Perpetual Memorial, Endowment Fund, and Legacy Society
Honoring loved ones through the gift of giving backSt. James perpetual memorial & endowment fund
Honoring Families, Loved Ones, and our Community
The St. James Perpetual Memorial & Endowment Fund (PMEF) provides:
- A means of perpetuating the memory of loved ones in a significant manner;
- An appropriate means to pay living tribute to loved ones on occasions of importance, or simply to make an “extra” gift of thanksgiving or celebration;
- A meaningful means by which St. James may receive bequests; and to establish a perpetual, vital, and ever-growing endowment fund to preserve and strengthen the mission and ministry of the Church. The corpus (principal amount) of the “Restricted” Fund cannot be spent, pledged, or otherwise committed (except as provided for in the Spending Rules).
PMEF: How it Works
An initial gift or bequest of $100 or more along with the completion of an Enrollment Form will enroll the donor, or the honored person named, in the records of the St. James Church Perpetual Memorial & Endowment Fund. Several individuals may pool their gifts to achieve the Fund’s initial gift minimum. Subsequent to the initial enrollment, additional gifts of any amount may be given in honor of the same person.
Interested in honoring a loved one by making a gift? Forms are available at the church or by clicking the options below.
St. James Legacy Society
The Saint James Church Legacy Society was initiated in 2014. Bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, endowments, and beneficiary designations of life insurance or retirement plan assets are simple yet impactful ways you can leave a legacy while shaping the future of St. James. Nothing will be gifted or reported by the Endowment Funds Board until your estate is closed. Membership in the Society only requires your indication that you have remembered our church in your estate documents.
Planning for the Future
Are Your Wishes Known?
by Tom Gossen
My friend Carl was a diocesan planned giving officer. He assisted congregations in establishing their endowment policies and programs. When making presentations he always reminded his audience: “Make your wishes known by creating your estate plan. You never know when God will call you home.”
Prophetic words for Carl as he collapsed and died early one morning after getting up and making the morning coffee.
I think of Carl often. He was two months younger than me. Remembering him prompts me to reflect on whether I’ve got my wishes documented so that loved ones won’t have to hastily make decisions while wondering “is that what Tom would have wanted?”
How about you? Are your “end of life” and “memorial/funeral service” wishes documented?
In 2015 the Endowment Funds Board sponsored a Final Affairs Fair where we provided participants with a notebook full of resources for documenting such things as the location of financial records and the identification of individuals to contact for various matters. Also included was an outline for planning and documenting a memorial/funeral service and guidelines for writing an obituary.
These documents are useful for anyone and don’t require any instruction for completion. Your Endowment Fund Board has decided to make these forms readily available by posting them on the parish website. To access a copy for your use visit click on “Final Affairs Forms” where you will find copies of these files both as editable MS Word and PDF files.
If you have difficulty accessing these files or wish to discuss anything about the contents don’t hesitate to contact me: 316-204-1104.
