Services for Individuals

• Make a gift to your Fund at your convenience and receive an immediate charitable deduction.
• Recommend distributions to charities later.
• Pass on important values of service and caring for others by involving children or other family members in charitable gift recommendations.
• Make additions to your fund at any time.
• Receive an annual statement of all contributions, distributions, and Fund earnings.

Earnings are tax-free, so that more money may be available for your favorite charities.

• You wish to bypass any capital gains tax that would be due if you sold it personally.
• The value is more than you want to give any one charity.
• You want to transfer the asset all at once and avoid having to accomplish multiple transfers of fractional shares to many different
  charities.

You can establish a Foundation Donor Advised Fund with gifts of cash, securities or property (except IRA rollovers). You and others may make additional contributions of any size at any time. Each gift represents an unconditional, irrevocable charitable contribution and is not refundable. The Foundation conscientiously invests and administers your Fund. The money is available for distribution to charitable ministries you recommend at any time. Donor Advised Funds may not be used to satisfy legally
enforceable personal pledges.

There are two ways to establish an endowment fund. First, you can make an immediate gift to establish your endowment fund. The Foundation would be pleased to draft a gift document for your approval. It is extremely important to define your wishes and terms of the gift in writing. You and others can always add to your endowment fund in the future.

The second method involves planning for this gift in your will. At your death after your final affairs are settled, a percentage of your estate, a specific dollar amount, or specific pieces of property are given to establish the fund. This method usually allows the donor to be more generous, since lifetime concerns and responsibilities no longer have to be considered.

You can use both methods. A donor can establish an endowment fund now with an immediate gift and add to the fund through their will.

The Foundation provides a Spending Plan Guideline that is specifically designed to grow the endowment fund at a rate greater than inflation over time.

You can instruct the annual income be distributed on a percentage basis to many different entities. Examples: Your local church, colleges, children’s home, scholarships, older adult ministries, or any ministry you desire. When making these decisions, you may wish to keep in mind the amount of funds available for distribution. You want your gift to make a lasting impact, no matter where you gift goes.

This decision is up to you. Some donors prefer to leave all or part of this decision unresolved. They prefer The Foundation’s Board of Directors decide who receives the income annually.

Only you can answer this question. Your own financial situation, responsibilities, retirement security, and other giving commitments must be considered. The Foundation recommends careful consideration be given to appreciated, marketable securities and real property. Funding gifts with these assets can offer special tax advantages.

By electronic transfer – Please contact us for instructions on how you can transfer stock or bonds from your brokerage or investment account to Mississippi United Methodist Foundation for your UM ministry.

By certified mail – If you hold securities in certificate form, you will need to mail two envelopes separately to complete your gift. In the first envelope, place the unsigned stock certificate(s). In the other envelope, include a signed stock power for each certificate. You may obtain this power from your broker or bank. Please remember to use certified mail.

There are special rules for valuing a gift of stock. The value of a charitable gift of stock is determined by taking the mean between the high and low stock price on the date of the gift. Mutual fund shares are valued using the closing price for the fund on the date of the gift.