Online Giving
If you would like to partner with us in reaching Lakeland and beyond with the love of Christ + supporting the vision of First United, please click the button below to securely give. Every gift makes a huge difference. We thank you for your support and generosity. This church can continue to change lives, provide comfort, guidance, and inspiration to our congregation and community because of your faithful giving.
Stewardship 2025
Our goal is always to set a balanced budget for the year. To do that we need your pledge toward the 2025 budget as every gift and every pledge matters! When you submit your pledge form it gives us a picture of what you intend to give. All returned pledge cards and forms, combined with other sources of giving, provide us with a good estimate of the income. We adjust the budget to match the estimated income, creating a balanced budget. This allows us to make commitments to our mission and ministry partners for 2025.
Other Ways to Give
Estate planning is a way to give that provides for the long-term future of the church. Below are some ways you can include the church in your estate plan. Contact Mandy Eichbrecht for more information about non-cash contributions and always consult your legal, financial, and tax advisors about the tax-deductibility of gifts in your particular situation. You are invited to view our Planned Giving Brochure here.
A gift of real estate generally will generate a tax deduction for the full appraised, fair market value. Like securities, the capital gain is not taxable to the donor or the church.
A lead trust can be established to provide income to the church for a specified term of years. After the term of years, the assets in the trust revert back to the donor or to the individual(s) designated by the donor. Cash, securities, and some types of real estate can be used to fund the trust. There is no income tax deduction for this type of gift but there may be an estate tax savings.
Deferred gifts are gifts that are received sometime in the future by the church. During that time, the donor retains an interest in the assets. Examples of deferred gifts include bequests, estate notes, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, “Pay on Death” accounts, IRA beneficiary and life insurance.
Gifts-in-kind are products or materials that can be given to aid particular projects being undertaken by the church. Examples include construction materials (concrete, lumber, bricks, paint, etc.), building materials (windows, doors, plumbing, lighting, flooring, etc.) or furnishings (tables, chairs, audio-visual equipment, appliances, etc.).
Families often have life insurance policies originally purchased to cover mortgage expenses or pay for college for a child. If these reasons no longer exist, an insurance policy can be a wonderful way to make a gift to the church. The tax deduction is equal to the replacement value or the donor’s cost in the policy, whichever is less. The church will have the option of retaining the policy or taking the current cash surrender value.
Tax-deductible gifts of personal property may include antiques, art, jewelry, vehicles, boats, coin or stamp collections and other valuable assets. These gifts of personal property have varying tax deductibility requirements, so be sure to consult with your legal, financial and tax advisors about such requirements. To discuss making a gift of personal property, please contact Harriet Mayes.
Long-term appreciated capital gain property (such as stock) is one of the most common ways to make additional gifts. These gifts are tax-deductible at the full fair market value subject to some limitations. Also, the gain is not subject to taxation to the donor or the church. Example: a donor paid $2,000 to purchase stock now worth $10,000. If the donor sells the stock, he/she pays capital gains taxes on the $8,000 gain. If the donor gives the stock to the church, neither the donor nor the church pays taxes and the donor receives a $10,000 tax deduction.