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Gift Planning and Endowments
The Indiana District has partnered with the LCMS Foundation, a ministry of the Synod, to help members plan gifts to ministry and family, and to help ministries to grow and steward those gifts through endowments and investment services.
For Church Members
- Wondering how to bless family and ministry with gifts through your estate?
- Need assistance finding an attorney to complete your estate planning?
- Concerned about taxes, confused about the process or not sure where to begin?
For Ministry Leaders
- Looking to start a planned giving program or stewardship emphasis?
- Interested in a presentation on gift planning, wills/trusts, or ministry endowments?
- Need advice on starting an endowment or better administering or promoting an existing endowment?
- Just received a large gift or bequest and aren’t sure how to proceed?
Recent LCMS Foundation Articles
LCMS Foundation: Collaboration in Estate Planning
The best scenario when creating a Christian estate plan is to work in collaboration. Of course, the original thoughts for your plan should come from you--God has made you the steward of these particular gifts, so it isn't appropriate that the main goals come from...
LCMS Foundation September 2026 Newsletter
Jerry said to his friend Paul, “I just came from the doctor. I don’t like conversations at the doctor’s office. I get so tongue tied. I forget about what I wanted to ask the doctor. I’m trying to think about what certain words mean and before I know it, I’m...
LCMS Foundation: Wise Giving to Support Ministry
A good gift plan within an estate includes inheritance for family and gifts to ministry. As you consider an estate gift to your favorite ministry, should you talk with ministry leaders in this planning? If it has been a while since you were involved in a leadership...
LCMS Foundation June 2026 Newsletter
Ralph and Greg were discussing Ralph’s recent Christian estate plan that he completed. Ralph said, “The Lord has blessed me and my family throughout our lives with great love and enough financial resources that our needs have always been met. In my estate plan,...
LCMS Foundation: A Good Gift Plan
A good gift plan within an estate includes inheritance for family and gifts to ministry. Sometimes the family side of things can be a bit tricky to plan. Letting your family know about your estate gift plans is especially crucial regarding the charitable desires you...
LCMS Foundation April Newsletter
Bart asked his friend Dave this question: “Have you let your children know the details of your estate plan?” That question unleashed a much more dramatic response from Dave than Bart was expecting. “No way. I want it to be a surprise. My kids have no business...
LCMS Foundation March Newsletter
“I took my car to one place for an oil change, another for the brakes, and still another for a tune up. Yet my car just doesn’t seem to be running right, and no one is offering to step in to help me.” That same scenario might be true about your Christian estate plan....
Year Long Consideration- LCMS Foundation
We can face competing priorities when we think about planning our estates. As we wrap up this year long consideration, we must ponder whether we see our estate plan as an expression of our Christian faith or just giving up on life. As we complete this year, we keep in...
True Grace Filled Blessings- LCMS Foundation
We can face competing priorities when we think about planning our estates someday. The big decision to make is whether an estate plan is merely a legal/financial activity or is it an activity of faith. For much of our life, we view our occupations as ways to gather...
December 2025 Newsletter – LCMS Foundation
Have you participated in any high school class reunions? Some classes are great at getting together. Other classmates have been thrown to the wind across the country, even the world, and rarely connect. Maybe you have someone from your class that shares old...