by Jim Erb, Chair, Endowment Committee
UUCWC has an exciting opportunity to take advantage of special funding that would strengthen/enhance the financial stability of UUCWC for the future!
Five members of our congregation have taken advantage of this opportunity; their bequests to UUCWC total $177,000 and the amount that UUCWC will receive, because of these generous bequests is $17,700. Now let me explain how this works and how easy it is!
The Wake Now Our Vision Campaign is a collaborative campaign between the UUA and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock on Long Island.
The Wake Now Our Vision Campaign is a wonderful opportunity for individual members of our UUCWC congregation to raise funds to benefit UUCWC through their estate planning process. If, during the course of your estate planning, you intend to leave a legacy gift to UUCWC, or other UU organizations such as:
- Church of the Larger Fellowship
- Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association
- Meadville Lombard Theological School
- Starr King School for the Ministry
- Unitarian Universalist Association
- Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock has committed $5 million to this legacy challenge and will match 10% (up to $10,000) of any legacy gift made to any one or any combination of these organizations by any individual member between 1/01/2017 and 12/31/2018.
The legacy gift can be in the form of any of the following:
- Will
- Living Trust
- Charitable Gift Annuity
- Retirement Assets (IRA, 401k, 403b)
- Charitable Remainder Trust
- Or any other planned giving vehicle
Suppose, for example, that you choose (via a will) to leave an estimated amount of $15,000 to UUCWC and $10,000 to the UUA. After the Wake Now Our Vision Campaign concludes, Shelter Rock will donate $1,500 to UUCWC and $1,000 to the UUA. If you have chosen to donate a percentage of your estate, you are asked to make a best-guess estimate what the actual value may be.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the Wake Now Our Vision Campaign is that the actual funds do not need to be paid at this time; Shelter Rock will match funds that are pledged by individual members. After you complete the documentation of your legacy gift, you complete a Wake Now Our Vision pledge form, attach a photocopy of the applicable page in your legacy documentation and submit it to the UUA. The UUCWC Endowment Committee will coordinate this effort.
Another point should be made; perhaps you have already completed your estate planning and you have included either UUCWC or any of the UUA entities listed above, but you have never advised those entities of your intention. If you do so now, and complete the pledge form, your legacy gift will be included in the Wake Now Our Vision Campaign. Also, if you choose to revise your will to include UUCWC or one of the other designated entities during the term of the Wake Now Our Vision Campaign and officially advise the entity, that legacy gift can also be included in the Wake Now Our Vision Campaign.
This opportunity expires as of 12/31/2018!
Please contact Jim Erb, chair of the Endowment Committee through: endowment@uucwc.org (215-499-6769) if you should have any questions about the Wake Now Our Vision Campaign.