Planned Giving

Posted on by Steve Scott

Your Legacy at the
Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia
in the Water Bearers Society –
Ensuring a Bright Future through Giving

A Message from the Planned Giving Work Group

We invite you to join the legacy of our founders who planted and watered the great pines on our church grounds while a building was still only a cherished vision in their minds. With a planned gift you join a long line of givers who desire to strengthen our future.

You may have already included UUCC in your estate planning and if so, we are very grateful for your intended gifts. Please use the Intent to Give Form or inform our minister so that we can thank you!

As you consider including UUCC in your estate plan, please review the information below or contact our Planned Giving Work Group or our Minister for more information.  The Stewardship Team’s Planned Giving Work Group is available to begin a conversation about your legacy by email. Of course, this conversation does not obligate you to make a gift and will remain confidential.

The Water Bearers Society

The Water Bearers Society was established to gratefully recognize the many UUCC members and friends who have committed resources to the long-term mission of the church.

Recognition of Water Bearers Society members can include:

              • Notation in the church’s membership book
              • Invitations to Water Bearers Society “thank you” receptions
              • Water Bearers Society logo on your church name tag
              • Inclusion in our published list of Water Bearers Society members

Why Planned Giving?

Your planned gift to UUCC ensures that our congregation will be vibrant for generations to come. While making sound financial plans for yourself and your family, providing a legacy gift for UUCC means there will be sufficient water for deep roots that secure our congregation’s long-term financial strength. Legacy gifts of all sizes are important and, because of tax codes, may cost you far less than you might have thought. We encourage you to consult your own qualified financial advisor or attorney about your options. You may qualify for tax benefits.

How Will My Gift Be Spent?

All planned gifts are deeply appreciated!  UUCC accepts both unrestricted and restricted gifts.

Unrestricted gifts give the congregation the greatest flexibility to meet needs that may arise in the future.  Gifts are unrestricted unless you specifically designate a restricted purpose.  Unrestricted gifts may be used for:

    • Operating Funds
    • The Reserved Fund
    • The Endowment Fund
    • Meaningful special projects
    • Emergency use
    • Large capital expenses. 

UUCC prefers unrestricted gifts because they allow our future leaders to address needs which we may not be able to foresee.

Restricted gifts explicitly state the manner in which you want the money to be used. If your gift is restricted, the UUCC Board of Directors must decide whether it can accept the gift with the conditions attached. If you are considering restricting a gift, please discuss your idea with the minister, so that we can work together to ensure that your wishes and the congregation’s potential future needs are aligned.

How Can I Support UUCC Through Planned Giving?

Please consult an attorney or other financial professional to explore any of these options:

Bequests – Your will or trust allows you to take care of your family after you are gone; it can also allow you to take care of UUCC for future generations. Through a bequest, you may leave a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or specific assets such as marketable securities. This is one of the simplest planned gifts for estates of any size.

Please share this suggested bequest language with your attorney to assist in drafting a will, an amendment to a will, or a trust. Our federal tax identification number is 43-0960345.

Unrestricted Gift (best meets the future needs of the church)

I give to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia, located in Columbia, Missouri [___% of my estate] [or the sum of $________] for its general purposes.

Restricted Gift

I give to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia, located in Columbia, Missouri, [___% of my estate] [or the sum of $________] to be used for [stated purpose]. If at any time, in the judgment of Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia’s Board of Trustees, it is deemed impossible or impracticable to carry out the above purpose, said trustees shall determine a purpose as near as possible to the stated purpose.

Securities (such as stocks or bonds) – Gifts of securities may allow you to give more by avoiding capital gains taxes on appreciated securities. Because UUCC is tax exempt, we will be able to sell qualified securities tax-free and realize their full value.

Retirement Assets – Often, a retirement plan is a pre-tax asset and, when transferred to a beneficiary, may be subject to estate tax as well as income tax. Depending on tax brackets, it is sometimes true that as much as half of the retirement assets left in your account might go to taxes instead of to designated heirs. Therefore, naming UUCC as the beneficiary of your qualified retirement may allow your dollars to go much further for the things you care about. As a tax-exempt entity, UUCC would receive the allocated amount, tax-free, from the plan. Most often you simply need to name UUCC as a beneficiary on a form supplied by your plan administrator.

Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) – After a certain age, you are required to take a specific amount of money out of your retirement fund annually. This is known as a Required Minimum Distribution, or RMD, and you are taxed on that money. However, utilizing a Qualified Charitable Distribution, you may be able to transfer funds from a retirement fund directly to UUCC. This transfer counts toward your RMD and is not taxed. As laws and regulations change, the requirements and limitations change, so consult your financial advisor regarding RMDs.

Life Insurance – As with retirement assets, naming UUCC as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy is an easy way to give to the future life of the congregation.

Additional Options for Planned Gifts – There are other planned gifts that might suit your estate planning goals.  Gift Annuities and Charitable Remainder Trusts are generally designed for larger gifts and may provide immediate, significant tax benefits for you.  These require more planning and the assistance of qualified professionals.

Please consider these options and let us know if you have any questions, are considering a planned gift, or have already included UUCC in your estate plans. Contact the Planned Giving Work Group by email. We will be glad to help!