Better than Cash? Get Ready for Year-End Giving
Don’t shoot the messenger (and by “shoot,” I mean say bad words about me). I know this will come as a shock, but Christmas is almost here.
How do I know? Well…in October, Costco put out their 27-foot Santa Clauses and Jesus nativities. Every other commercial on TV (yes, I still watch network television) has been begging me to celebrate Christmas at Target or get my loved one a new car under the mistletoe.
And, appeal letters for year-end giving have started arriving.
This is the “most wonderful time of the year”? You be the judge.
Even if you are a resistor to early Christmas madness, don’t put your head in the sand. Your people are starting to think about their year-end giving – and you want them to remember you (meaning your awesome congregation) when they decide where to give.
Now I’m a big fan of cash. The kind that comes through a check, via a credit card, or the good old-fashioned green stuff.
However, there are other non-cash ways people can give, which may be smarter for them and ultimately benefit your congregation.
It seems like everyone’s talking about it.
Just last week, my spouse received a large postcard from our local YMCA. One side said, “Smarter giving. Stronger community.” The other side proclaimed, “Make a tax-savvy gift to the Y!” The card was targeted to older members who might want to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from their IRA to benefit the Y. You can see it here. Could you do something like it?
Yesterday, I attended an excellent webinar put on by Free Will: How the 2025 tax law will impact giving and the year-end steps to take now. It sometimes felt a little over my head, but it was jam-packed with information and is well worth a first, and maybe even a second, watch.
Free Will also made a short seven-minute video. The Smartest Ways to Give at Year-End featuring Dr. Russel James. Free Will co-CEO Patrick Schmidt encourages people to embed the video into an email and send it to donors who are most likely to give to you.
Discipleship Ministries of the UMC has even got the message: give people more ideas on how to give and maybe save money (and who doesn’t like to save money?!). They provide a variety of bulletin inserts about additional ways to give at the end of the year and through an IRA QCD.
Finally, the Association for Fundraising Professionals came out with a one-page, reader-friendly sheet about how the weirdly named “One Big Beautiful Bill” will impact giving to non-profits and how donors can save on taxes before 2026.
I am far from being an expert on this topic. Sometimes I long for the day when giving was simpler. Write me a check! Put your cash donation in the giving envelope! But even as I wish it were so, you and I need to know about this because other non-profits are making it their business to understand and promote other (and sometimes financially smarter) ways of giving.
People in your congregation may be looking for opportunities to give away their money to your great ministries and make wise tax-related choices to boot.
Are you ready to promote and accept those gifts?
Photo credit: Pixaby
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*Upcoming webinars I'll be leading:
How to Write Your Best Year-End Letter on Thursday, November 13, from 10-11am (PST) for the OR-ID Annual Conference. Sign up here.
The Importance of Thanking as Ministry (one of my favorite topics!), for the United Methodist Foundation of New England on Nov. 19 at 9:30 am (PST) or Nov. 20 at 4 pm (PST).
Both webinars are free and anyone is welcome to attend.
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Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise over three million dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations.
Nothing says the “humble birth” of our Lord and Savior like a full-on fireworks show.
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
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