Recent Posts

Please note that membership requests from addresses at gmail.com and mail.ru will not be approved because of the amount of spam generated by these addresses.  Other addresses may be blocked as well, if they appear to be illegitimate.

If you have a legitimate email address ending in one of these extensions, please email information@mmfa.info and request that your membership be approved.

Thank you.

This week we worked with a Moravian, from Arizona, to create a Deferred Gift Annuity (DGA) that will benefit 6 ministries of the Church. A DGA is often called a "charitable IRA." A donor funds a DGA today, with the promise by the Foundation to start payments at defined point down the road. By deferring when the payments begin, the donor receives a larger annual payment. Below is the link to the GiftLegacy page that will show you how a DGA works.

https://www.glpresents.com/presentscalc.jsp?WebID=GL2002-0010&sProgram=6&SSID=1E02110E81AB060D63D6E06685C833E7&host=www.giftlegacy.com

The donor will also receive a current income tax deduction. And, some portion of th eventual payment will be exempt from federal taxes. (In some states, it is free of income taxes, as well.)

It is a great way to do something charitably and to supplement your retirement income. 

By the way, this is the fourth DGA this donor has established.

Paul D. McLaughlin

Last week I met with the capital campaign committee at Schoeneck Moravian Church, Nazareth PA. The committee members are Cathee Butz, Kurt Eichman, Glenn Hertzog, Bill Lashley, Terry Folk (Schoeneck pastor) and Brenda Sue Rice, Chairperson. These folks have worked very hard and mounted a successful campaign, raising over $300,000. The  "Celebrate the Past - Prepare for the Future" Capital Campaign has raised funds to improve handicap accessibility by adding an elevator/lift and more handicapped accessible parkiing spaces, to repair and restore the belfry, and to air condition the sanctuary. And, in preparation for the congregation's 250th anniversary in 2012, they hope to complete several additional small projects in the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall.

The Committee and I have been meeting regularly over several months as we've moved through the feasibility study stage, the campaign planning and now the campaign management. In addition to the generous giving to the campaign, Pastor Terry reports that general giving for the operational budget has increased.

They're a great group and I've enjoyed working with them through this exciting project.

This series of posts will report on the results capital campaigns Morning Star Campaign Services has been involved. Special recognition will be made to the churches/ministries who made their campaigns happen. While the Foundation provides expert advise and counsel, the real heroes are the men and women who lead these efforts and commit themselves to making their dream a reality.   
 

As we head towards the end of the year, many donors consider gifts of securities. While this year the Foundation may not see as many, we still expect that some will be made.

The Foundation offers a free service (excluding the discount brokerage fee paid upon the sale of the securities) to Moravians who wish to make gifts of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.  There are some simply steps that need to be followed:

1) Contact our office and we will supply the information your broker will need to execute a wire transfer of the assets to be donated.

2) In the event you hold the certificates or like instruments that you intend to donate, a sign "stock power" must accompany the certificate. The Foundation can supply you with this document.

3) Before the transfer or accompanying the certificate, the Foundation requires each donor to provide us with "gift instructions." It is a simply letter that tells us how many shares you intend to donate, the name of the securities, and where you want the proceeds from the sale to be distributed (your church, a favorite ministry...). The Foundation's policy is: We will not sell securities or distribute any proceeds without gift instructions.

4) On the date of the arrival of the assets in the our brokerage account, the securities are are priced to determine the value of the gift. This is established by calculating the average selling price of the stocks and bonds on that day, or the closing price for a mutual fund. It is important to note - the value is NOT determined by the price of the security on the day the donor authorizes the gift, but the date the Foundation takes ownership of the security. Sometimes, these prices can be quite different.

5) The Foundation will sell the securities. Because of SEC regulations, there this three business settlement period, which prevents the Foundation from making an immediate distribution.  Once the sale settles, the proceeds are transferred to our checking account.

6) We prepare and forward a letter of acknowledgment to the donor for his/her tax records.

7) Finally, the Foundation distributes the proceeds to the donor's designated ministry(ies), along with any restrictions (for a capital campaign contribution, annual pledge, a special need or ministry...)   

The process can take a couple of weeks to complete; however, much of the timing is dependent upon - when the assets arrive in our account, the receipt of the gift letter, and our travel plans.

