the Treasurer and/or Council, depending upon dollar amount and scope, which make these Funds less onerous to put to work. We currently accept restricted gifts into the following categories:
You may provide for an estate gift to Meetinghouse Church or the Meetinghouse Church Foundation. Please connect with your attorney on how to build such gifts into your estate plans, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our Church Administrator, Finance Director, Treasurer, or Senior Minister for further discussion of your intentions.
If you’d like to find creative ways to contribute to the mission and vision of Meetinghouse Church, here are a few to keep in mind (consult your tax advisor for specific advice):
Appreciated Stock & Other Marketable Securities: A gift of marketable securities, such as mutual funds, stocks, or bonds, allows you to make a gift that does not affect your cash flow. In addition, if your securities have appreciated in value, you may benefit from more favorable tax treatment than a cash gift. Consult your tax or financial advisor about whether this would be a good tax strategy for you, then contact our Finance Director Nancy Danielson to discuss how to transfer these marketable securities.
IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions: If you are required by the IRS to take a Required Minimum Distribution from your IRA, you may be able to arrange to make the distribution directly to Meetinghouse Church. Meetinghouse Church is able to accept these Qualified Charitable Distributions, which may result in tax savings to you. Consult with your IRA custodian, financial advisor, or tax advisor to determine whether this tax-smart strategy will work for you.
Donor Advised Funds: If you have a donor advised fund, you may simply request a gift from your existing fund directly to Meetinghouse Church. Be sure that you find the correct Meetinghouse Church, with our federal tax ID, 41-0795263. If you would like more information about the benefits of setting up a donor advised fund, please contact your tax or financial advisor.