Honoring a loved one through a memorial gift to Brecksville United Methodist Church empowers the work of the church today, tomorrow and for generations to come. A memorial gift is a beautiful, tangible choice that allows their spirit to keep on giving.
How are these gifts used?
Living Memorial gifts are invested by the Gifts and Memorials Committee in perpetuity. The principal of the fund remains invested, while the income received from the investments may be used for church purposes as determined by the Committee. Gifts to the Living Memorial Trust
Fund (a minimum of $5,000) are special gifts. Names of our Living Memorial Donors are commemorated on a plaque in the church lobby.
Please contact the church office with any questions regarding the giving of Living Memorials.
How do I give a Memorial Gift?
Giving a memorial gift is easy. If giving by check, please include āMemorial Gift – and name of the person being rememberedā in the memo line. Online, choose the Gifts & Memorials fund and include the name of the person remembered in the memo line. The personās family will be notified of your gift. If you would like to include a customized link for online gifts in a loved one’s obituary, contact the church office.
About the Gifts & Memorials Committee
Overview, Responsibilities & Guidelines
OVERVIEW
The Gifts & Memorials Committee of the Brecksville United Methodist Church manages the funds of the Gifts and Memorials Fund and the Living Memorial Trust Fund. The committee determines how the funds will be distributed based on requests received. The committee is made up of nine members who are nominated by the Lay Leadership Committee and approved by the Administrative Board.
The Gifts and Memorials Fund was established in 1964 to provide a fund to honor or memorialize persons through monetary contributions. Contributions to this fund can be made in any amount.
In 1975 by Administrative Board action the church established the Living Memorial Fund. A Living Memorial is established by a contribution of at least $5000 in the name of an individual or married couple over a six month period. The principal of this fund is to remain invested with only the interest income available for distribution.
In July 2002 the Administrative Board established the policy for the amount of funds to be available annually for disbursement. The policy reads as follows:
The amount of Available Funds for disbursement by the Gifts & Memorials Committee in any calendar year shall be limited to the total of (a) realized earnings of the fund in the prior year plus (b) an amount equal to 5% of the fund balance, excluding all living memorial funds, as of the end of the prior year.
Any available funds not distributed during a calendar year will roll back into the Gifts and Memorials Fund. These funds are not added to the next yearās available funds.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Gifts & Memorial Committee will meet at least quarterly. The date and time will be established and placed on the church calendar as early as possible to allow church committees adequate time to prepare requests.
The funds of the Gifts and Memorials Fund and Living Memorial Fund are to be invested in accordance with the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline. A complete review of investments should be completed by the Gifts & Memorials Committee at least annually.
The Committee will maintain an electronic record of all purchases approved by Gifts & Memorials. Once a year a listing of all purchases approved during the prior twelve months will be provided in a brochure or church bulletin insert. This brochure will also include a list of all persons in whose name a memorial contribution has been made or a living memorial has been established.
Periodically Gifts & Memorials will provide information in a brochure or church bulletin insert to encourage members and friends of the church to make memorial gifts. The information will include how contributions can be made to the Gifts and Memorials Fund and how to establish a Living Memorial.
GUIDELINES
Contributions to Gifts and Memorials are to be monetary. Any nonmonetary gift to the church would not go through Gifts and Memorials and would need approval of the appropriate church committee accepting the gifted item.
Monetary contributions to Gifts and Memorials are to be non-restricted or non-designated for a specific purpose. Any giving for a specific purpose would go through the appropriate church committee and would not be considered a memorial gift.
Any staff member or church committee may submit a request from Gifts & Memorials using the Request for Funds form which is available here. The form should be completed and submitted online. In the event the on-line form cannot be completed, a hard copy form can be obtained from the church office. Requests should be submitted at least seven days prior to an established meeting date to allow committee members an opportunity to review requests prior to the meeting. In the event of a large request, a representative from the requesting committee may be asked to attend the Gifts & Memorials meeting to explain the request. Any request with a short time frame for action should be sent to the Gifts & Memorials chairperson with an explanation of the need for immediate action. The committee will then act on the request in an expedited manner.
The Gifts & Memorials Committee will consider all requests that come before the committee. The committee is responsible for determining whether requests meet general guidelines of a memorial gift. Determinations will not be based upon whether individual committee members personally support the request. In general requests should be for the benefit of the church as a whole, as opposed to the benefit of a specific individual or committee. Funds through Gifts & Memorials are not intended to cover expenses that should be included in the church budget, such as routine maintenance, or to supplement a shortfall in budgeted revenue. Any request for funds that will require ongoing maintenance from another church committee may require the approval of the committee responsible for maintaining the project.