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Planned Giving

Make a difference in people's lives and always be remembered for your contribution

Benefit yourself, your family and First United Methodist Church with your gift

Help First United Methodist Church fulfill its mission for many years and generations to come

Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift to FUMC

Joanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters of our church. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged her to update her estate plan. Joanne thought that was a great idea. In fact, she had been thinking about meeting with her attorney to discuss how she could make a significant gift to the church.

Joanne: Hal and I were passionate about First Methodist Church of Tulsa's mission. We even volunteered regularly. After Hal passed away, I wanted to make a gift that would honor his memory.

When she met with her attorney, Joanne explained her goals and described her assets. She'd inherited Hal's IRA, which when combined with her own, would provide her with the necessary retirement security she needed. She even had enough to allow her to take regular vacations and splurge on gifts for the grandkids.

Joanne: I had originally thought about leaving my IRA to our kids and other assets to charity. My attorney suggested a different strategy and told me that an IRA is a great gift to leave to the church. He explained that if my kids inherited the IRA, my estate would pay estate taxes and my kids would pay income tax on the IRA. But, by giving the IRA to the church and other assets to my kids, the kids will still receive a nice inheritance, and we avoid income and estate taxes entirely!

Joanne: IRA beneficiary designation form. I completed the form, named First United Methodist Church as the primary beneficiary of my IRA and mailed it back to the custodian. I called First United Methodist Church to tell them about my gift, and they were very touched. I know Hal would be happy too. Best of all, I can continue to use my IRA for as long as I live, and when I pass away, my IRA will go to FUMC.

Is a beneficiary designation gift right for you?

If you own a qualified retirement plan, such as an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) and would like to make a charitable gift, your family or your estate might benefit if you update your beneficiary designation form naming FUMC as a beneficiary. Beneficiary designation gifts may help your heirs avoid paying income tax on certain inherited assets and may help your estate avoid estate taxes.

If you have questions about making a beneficiary designation gift, please contact us. We would be happy to work with you and answer any questions that you have.

*Please note: The name and image above is representative of a typical donor and may or may not be an actual donor to our church. Since the benefits of each gift may be different, you should seek the advice of your legal, tax or financial advisor.