One word of advice: If you are planning a year-end gift - GIVE YOURSELF, YOUR BROKERAGE FIRM or MUTUAL FUND, and the FOUNDATION ADEQUATE TIME to PROCESS the GIFT. There is generally a year-end rush and the later you begin, the greater the chance it won't be completed by year-end.

If you have any question, please post away. I'll respond as quickly as possible.

Paul D. McLaughlin
President

Congress recently enacted legislation that allows individuals, over age 70 1/2, to make charitable gifts from IRAs. The Foundation has received a number of inquiries about this giving option. I will try to address some of the more common questions:

1) Who should I contact about making an IRA Rollover donation? You should contact the company that is custodian/trustee of your IRA and ask them about their procedures for making the gift. What we have heard is that each firm has different procedures. You should make very clear you want to make an IRA Rollover Charitable Gift.

2) Do I receive the proceeds and then pass it along to the charity? No, the distribution goes directly from the IRA custodian/trustee to the charity. You should, however, notify the charity that you are making an IRA Rollover gift and advise them of the amount and the name of the custodian/trustees. You should also watch your account to monitor when the contribution is made and notify the charity, accordingly.  You will need a written acknowledgment from the charity for your records. We have heard that some trustees/custodians provide information about the donor, while others simply distribute the amount, without information about the donor.

3) Will the distribution be reported on my 1099? Yes, it will be reported, but you will be able to deduct the full amount on your tax return  to avoid income taxes. The limit is $100,000 per person.

4) Is the IRA Rollover contribution considered part of my annual distribution? Yes, even if you take no distribution for yourself.

5) Can I use the IRA Rollover to fund a Gift Annuity or Charitable Remainder Trust? No. You can only make outright gifts with an IRA Rollover.

6) Can I make an IRA Rollover gift from my 401(k), 457, or 403(b) retirement plan? No. This legislation only allows for gifts from IRAs.

7) Can I make an IRA Rollover gift to more than one charity?  Yes. However, your IRA Trustee/Custodian may restrict the number and minimum size of the donation for administrative purposes.
 
If you have any other questions about an IRA Rollover gift, please feel free to post your questions and I'll do my best to answer them in a timely fashion.

Paul D. McLaughlin, President

[PURPOSE]

PURPOSE

The Moravian Ministries Foundation in America (MMFA) has established and maintains this Forum (MMFA Forum) as a tool for fostering dialogue and sharing information among and between Moravians on matters relating to charitable giving, endowment management, stewardship programs, capital campaigns and other needs and ministries that are consistent with the work of the Foundation.

We hope you enjoy and will use the Forum as the Foundation seeks to promote and develop an online community.

Please take time to read these rules. We have opened boards in which you may ask questions or make any comments about the Forum or the rules.  Feel free to use them.

OVERVIEW

By using our boards you are agreeing that you have read and will abide by the rules and guidelines detailed below. So please read them carefully.

Although the administrator of the MMFA Forum will attempt to keep all objectionable messages off these boards, it is impossible for us to review all messages. All messages express the views of the author, and the Moravian Ministries Foundation in America will not be held responsible for their content. The Administrator of the MMFA Forum has the right to remove, edit, move or close any thread for any reason or to ban any member and need not enter into discussion as to their reasons or justification.

FORUM RULES

The following are guidelines to follow when posting a message or reply:

1. Password Access
Upon registration you will create a password for your membership access. You may change your password at any time by editing your profile. You agree not to reveal your password to any other person and you shall be responsible for the confidentiality of your password and for all activities that occur from its use.

2. Privacy
The MMFA Forum will not disclose your name, email address or any other personal details supplied by you with your registration or other communication except in the following circumstances:

We may pass on your details or disclose your identifying data, other information or content to any law enforcement or regulatory authority in order to comply with their direction or request in regard to legal process.

We would like to add your email address to the list for our electronic newsletter.  If you would prefer not to be included, please send an email to information@mmfa.info requesting that you not be added to the electronic newsletter list.

3. Topics Specifically Prohibited
We do not allow posts, usernames or attachments that are, or appear to be to others, obscene, vulgar, sexually-oriented, hateful or threatening, of a political or racial nature or in violation of the law. Avoid outraged commentaries on sensational topics.

