In 2005 we received $100,000 as a Donor Advised Gift. Here is that story.

Your Six Endowment Trustees manage four separate Funds:

• The Memorial Garden Fund
• The Thelma Daniel / Annette Van Howe Social Justice Fund
• The Donor Advised Funds
• The General Endowment Fund

The Thelma Daniel / Annette Van Howe Social Justice Fund was established in 1994 from the estate of the late Thelma Daniel. Thelma marched with the suffragettes, was a long-time social activist, was married to our late Minister Emeritus, the Rev. Jack Daniel, and was a constant force with our congregation and community. Annette was a social activist and active with our congregation for decades. She used careful estate planning to leave a legacy that continues to do her good works now that she is gone. Gifts to the Social Justice Fund go towards causes for which Thelma and Annette would have crusaded.

The Donor Advised Funds are made up of special gifts from members and friends for needs in harmony with the Purposes and Principles of our Unitarian Universalist Association. Lump sum gifts, possibly of highly appreciated securities, can be distributed over the following several years.

Our General Endowment Fund was established in 1983. The income from this growing pool of money is currently distributed among worthy causes within South Florida. In 2007, we gave away $6,000+ to multiple organizations.

Our Endowment assets exceed $200,000 and we divide our investments between mainstream and socially responsible instruments:

• The Vanguard Wellesley Fund   VWINX
• Sentinel Government Securities Fund   SEGSX
• Sentinel Sustainable Core Opportunity A   MYPVX
• The Dreyfus Third Century Fund - Class Z   DRTHX
• The PaxWorld Women's Equity Fund   PXWEX
• The Ariel Fund   ARGFX
• The Ariel Appreciation Fund   CAAPX
• The Domini Social Equity Index Fund   DSEFX
• The UU Common Endowment Fund (UUCEF)

We refer all inquiries about deferred giving to Marcy Bailey, Director of Planned Giving at the UUA in Boston. She has many resources at her disposal. On the local scene, we work with Allen Giese of Northstar Financial Planners for the tax-wise receipt of gifts of securities. Have you read Estate Planning for Dummies?

Giving instruments can be quite complex. The Complete Book of Trusts and online resources can give you some education, but avoid drafting these tools without professional help.

Another way of giving to charity is to name us as a secondary beneficiary to your IRA, banking, or brokerage accounts after your family members.

Consider 10 Top Things you can do today.

Some Resources:

• Estate Planning Frequently Ask Questions from the Bar Association
• Personal Finance for Social Investors
• The Social Investment Forum
• Quicken WillMaker Plus 2008
• Vanguard Charitable Giving Program
• T.Rowe Price: Program for Giving

A most popular form of gift is in a Will. Email Us and we will send you our free booklet, "Why Your Will Is So Important." The exact wording to give to our Broward County UU Communities would be:

• "I give and bequest to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Lauderdale Florida, a Florida not-for-profit corporation, the sum of $____________________."

• "I give and bequest to the River of Grass Unitarian Universalist Congregation, a Florida not-for-profit corporation, the sum of $____________________."

• "I give and bequest to the Unitarian Fellowship of South Florida, Inc., a Florida not-for-profit corporation, the sum of $____________________."

• "I give and bequest to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Lauderdale Endowment Fund, a Florida not-for-profit corporation, the sum of $____________________."

A more immediate tax advantage can be obtained by giving through the Pooled Income Fund or a Charitable Gift Annuity through the Unitarian Universalist Association. 

Recall that an I.R.A. allows you to name beneficiaries. After children and family, you can name a secondary beneficiary like our UU Community. You can also give an I.R.A to a charity.

To comply with I.R.S. Public Disclosure Requirements, we post online our most recent Form 990.

Whether your special interest is Social Outreach, Building Expansion, Music, Memorials, Celebrations, the Pastor's Fund, or General Endowment, we can share ways through planned giving by researching ways you can assure your Congregation's future through giving.

Take a look at the UUA's Online Planned Giving Resources