Planned Giving

Gifts to St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church, Ellenville

Help support St. John’s ministries and life together.

Our caring community and ministries are made possible through your generosity—we are entirely supported and sustained by the gifts of our members and friends.

Ways to Give

You can now give to St. John’s online through PayPal —as a one time contribution, or by setting up a monthly recurring donation. You can also donate to the church using venmo @stjohnsellenville.

One Time Gift

[links to https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LYWHZEH68PGEU]

Make a one time Gift to St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church, Ellenville

Monthly Gift [https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LYWHZEH68PGEU]

Make a monthly gift to sustain St. John’s good work in our community, as well as the preservation of our historic church giving.

Planned Giving

Provide for St. John’s through planned giving. Bequests and estate gifts can be indicated in your will or living trust. See below for more information. To discuss this in greater detail, or to notify us of your planned gift, contact Rev. Meg Stapleton Smith, Priest-in-Charge at (845) 647-7084 or stjohnsellenville@gmail.com.

Donate Stocks

To make a gift of stock, notify your broker that you wish to transfer securities to St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church, Ellenville’s LPL Financial brokerage account, # 1978-5625, DTC number 0075, Tax ID 14-1364631. Please notify St. John’s of the gift by sending the following information to stjohnsellenville@gmail.com and jkillian@coombefinancial.com:

Full Name
Type of securities
Entity that the gift is coming from (Fidelity, e.g.)

Corporate Match

Many companies provide matching gifts for their employees charitable donations. Check your employer to double your gift. Contact us for more information at s;tjohnsellenville@gmail.com.

Make St. John’s a Beneficiary on a Life Insurance Policy

Primary Beneficiary: The church receives a specific percentage or the full payout directly upon your death, bypassing probate.

Contingent Beneficiary: The church receives the funds only if your primary beneficiaries (such as family members) do not survive you.

Policy Ownership Transfer: You can transfer full ownership of the policy to the church (making it irrevocable), which may allow for immediate income tax deductions on the policy’s value and future premium payments.

Send a Check

Make checks payable to St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church and mail it to:

St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church, Ellenville

PO Box 262

Ellenville, NY 12428

How to Include The Church in Your Will : A Guide to Planned Giving

Most planned gifts are made as bequests through one’s will or estate plan. In fact, almost 80% of all planned gifts are bequests. You may not need to rewrite your will in order to include a bequest to your church or the diocese, as a codicil will suffice. Your attorney will advise you on the best way to handle a bequest.

To begin, determine the best kind of bequest for your purposes – whether it is an outright bequest, a residuary bequest, or a contingent bequest. You may also wish to consider adding a Christian Preamble to your Will (details below). Please also make clear your intention for the bequest. Options for intended use of a bequest include:

To be used for operating budget
To be placed in a trust and used as church needs to assist in operating expenses
To be placed in a trust and only used for capital improvements
To be placed in a trust and only capital gains to be used

Outright Bequest

An outright bequest may be funded in a variety of ways. Frequently donors simply state a specific dollar amount to be given to your church. Or you want to give the church a specific piece of property such as a house, land, a valuable art piece. Or you may designate your church to receive a certain percent, such as 10% – a tithe of your net estate.

I give and bequeath to the Rector, Wardens, and Vestry of St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church – 40 Market Street, Ellenville, NY ($ ___________) or ________ (percent of the residue of my estate) to be used at their discretion to assist in the ministries of the Church (or organization.)”

Many churches designate that bequests be added to the permanent funds of the church or diocese. Wording for those bequests could read:

I give and bequeath to St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church – 40 Market Street, Ellenville, NY ($ ___________) or (________ percent of the residue of my estate) to be added to the permanent endowment fund of the church.”

Residuary Bequest

In a residuary bequest the church or diocese receives a percentage, or all that remains after all specific bequests and obligations have been paid.

I give and bequeath to the Rector, Wardens, and Vestry of St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church – Ellenville, NY ($ ___________) or (________ percent of the residue of my estate) to be used for the following designated purpose (s): _____________________________.

Contingent Bequest

The contingent bequest provides for the distribution of your assets to your church if none of your named beneficiaries survive you.

In the event all of the beneficiaries of bequests and devises herein predecease me, or, in the case of institutions, cease to be organizations described in section 501( c )(3) of the Internal Revenue code, I ______(your name), hereby give, devise, and bequeath to the rector, Wardens, and Vestry of St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church – 40 Market Street, Ellenville, NY the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate, to be used at their discretion to assist in the ministries of the Church.

A Christian Preamble to Your Will

A Christian Preamble to your will provides a significant opportunity to share your faith with family and friends. Through this personal statement of your faith, an important message will be delivered to those who love and know you best. This message of faith comes at a time of grief and loss and serves as a reminder to them to place their trust in Jesus Christ as you have. Remember this may be the last document they read about you, their loved one.

Together with your attorney as you prepare your Will/Estate Plan give prayerful consideration to adding a Christian Preamble such as:

I ______________________________________ , of the City of __________________________ , County of ______________________________ , and State of ___________________________ , declare and publish this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all wills and codicils heretofore made by me. In thanksgiving to God for the gifts of life given in baptism, and for the many blessings God has showered upon me; and in thanksgiving to God for the gifts of faith and hope through Jesus Christ; and in thanksgiving to God for the gifts of nurture and love through the Church where we have shared faith and fellowship; I now commend my loved ones to grow in this same faith, being true to their own baptisms, knowing that God will continue to provide for them in their lifetimes; I encourage them to place their faith and trust in our Lord and Savior. I know, therefore . . . . (and then the particulars of the will would follow, leaving gifts to family and friends, but also an articulation of the gifts you leave to the various ministries of the church.)

You may also want to use the following language for your gifts to support various ministries of the church.

I faithfully respond with a decision to establish the (insert the name of the Fund, such as your own) Memorial Endowment Fund. The fund is an expression of my thanksgiving and stewardship with the hope that the ministries of Jesus Christ will be strengthened and extended in the life of the Church.

Complete this portion of your will/estate plan with any specific addresses or names that will help to convey your bequest intention

St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church, Ellenville is a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Federal Tax ID number 14-1364631

If you have questions about a donation please email stjohnsellenville@gmail.com.

St. John’s Mission