The Foundation
About the Foundation
The aim of the Christian steward is to receive, manage and pass along the gifts of God. Because of a need to help the members in the planning of their gifts, University Park United Methodist Church established a permanently endowed foundation in 1983. The UPUMC Foundation is a fund set up exclusively to receive gifts of cash and property through gift planning and memorials and is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation. All gifts are tax deductible and once the gifts are invested, only growth and earnings from those gifts are distributed, not principle.
The Foundation is designed to extend the ministries of the church beyond its routine operations to provide enrichment programs that would otherwise not be possible beyond regular tithing.
The Foundation is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees drawn from the UPUMC membership. Additional non-voting members of the Board include the Senior Pastor, Church Council Chair, Church Lay Leader, and Director of Finance.
Current Foundation board members:
Gary Utkov - Chairperson
2020: Debbie Scripps, Gary Utkov, Rex Weigand
2021: Zach Petrone, Tommy Summers, Skyler Weinand
2022: Derek Fuller, Janet Hodge, Reed Wilcox
Staff: Constance Harp
Use of Funds
The Foundation provides the security of knowing that gifts left to a particular purpose or cause will be handled in a responsible way, and will be used only in accordance with your wishes. Earnings from the Foundation may go toward any of the many programs or needs within our congregation. Examples include:
Operating Budget:
- Pastoral care
- UPUMC mission projects, local and worldwide
- Evangelism
- Senior adult ministries
- Children's and youth ministries
- Music ministries
Scholarships:
- Graduation Senior Scholarships
- Ministry or Christian Service
Adult Library
Gifts may be made without a specific designation as to use. In this case, the Foundation's Board of Trustees will determine the specific use to best fulfill the mission and ministry of the Church. Such unrestricted gifts are of great importance in funding new and expanded ministries.
Ways to Participate
There are four basic classifications of gifts to the UPUMC Foundation:
- In Gratitude – for those giving only because they are grateful to their church and want to invest in its future.
- In Appreciation of – for those individuals or groups who want to honor a named living person.
- Memorials – for those who wish to make a gift in memory of a named deceased loved one
- Bequests – for those who have named the Foundation as a beneficiary in their wills. The bequest will be recorded as a gift in the year that the will is probated and the grant delivered to the Foundation
Contact
For more information about the Foundation and way to participate, please contact:
Constance Harp | Director of Finance | 214.368.1435 ext. 132 | charp@upumc.org
