Supporting your parish . . .

St. Francis de Sales Parish, just like the first Church community in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42-47), relies on its members to support its life and work by giving of their time, energy, financial support, and prayers. There are many opportunities to use your God-given gifts and talents to further the mission of Christ here at St. Francis de Sales. Of course, your hard-earned dollars are needed, too. Your monetary contributions are carefully overseen by the Finance Council, and it is used in many ways: meeting the church’s operating expenses, providing Catholic education, supporting the Church’s wider mission, evangelizing, and helping others in need. To support the Church financially is to sacrifice for the mission of Jesus, but it is also our own generous response to God in thanksgiving for all the blessings given to us.  Planned giving is an important part of supporting the Church.

"God is more glorified when we unite with our brethren and neighbors and join our offerings to theirs." –St. Francis de Sales

What is planned giving?

Planned giving is a form of charitable giving in which the donor arranges a donation to be made as part of their financial or estate plan.  Planned gifts are sometimes deferred, meaning they will be given when the donor passes away. 

There are several options for planned giving.  These can include: 

• Bequests: you leave a portion of your estate to the church
• Retirement plans: you leave unused retirement assets to the church
• Life insurance: you name the church as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy
• Stock: you donate appreciated stock to the church
• Qualified Charitable Distributions: you designate the church as the payee of your required minimum distribution from an IRA

Planned giving benefits the donor in several ways.  You are securing your involvement in the church during your lifetime and beyond, leaving a legacy.  It also lets you decide the impact to the church by specifying particular programs or projects to be funded.  Wills can be updated easily, giving you flexibility.  You can also receive tax benefits from planned giving by reducing current and/or estate taxes.  Potential tax benefits should be discussed with your financial and tax advisors. 

 If you have questions about any of the options above, please contact Carolyn Klemp, in the parish office or via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.