How do I leave money to the church?

How to give financially without your bank account

When you give to your local church (or any charitable organization for that matter), you likely do what the vast majority of people do: you pull out your wallet or checkbook, you enter an account number on a website, or you open an app on your phone. In other words, you give cash.

If you do this, don’t stop. Continue being generous with the money God has entrusted to you.

But did you know that, for most people, the amount sitting in their checking and savings accounts only represents about 10% of their total wealth? Crazy thought, huh? So where does the remaining 90% live?

Non-cash assets.

If this is a new concept for you, no worries. A non-cash asset is simply something of value that you own that isn’t cash—things like real estate, stocks, IRAs, and business interests. If you own one or more non-cash assets, perhaps you’ve never been aware that you can make a charitable contribution out of these. Or maybe you knew you could but never looked into it because you weren’t sure where to begin. Both perspectives are understandable, but help is just a click away.

And getting the right help is essential because there’s a fair bit of complexity when giving a non-cash asset. Various tax laws are part of the complexity and the fact that there are several creative ways to give such gifts. The assistance of a trusted third-party professional makes the process easy for the donor. And when you enter into this partnership, you embark on a rewarding stewardship journey called “planned giving.”

Planned giving is what it sounds like future giving based on a plan. The plan can involve cash and non-cash assets, be connected to your retirement goals, and include giving both during your life and after you pass away. Planned giving is often connected to a will (the legal document that transfers ownership of your assets after you pass).

For anyone striving to manage their God-entrusted assets faithfully, planned giving is a imperative consideration that can increase your ability to give generously well into the future. And the experts at Orchard Alliance would love to walk alongside you, helping you plan and pursue your giving goals. To get started, click here.