Endowment
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Make a gift today. Leave a legacy forever.
Want to impact ministry for generations to come? Endowments can bring your vision to life. Endowments invest gifts for long-term growth while making payments to charitable causes annually. The principal grows over time, so your gift multiplies through the years. Endowments are a great way to support Kingdom ministries in this life and beyond.
Key Benefits
Give Over Time
You can give to your endowment throughout your lifetime. Your friends or family can contribute as well.
Multiply Your Gift
Endowments are invested for growth. Each year, the charitable distribution increases, making an ever-larger impact on ministry.
Leave a Legacy
Endowments give back in perpetuity, outlasting your earthly life. They can be named in honor of you or a loved one.Start Here
WatersEdge is all about long-lasting Kingdom impact. We can help you create an endowment to support the ministries you love and leave a legacy gift that keeps on giving until Jesus returns.
CONNECT WITH US
Virtually, by phone or in-person, our giving professionals are ready to help.
CREATE YOUR ENDOWMENT
We’ll gather information and draft documents to help you make your gift. Fund your endowment with a variety of assets and select the beneficiary who will receive income from the gift in perpetuity.
DO GOOD
Receive a charitable tax deduction and feel good knowing your endowed gift will be multiplied many times over and will continue supporting ministry long after your passing.
Growth Example
Imagine placing $50,000 into an endowment for a church or ministry you care about. In its first year, your endowed gift would distribute $2,250 to your church. While that amount may seem small compared to the size of the initial gift, time quickly multiplies the impact. In 25 years, your $50,000 endowment will grow its annual distribution (from $2,250 to $4,570). Cumulative annual distributions over that 25-year period would total $82,000 — more than $30,000 above the original $50,000 gift.
*Net of fees. Assumes 7.5% growth and 4.5% annual distribution.
An Endowment May Be Perfect If:
You want your gift to impact ministry year after year.
You want to leave a gift that becomes part of your legacy.
You want to make a significant investment in the future.
You want your gift to grow over time.
You want to support your values and priorities in perpetuity.
“I’ve been a tither since I was 16. When I give to an endowment through WatersEdge, I know that the income will continue to help the church or ministry I’ve chosen to support from now until Jesus comes. Endowment is a way for me to leave a legacy beyond myself so that when I’m dead and gone, I’m still giving a tithe. That’s very fulfilling to me.”
Wayne Childers
Donor | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Go Deeper
Tax Impacts
You are eligible for a charitable tax deduction for the full value of the gift because there is no benefit to any individual(s); it’s fully charitable, like a donor-advised fund.
Fees & Rates
WatersEdge charges an administration fee of 1.00%.
Minimums
The minimum funding for an endowment is $1,000.
Investment Options
We invest all endowments in the Spending Policy Pool. The Spending Policy Pool is a highly diversified fund investing in stocks, bonds, and alternative investments. It is broadly allocated to 70% global equity, 20% income-oriented, and 10% inflation-oriented assets. All investments are subject to risk and there are prohibitive restrictions on investments in tobacco, pornography, gambling, abortion, alcohol and embryonic stem cell research.
What Assets Can Fund This Gift?
- Cash
- Publicly traded stocks and bonds
- Mutual funds
- Real estate
- Many privately held investments
Online Platform
WatersEdge has an online platform (through a third-party service) where you can view the statements and account activity of the endowment you have created.
FAQ
1. How does an endowment work?
Endowed gifts are perpetual; they will continue supporting a ministry indefinitely. Usually, the principal of the gift is never spent but invested; a portion of the interest earned is given to the beneficiary of the endowment each year.
2. What are the tax advantages of an endowment gift?
Endowed gifts are 100% charitable donations and immediate tax deductions.
3. How do endowments support ministries?
Many ministries rely on endowments to sustain long-term fundraising efforts or to weather temporary dips in annual charitable giving.
4. How do I set up an endowment?
Endowments are established with a minimum of $1,000. The donor chooses the name of the endowment and beneficiary of the endowment’s interest earned.
5. What is the difference in an outright gift vs. and endowed gift?
Outright gifts pass through WatersEdge to the selected ministry. Endowed gifts last into perpetuity. We like to say, “they will be here until Jesus returns.” Some of the interest earned from endowed gifts is distributed to the selected ministry on an annual basis; therefore, generally, the larger the endowment, the larger the ongoing annual gift.
Create Your Endowment Today
Review Your Giving Options
When you give generously, the details make all the difference. It’s important to keep in mind your family situation, tax considerations and charitable goals.
Make the right choice with a simple side-by-side comparison.
