Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. - 2021-01-14T113145.765

What Is a Personal Endowment Fund?

An endowment is a donation of money or other assets that’s set aside, invested and allowed to earn interest. The interest earned is provided every year to the ministry or cause the endowment was created to support. A typical example is an endowment created for the benefit of a local LCMS elementary school in which the interest earned is used to provide annual scholarships for students who might not normally be able to afford the school’s tuition. 

Endowments can be set up immediately, or can be funded from your estate when you are called home. They can be named after your family, a loved one, and can be structured to operate just as you wish.

How does an endowment fund work?

You can set up an endowment today, with or without funding. You can easily add to your endowment during your life, or choose to fund it with money or other assets from your estate after you die. 

You choose how the endowment fund is structured, how it benefits the ministry or ministries you name as beneficiaries, and what restrictions you want to include. Most endowments allow the beneficiary organization(s) to only use interest earned on the fund’s principal. Some endowments specify exactly how the funds will be used, while others provide more general, flexible guidelines. A personal endowment fund can be perpetual or structured to last for a specific term of years. In short, your vision and charitable goals can be incorporated into a personal endowment fund to fulfill however the Lord is calling you to serve His mission.

Choose the LCMS Foundation to create a personal endowment fund

It’s relatively simple to set up a personal endowment managed by the LCMS Foundation. We have more than 60 years of helping LCMS members do exactly that. We’ll guide you on how to establish the fund, but also manage and invest it after it’s in place. Most importantly, we’ll ensure it operates according to your wishes, even after you’re no longer on this Earth. 

By having the Foundation manage the endowment, you also relieve the ministry you’re endowing of dealing with significant administration hassles that can distract them from their true mission. Plus, by separating the ministry from management of the endowment, you eliminate the possibility of the ministry borrowing against the endowment, or disregarding its restrictions during difficult financial times.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. - 2021-01-14T113415.600

Interested in creating a personal endowment fund?

Creating a personal endowment through the Foundation is a great way for individuals, couples or families to provide a dependable, ongoing stream of funding to their congregation, alma mater or any other ministry they wish to bless. Creating a personal endowment might seem daunting, or something beyond the financial means of all but the wealthy, but creating an endowment as part of your estate plan can be fairly simple and can be started with as little as $25,000.

If you think a personal endowment fund might be a good option for you and would be interested talking with a gift planner, please fill out the form below.
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Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thess. 5:16-18
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