by the Rev. Darrel Peterson, Assistant to the Bishop
When I refer to third pocket giving, I’m thinking of first pocket giving being what Christians give to their Lord and church in their basic pledge. I’m thinking of second pocket giving as what folks give charitably to both sacred and secular causes. Third pocket giving is what we give charitably as planned gifts or as bequests when we die.
I recently had a conversation with an older woman who was thinking about her third pocket giving. She already has two planned gifts in place to an outdoor ministry and to a social service agency. I asked her, “What part of your resources at death would you probably not pass on to family?” She thought for awhile and then responded, “I think about 50%”. Now, this is a woman who gives generously via both first and second pockets. She believes in giving to make a difference. She is a strong proponent of giving mission support to synod and churchwide.
Then I asked her, “Are you going to leave a bequest to your congregation?” She laughed and said, “I’m not that dumb. Why, they’d be fighting over what to do with it. They would probably not be able to agree and would end up putting it in their “rainy day” fund. In the meantime, some folks would decrease their giving because now the church has money and doesn’t need as much. I want to leave my assets where there is a mission and a plan for receiving it.”
This woman’s reluctance to leave a bequest to her congregation may or may not be an isolated case. Many congregations’ attitudes when it comes to legacy giving, include: 1. Legacy and endowment gifts…maybe someday. Right now we need to worry about annual giving. 2. When we have a session on legacy giving, only a few folks show up, and most of those that do, don’t have any real money anyway. 3. Endowment giving might take away from regular giving. (It doesn’t)
Congregations need to have a missional plan for receiving special gifts and bequests. This policy needs to be publicized positively and regularly in the congregation. The plan needs to be shared with congregational and area financial professionals. (I once knew an estate planning attorney, who while working with clients with a tax issue and without any real charitable preference, would suggest a local agency or the nearest Catholic church.)
Congregations need to develop and maintain professional, accountable and transparent financial records and procedures. (Borrowing from a designated account to fund a shortfall does not “play well” ethically nor does it give assurance to prospective third pocket donors.
Finally, congregations need to do a better job of talking about money. Often we hear people
complain because a pastor or a congregation leader talks too much about money. What they usually mean it that they hear too much about giving to the church, often in concentrated doses when offerings are behind or when it is “stewardship Sunday”. It is also possible that they complain out of a less than generous heart.
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AMEN!
ReplyDeleteWhile visiting my wife's family in Fort Wayne, IN several years ago, I learned that there was a Lutheran Foundation in the neighborhood (quite a foreign concept to this southern boy). Upon investigation, I discovered that it had SIGNIFICANT funding, and was performing extensive philanthropic work throughout the area. A couple of years later, while on a business trip to Baltimore, MD, I learned of a similar scenario with a single congregation near the Inner Harbor.
Neither of these foundations started out with the resources that they have today -- but they started, nonetheless.
It would certainly benefit our congregations (more than just financially) to create foundations that carryout most of the work that we now fund in our annual budgets. This also opens up an avenue for potential donations from nonmembers, as well as demonstrating our love of Christ to our neighbors in the community.