What is a Planned Gift? Any gift made during a lifetime as part of ones estate, whether by Will, a trust or other means.

What is the Ministry of Planned Giving? It is a ministry of guidance and stewardship that can assist you in end of life preparation and estate planning. It is also raising awareness about how our spiritual legacy is intertwined with our financial legacy.

Why Make a Planned Gift? The church teaches that everything we have is a gift from God. Careful management of financial assets should include plans for orderly disposition at death. The legacy we leave for the church is a witness to our faith and will help ensure that the ministry of the church will continue after we are gone. When you name your church, the diocese, or an Episcopal institution as the beneficiary of a planned gift, typically those assets will be placed in an endowment fund of that congregation or institution. Earnings from endowments are used for mission and ministry beyond the normal operating budget, and in accordance with any specific designations you may choose to make.

Planned Giving refers to gifts made from assets accumulated during one's lifetime. Usually these gifts are part of an overall estate plan and are typically made by:

• A Will - Providing for family first, the church and other charities through a bequest in one's Last Will and Testament


• A Charitable Remainder Trust - Allows the donor to receive income for life while making a major gift to the Church


• A Gift of Life Insurance - Making the church the named beneficiary of an existing policy, or purchasing a new policy and making the Church the named beneficiary


• A Gift of Property - Allowing assets such as securities, objects of value and real estate to be transferred to the church, often with significant tax advantages


• A Gift of Retirement Assets - Making the Church the beneficiary of an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

Who are the members of the Legacy Society? Any person who has made a provision in their estate plan for a congregation, the Diocese, or an Episcopal Institution is eligible to be enrolled, as are persons making a current gift to any Episcopal endowment fund. By allowing your name to be added to the rolls of the Legacy Society, your gift will stand quietly as a witness now and to future generations. Please join the hundreds of members from across the Diocese by asking for A Legacy Society Enrollment Form. An enrollment form may be obtained from your priest or from Lynn Lazlo at the Diocesan House. Your witness to your faith and the future of the church is important, and we would like to acknowledge your thoughtfulness.

As the loving, extravagant Giver, God surely finds pleasure in human generosity. When we act as faithful stewards of our many gifts, we claim the image of God within us. Therefore, I give thanks for the Legacy Society that offers us opportunities to live into who we are called to be — givers, in God's image.

— The Rt. Rev. Charles vonRosenberg, Bishop of East Tennessee

There is no gift too small.

If you have already made provisions for a planned gift, we are deeply grateful. In order for us to to thank you and enroll you in the Legacy Society, we ask that you contact Lynn Lazlo at the Diocesan House, and a form will be mailed to your home. If you have considered making a planned gift to the church and would like to receive a brochure about Planned Giving, indicate your interest and speak with your rector or Planned Giving Committee member.

For more information about the Legacy Society in the Diocese of East Tennessee, contact Lynn Lazlo (llazlo@etdiocese.net or 865.966.2110)