Postings on matters and issues affecting Church polity, practice or worship are not permitted. Topics should fall within the general scope of the work of the Foundation, philanthropy, stewardship, capital campaigns, endowment management and other areas consistent with the ministry and role of the Foundation with the Moravian Church in America.   

In addition, we do not allow classified ads of any sort. This is an information exchange forum, not a product exchange. If you want to purchase or sell something, you should visit sites which are specifically set up for those transactions.

The Forum is meant to be a place for friendly conversation. In order to keep it that way, such messages will be deleted, as will any that contain links to such material, at the sole discretion of the Administrator.

4. Stay on Topic
When posting a new message, choose the appropriate board and give your post an informative subject. When replying to a message, keep to the topic. If your message isn't on topic then it should be a new post, not a reply. If your post is in response to an existing thread, do not start a new one.

5. Do Not Transmit Dangerous Material
Do not post information that is deliberately false or misleading or anything that contains software viruses designed to interrupt the function of any other computer or its programs or files and do not attempt in any way to disrupt the Forum or its server.

6. Avoid Personal Insults or Flames
To avoid problems, be sure to read over your post before sending it. If you're joking, make it clear so that other members do not take it the wrong way. In other words, just try to be courteous.  Flames are subject to deletion and further action may follow.

7. No Bad-mouthing Specific Named Companies
Be aware that you may be accused of libel, so be careful.  Remember that this is a public forum, which can be viewed by non-members, so anything you write could be widely read.

8. No Spam, Blatant Advertising or Soliciting
Don't post an advertisement or offer a service for compensation. You can place your urls etc. in your signature. Also, you can recommend sites that may help or inform people (your own included) - but only if it is germane to the conversation in the topic in which you are posting. Spam will be deleted.

9. No Posting of Copyrighted and/or Illegal Material
This basically speaks for itself. If you wish to reference a copyrighted item, use a link to the original instead. Although we do try to screen the Forum, we are in no way responsible for the content you provide or the links you include, illegal or otherwise, and we reserve the right to disclose information about our members to the proper authorities in the case of copyright infringement or any illegal activity.

10. Avoid Cross-Posting
Cross-posting is the posting of the same (or nearly the same) message on more than one board. To avoid this, choose the one board which is most appropriate and post your message there. Any cross-posted message is subject to deletion from any or all boards on which it has been posted.

11. No Chain Letters
However worthy the cause, chain letters and petitions are not allowed. Posts containing them will be immediately deleted.

12. Do not Flood the Forum
"Flooding" the boards is posting numerous questions of a similar nature under different topics in a short period of time. These topics may be locked or deleted at the discretion of the Forum Administrator.

13. Keep Your Graphics User-Friendly
Limit the number of graphics you post and keep them as small as possible (in both file size and screen area) - remember the bandwidth. Nothing offensive please and no overly 'busy' animations - you don't want to frighten people away.

14. Modification of Terms And Conditions
MMFA reserves the right to modify these rules from time to time without notice. You should check them regularly.

Welcome!

The Moravian Ministries Foundation is delighted you have come to our forum. If you are not familiar with forums, there are rules, but more importantly this is a place where conversations and information about a wide range of topics associated with charitable giving, philanthropy, stewardship, capital fund drives, and other matters that fall within the broad scope of the work of the Foundation can and will be talked about.

The most important element of the forum is: It?s a place for Moravians to share, learn, discuss and even debate topics of interest to the visitors. In many of the exchanges, staff of the Foundation may not even weigh in or express a view. In other cases, we may involve ourselves or lead the conversations.  The essential purpose of the Forum is to ?talk? and to help Moravians experience and live their charitable dreams and to promote more philanthropy for more ministry.

Thank you and enjoy the Forum.

Paul D. McLaughlin
President

Although all features are usable, in terms of the appearance this forum is still in the development process.  You will notice changes in the appearance over the next weeks and months.  If you would like to make any suggestions regarding usability or appearance of this forum, please feel free to post them in response to this notice.  Your comments will be taken into consideration during the development of the forum.  We hope that you will be at home here and we'd like to make it comfortable for you.

Lee Morgan
Forum Moderator