GIVING
GIVING
"Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord."
There are a variety of ways that you can give to Stanwich Church. Donations can be designated to the main operating budget or to our Missions Fund. All gifts remain anonymous to our Pastors and leadership.
By clicking the Donate Now icon above you can immediately make a one-time gift or set up a recurring gift to Stanwich Church. Online giving is a safe and easy way to support Stanwich’s ministries. Online gifts may be charged to a credit card or established as an ACH transfer from your savings/checking account.
Our online giving function meets the highest industry standards for privacy and security.
ANNUAL MEETING
June 10, at 7pm, 202 Taconic Road, Greenwich
We invite you to attend this important meeting, open to all members, to elect new officers and to vote on the 2019-2020 budget.
The agenda, minutes from last year's meeting and the slate of officers will be mailed out shortly. Please see documents below:
FY 2020 Proposed Budget Operating
FY 2020 Proposed Budget Missions
GIVING AT STANWICH
There are many ways to give at Stanwich. Whether you are making a gift online, transferring securities or planning a legacy gift as part of your estate planning, Stanwich staff can assist you in the process.
Offering Plate
Place your donation in the offering plate each Sunday. Cash and checks may be placed in the small envelopes located in the pews if you wish to designate your gift.
Send a Check
Checks may be sent directly to the church office at:
Stanwich Congregational Church
Attn: Financial Secretary
202 Taconic Road
Greenwich, CT 06831
Online Donations
By clicking the Donate Now icon at the top of this page, you can make an electronic funds transfer from your checking or savings account or charge your credit card.
Text Giving
Text Giving has become one of the newest ways to make giving easy. In less time than it takes to write a check, congregation members can make weekly offerings and respond to special appeals by sending a text message. You may Give by Text by sending a text message to 203-275-0023 (the account code for Stanwich Church) and entering the amount you wish to give as the message. If you have not previously given by text, you will be prompted to first enter your debit or credit card information. Once you have registered, future gifts will be processed automatically. Our text giving solution meets the industry's highest standards for privacy and security. Please see the Give by Text guide for more detailed instructions.
Gifts of Securities
You can receive a tax deduction on the appreciated value of securities donated to the church and avoid paying capital gains tax. Securities can easily be transferred to the Stanwich Church brokerage account by contacting Sheila Hyland, Business Administrator, in the church office at 203-661-4420. Sheila will provide easy step-by-step instructions for completing the transfer.
PLANNED GIVING
Planned giving allows you to support Stanwich Church in ways that allow you to maximize your gifts to grow God's Kingdom. Planned giving is often an integral component of estate and tax planning and should normally be undertaken with the assistance of a financial planner or attorney.
Charitable IRA Distributions
Members of the congregation who have reached the age of 70 1/2 can make a distribution from a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA directly to Stanwich Church and the distribution is excluded from adjusted gross income for income tax purposes. A charitable IRA distribution may be an effective means to lower taxes for tax payers who use the standard deduction as well as those who itemize deductions.
Bequests
Include Stanwich Church in your will, either in cash, property, or share of your estate value. Remembering Stanwich Church can be done as simply as instructing:
“I give and bequeath to Stanwich Congregational Church of Greenwich ___ percentage of my total estate" (or as a fixed dollar value).
Charitable Remainder Trust
A Charitable Remainder Trust allows you to retain income from assets you give to Stanwich Church. You place the assets in a trust that will ultimately benefit Stanwich Church, and designate a fixed percentage of the trust to be paid annually to you, a family member, or other beneficiary. The income can be paid for life, or for a fixed number of years, at the end of which the assets pass to Stanwich Church.
Life Income Gifts
This allows you to transfer assets now, and yet continue to receive income from the cash, stock, or other contributed property. This form of gift is often made through a trust arrangement called an “annuity trust” or a “unitrust”. It can allow you to increase your income for life, plus receive a generous charitable contribution deduction, and if the contribution is in appreciated securities, avoid any capital gains tax. You will need to consult your family attorney for details.
Life Insurance Policy
Owners of individual paid-up life insurance policies that are no longer needed to protect family members or a business, may donate them by making Stanwich Church the beneficiary. Or, create a new policy with Stanwich Church as the beneficiary. This approach can provide tax benefits for your estate.
FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
"We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men." (2 Corinthians 8:20-21)
Scripture requires a complete and thorough accounting for gifts given in service to the Lord. The leadership of Stanwich Church fully recognizes our responsibility for proper stewardship of church resources. Integral to this stewardship process is full and open transparency regarding budgeting and investment of your gifts in Kingdom growth as we strive "To Know Christ and Make Him Known."
To meet the goal of transparency and accountability, several financial reports are available for your review upon request. The current year budget for Stanwich Church is presented in the "Stanwich Congregational Church Stewardship 2018-2019" document. The budget highlights the ministry priorities established by the congregation and the planned spending to achieve the agreed upon ministry goals. The financial statements for the last fiscal year along with the external auditors are available here.
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in these reports, please contact Sheila Hyland, Business Administrator, in our church office at 203-661-4420.