FUMCR Foundation

Your Legacy. Their Future. 

Show your appreciation for the significance of FUMCR in your life. Join the promise of FUMCR to future generations with a direct or planned gift to the Permanent Endowment Fund.

Mission 

The FUMCR Foundation, Inc., exists to manage, sustain, and increase FUMCR's Permanent Endowment Fund, which is dedicated to the maintenance and care of the physical facilities of FUMCR, allowing annual giving to go further. 

Impact 

We anticipate that in #-# years of continued gifts, the FUMCR Foundation will move from partially to entirely funding the maintenance of our campus, freeing $1.3 million from the operating budget each year for additional missions and ministries. 

FUMCR Foundation Board 

Nine board members, all active members of FUMCR, serve overlapping three-year terms. 
     2025 Class  •  John Gilchrist (chair), Neil Massey, Mark Solomon
     2026 Class  •  Gary Coleman, Russ McFadden, Allison Zvolanek
     2027 Class  •  Lola Copeland, Sherri Herring, Rick Shamblin

Fund Status & Goal 

The Spring 2022 balance in the FUMCR Foundation Permanent Endowment Fund was approximately $2.3 million. In addition, we have received Estate Intention Letters from 15 families with expected future estate contributions of about $14 million. 

In today’s economic environment, a Permanent Endowment Fund of about $30 million could provide enough income to cover all facilities maintenance costs. 

The request for available funds and the expenditure of distributed funds is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees of FUMCR. The Foundation cannot restrict available funds nor dictate individual expenditures. 

Charitable Giving, Estate Planning, and Taxes 

The FUMCR Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and contributions, whether direct or as part of estate plans, are fully deductible. Gifts may be cash or assets that have appreciated over time, such as stocks, bonds, or real estate that may provide a deduction at the full market value without having to pay tax on the gains. Tax/financial advisors can advise on gifts of this nature.  

You may notify FUMCR of intended gifts via the ESTATE INTENTION LETTER. It is a good idea to discuss this with your legal advisor to make sure your specific circumstances are adequately reviewed. The Estate Intention Letter is fully revokable by you and not binding to your heirs, so it also a good idea to let your family know of this choice. If you include a copy with your Last Will and Testament, it will be easier for your executor/executrix to fulfill your wishes when the time comes. 

Gifts to the Foundation should not replace pledging or giving to annual campaigns or capital campaigns. 

Fund Management 

Texas Methodist Foundation was selected to manage the portfolio based on their experience, having one of the highest historical income averages and one of the lowest expense ratios, and their investing in churches as part of the overall portfolio recommendation, including FUMCR’s own debt. We are actually investing in our own property. 

For more information about the FUMCR Foundation, please contact Dianne Weideman, Director of Finance, at dweideman@fumcr.com / 972.996.0106.