Designated Gifts

 

Saint Sophia models the concept of generous and faithful Christian Stewardship as the primary means of advancing the Church’s sacred mission. Saint Sophia is very grateful for the generous gifts from many parishioners and friends who prefer to direct their gifts to a specific need of the parish.

 

Sometimes donors have a particular area of interest they choose to support, such as building projects, special ministries, scholarships, iconography, kitchen equipment, etc. Others have offered people have graciously donated their specialized form of labor or expertise to the church. 

Unless a donor specifically requests otherwise, all gifts will be used to support first and foremost first and foremost the operational budget of the church. Saint Sophia’s immediate needs.

 

The church also receives designated giving in areas that are in harmony with the mission

of the church. While Saint Sophia accepts enduring or endowment gifts for special purposes, the intention of the church is to utilize its resources to further its mission immediately.

 

Integrity

Saint Sophia handles funds with a high standard of integrity and accountability.

All donations are recorded in the parish financial records, reported to the Treasurer of the Parish Council (and the Parish Council) and audited annually.

 

Refused donations

Saint Sophia reserves the right to refuse any donation for any reason. To ensure that all gifts are effectively used, no gift will be accepted which is unduly restrictive, likely to result in a net loss

for the church or designated for a purpose outside of the mission of the church.

 

Donation Receipts

Saint Sophia will provide any donor a summary statement of recorded donations upon request. All donors will receive a contribution statement in January or February for the previous year’s donation that lists individual donations by fund, including date. In compliance with IRS regulations, Saint Sophia does not receipt the value of donated labor. Recognizing that a charitable contribution is unconditional and without personal benefit to the donor, Saint Sophia does not refund contributions.

 

Non-cash donations

Non-cash gifts to the church will be acknowledged (upon request) with a letter of appreciation that describes the donated property but does not indicate a value for the donated item. For larger non-cash gifts (over $5,000 in value) the church will comply with donor needs

for appraisal and completion of Form 8382.

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Bequests and other legacy gifts

Life gifts, whether made directly or by bequest are accepted in the form of cash, securities or real property are generally accepted. Gifts may be unrestricted or designated for a specific purpose. Gifts received by members of the Legacy Society will automatically be invested in Saint Sophia’s Permanent Endowment Fund unless otherwise specified by the donor in writing. All designated gifts shall include a clause granting the Parish Council the privilege of changing the use of the gift in the event the designated purpose has already been achieved, is not a viable ministry of the congregation or no longer fits the scope of the church’s mission. If it is not possible to follow the donor request, the Parish Council will determine, at its discretion, an appropriate use for the gift—taking into account the donor’s ascertainable intent.