Emmanuel has always been a vibrant community where people grow in faith, care for one another, and reach out to make an impact on the community.
The Planned Giving program will help ensure that our ministry is able to continue this impact into the future, focusing on new opportunities to spread the gospel.
Planned Giving refers to gifts made either during a donor’s lifetime or as a legacy (charitable estate) gift, effective upon the donor’s death.
Planned Giving at Emmanuel Webinar
The ELC Endowment Team along with Rev. Yvonne Lembo, Regional Planner for the ELCA Foundation, presented an online forum regarding:
- How your planned gifts can provide long-term financial stability for Emmanuel and its various ministries
- The opportunities to participate in planned giving at Emmanuel
- The role of the ELCA Foundation and its relationship with the ELC Endowment Fund
- Results of a congregational survey on legacy giving
Watch the full session here or review the materials below!
The Endowment provides grants to Emmanuel’s own ministry teams, as well as 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) charitable organizations to support projects or ministries that align with Emmanuel’s mission and help us carry forward God’s work in our congregation, our community, and our world in a way that extends beyond our annual operating budget.
Financial Stability & Impactful Ministry for Years to Come
In 2020, with a gift of $25,000 from its general operating account, Emmanuel Lutheran Church established the ELC Endowment Fund for the purpose of encouraging planned gifts to provide sustained, long-term support for Emmanuel and its various ministries.
Since 2020, the ELC Endowment Fund has received over $560,000 in gifts, enabling Emmanuel to award a total of over $57,000 in grants since 2022. Grant recipients have included:
- Caroline Furnace Camp and Retreat Center
- Committee for Helping Others
- The Metropolitan Washington D.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Emmanuel Lutheran Church Preschool
- Emmanuel Lutheran Church Property Team
- Emmanual Lutheran Church Youth Team
- FACETS
- Girl Scout Nations Capital Troop #54019
- Gracing Spaces
- Mar-Lu-Ridge Camp and Retreat Center
- Reset 180
- Sheperd's Center of Northern Virginia
- The Lamb Center
- Young Clergy Women International
Why Give to the ELC Endowment Fund?
An endowment is a time-honored way for non-profits of all types to establish a consistent and stable source of funding for important objectives, whether it is a specific ministry or for the care of the church facility.
Your contributed funds can have a lasting and powerful impact because the donated funds generate income over long periods of time.
If you are considering a lifetime or legacy gift to the Endowment Fund, please contact one of Emmanuel’s Pastors or Endowment Communicators. Contributions to the Endowment Fund can be made via Tithely or by a check.
How Your Unrestricted Gifts will be Used
- The initial $1,000,000 in gifts will be allocated equally (50/50) to a Community Impact endowment and a Facility Care endowment.
- The next $2,000,000 in gifts will be allocated to the Facility Care endowment, so it is fully funded at $2,500,000, after which the Facility Care endowment will be closed to further donations.
- Total gifts more than $3,000,000 will be deposited into the general Endowment Fund and used for any eligible ministry
or another purpose (other than Facility Care).
How Your Restricted Gifts will be Used
- A restricted planned gift may be designated for an existing ELC ministry (e.g., the Lamb Center, Hypothermia Week, the Columbarium) or to start a new ministry. Before accepting a restricted gift, the Endowment Team reviews it to ensure consistency with Emmanuel’s ministry goals and timely implementation.
- The Endowment Fund currently has one sub-account that was created as a result of a restricted gift. The Preschool Endowment Fund is used to provide needs-based scholarships to Preschool students and support PreSchool programing.
Legacy gifts are made by a donor through their will, trust, estate plan, or as a designated beneficiary on a financial asset. They are realized after the death the donor.
We can help you navigate your options to create an estate plan that benefits the Emmanuel ministries that mean the most to you and maximizes your financial and estate-planning goals.
No matter your age or financial situation, now is a good time to review or create your estate plan. Our ELCA Regional Gift Planner and Emmanuel's Planned Giving Coordinators are here to help. There’s no cost or obligation. Resources are available to help you leave a legacy. If you already have an estate plan and simply wish to update it in order to include Emmanuel, click on the button below to view or download a sample amendment form.
Estate Planning Workshop
Emmanuel hosted a virtual workshop in April 2021 for anyone who is looking to learn more about estate planning (wills, trusts, Advance Medical Directives, Powers of Attorney). No matter if you have estate plans in place or not, or you would like to determine if your current estate plans need to be updated, this workshop video is for you!
We cover how to make charitable estate gifts to your church and the ELCA. Our presenters include: Alison Mathey, Attorney; then ELCA Foundation Regional Gift Planner, Rev. Yvonne Lembo; and then Thrivent Representative, Mark Knauff.
Emmanuel has Planned Giving Communicators who are appointed by the Council to the Endowment Team and hold a position of trust and confidence to assist all prospective donors.
The Planned Giving Communicator is responsible for:
- Providing general information to members and friends of Emmanuel about the Endowment Fund and other giving options, restricted and unrestricted gifts, planned giving, estate planning, legacy gifts, and lifetime gifts.
- Assisting prospective donors by presenting options and opportunities for structuring a legacy and/or lifetime gift.
- Referring prospective donors to subject matter experts to assist with estate planning and gift planning.
- Ensuring that donor expectations are recorded.
- Ensuring that planned giving donors are recognized for their generosity.
Meet Susan Olenchuk
Susan has been a member of Emmanuel since 2002. Before joining the ELC Endowment Team, Susan served on the ad hoc team that developed Emmanuel’s new Congregation Gift Policy, Endowment Fund Gift Policy and related revisions to Emmanuel’s by-laws. Susan has co-chaired Emmanuel’s Staff Support Team since 2009 and was a member of the Congregation Council from 2006-2009, serving two years as Secretary and one year as President. She is currently the council-appointed treasurer of the congregation.
Susan is an attorney and practices energy law. In 2006, she was introduced to Terry Olenchuk in front of the coffee pots in the Centrum, and they have been married since 2007. Susan enjoys gardening, traveling, Big Ten college football and basketball, and Washington Nationals baseball.
Meet Dennis Moyer
Dennis has been a member of Emmanuel since 1974. He is married to Chris, an ELC member
since 1965, and they are parents to three adult, married children - Emily, Adam and Caroline - who were all active in the Emmanuel youth program. Dennis served for several years as co-captain of the ELC Building Team (aka Building in Faith), is currently co-captain of both the Columbarium Team and the Endowment Team, and is a member of the new Columbarium Team. He was a member of the Congregation Council from 2010-2015, serving as Vice President and later President.
After spending almost 40 years practicing law in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, Dennis retired in November of 2016. When not working on ELC matters, Dennis enjoys travel, reading, model railroading, family history, and spending time with Chris and their six grandchildren.