The Lutheran Community Foundation

Your organization can establish its endowment fund at the Foundation with an initial gift of $25,000 or more. You can create a fund for general endowment purposes, or you can create a fund to address a special purpose, such as:

• Outreach efforts
• Building maintenance
• Education ministries

You can also create sub-funds within your organization’s fund to address multiple purposes.

The Foundation owns, invests and holds the fund for the benefit of the organization, and in turn, offers ongoing support to the organization on a permanent basis.

All forms of tax-deductible gifts can be directed to the fund directly by supporters of the organization. This gift can be made through direct gifts of cash, securities or real estate, or through deferred gifts of charitable life insurance, the remainder of a charitable trust or gift annuity, or a bequest.

These gifts are invested by the Foundation according to its investment policies, with the objective of earning the highest investment return possible within acceptable levels of risk. The organization can transfer future contributions of $1,000 or more to the fund at any time.

To receive grant distributions from your fund, a Fund Advisory Committee designated by your organization (often the Endowment Committee) notifies the Foundation each year through its chairperson from the fund. The Committee may choose to receive the Foundation's standard 5.5% distribution, receive more than the standard distribution, or receive no distribution at all. Both fund principal and earnings can be distributed at the Committee's request, providing that the Fund maintains a value of $25,000.