CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Financial gifts to ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) -- provided through the ELCA Foundation -- reached a record $35.3 million for the 2000 fiscal year.g
Total gifts for 2000 increased $6.5 million over gifts in the 1999 fiscal year, said the Rev. Donald M. Hallberg, executive director, ELCA Foundation.
"We are grateful for the many wonderful saints of this church who have made this possible," he said. The strong U.S. economy in 2000, coupled with more seniors transferring wealth to benefit church ministries, were among the reasons for the significant increase, Hallberg said.
The record pace is continuing, he said. For the first quarter of 2001, gifts to the foundation were $1.6 million ahead of the same period in 2000.
The ELCA Foundation conducts a program of significant gifts and planned giving on behalf of the church, its 11,000 congregations, 65 synods, churchwide units, agencies and institutions. It offers educational materials and seminars on planned giving. Hallberg has served as executive director since 1997. He was re-elected by the foundation's board of trustees in 2000.
A charitable gift annuity is one of the most popular ways of making gifts to ELCA ministries through the ELCA Foundation, Hallberg said. Through such gifts, contributors can remember the church's ministries and retain income from the gift, he said.
The ELCA Foundation is "donor-driven," Hallberg said. At least 70 cents of every dollar given is shared with local ministries of the church, he said. The remaining 30 cents supports churchwide ministries, Hallberg added.
"Most people do not give for tax benefits," Hallberg said. "They give to support the church's mission. The most significant gift of their lives may be through a gift annuity."
"After people make financial gifts like this, the joy of what they have done leads many to give additional gifts," he added.
Since the ELCA's formation in 1988, $276 million has been given to the ELCA Foundation in gifts, bequests and new life income agreements, said Dennis G. Prikkel, associate director for support services, ELCA Foundation. During the same period, $149 million was distributed to nearly 1,700 ELCA churchwide ministries, congregations, institutions and social ministry organizations, he said.
The ELCA Foundation has 23 field representatives who conduct planned giving educational seminars in congregations and are available meet with individuals, Prikkel said. -- -- --
Additional information about the ELCA Foundation is available at
http://www.elca.org/fo
on the ELCA's Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
