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In response to a growing number of congregations that no longer have the internal capacity to maintain their buildings while continuing a healthy congregational life, Partners has undertaken its first-ever comprehensive campaign. Our goal is to raise $10,000,000 over five years, in order to:

  1. Expand support for congregations and their communities
  2. Innovate in response to changing needs
  3. Increase Partners’ capacity and sustainability

Supporters have already contributed over $7 million since January 1, 2019, and we need your help to reach the goal by December 31, 2023.

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Planned Giving

WHAT IS PLANNED GIVING?

Planned giving is a means by which anyone concerned with the wise use of his or her accumulated assets makes a considered choice about their ultimate disposition. Planned gifts can be designated for a charitable organization’s general funds or for specific purposes, including an endowment.

Individuals who have supported Partners for Sacred Places through planned gifts are recognized in Partners for Sacred Places’ Legacy Society in Partners’ Annual Report. The generosity and foresight of thee individuals ensures that Partners can sustain its critical mission-based work for years to come.

Choosing the right planned gift depends on your personal circumstances and financial goals. Please seek professional legal and financial advice before finalizing any planned gift.

TYPES OF PLANNED GIFTS

A Bequest in a Will

A bequest in a will can take the form of a set amount of money, a percentage of an estate, or a specific asset. If you already have a will, rather than revising the entire will you may make a bequest in the form of an amendment, or a “codicil” to your existing will.

Sample language for including Partners in your will might be: “I give, devise, and bequeath (state amount, asset, or percentage of the estate) to Partners for Sacred Places, located at 1700 Sansom St., 10th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, to be used (describe use) or as the Partners’ Board of Directors deems appropriate.”

Gifts of Life Insurance

Life Insurance is another way to make a sizeable gift to Partners. For example:

  • You can purchase a new policy and make Partners the owner and beneficiary. Contributions to pay the ongoing premiums may be tax deductible.
  • You can make Partners the owner and beneficiary of an existing policy. The current value of the policy and future premium payments may be tax deductible.
  • You can make Partners a contingent beneficiary of an existing policy, or name Partners to receive the proceeds of the policy if the designated beneficiaries predecease the insured.

Retirement Accounts

Many Individual Retirement Accounts allow you to transfer appreciated assets directly to nonprofit organizations like Partners, reducing your taxes and maximizing the value of your gift. These transfers, called qualified charitable distributions (QCD), can satisfy part or all of a required minimum distribution.

Retirement accounts can also be part of a bequest. The remainder value of many retirement accounts can be heavily taxed when left to individuals, but would pass tax-free to Partners.

Real Estate, Appreciated Property, & Tangible Personal Property

Gifts of appreciated securities or real estate allow you to avoid capital gains taxes. It is important to transfer the stock or real estate prior to selling it. However, if the securities or real estate have decreased in value, you may wish to sell the assets before making the gift, thus establishing a capital loss and a potential tax deduction.

There can be additional tax advantages to contributing real estate or personal property. Through a Charitable Life Estate Contract, for example, you can deed your home, vacation home, farm, or condominium to Partners and retain the right to live on the property and/or receive income from the property for as long as you live, while receiving a tax deduction. Your estate taxes may also be reduced at the time of your death.

Life Income Gifts

There are a variety of financial tools that combine income for you or your designated beneficiary with tax-benefits and charitable support for Partners. Two of the most common are a Charitable Gift Annuity and a Charitable Remainder Trust. In both cases, your assets are invested, and you or a beneficiary receives income for a set amount of time while receiving tax benefits. At end of the designated time period, the assets go to Partners. These products are available from most major financial institutions.

CONTACT US

Please contact us with any questions. Partner’s president, Bob Jaeger, can be reached at bjaeger@sacredplaces.org or 215-567-3234. If you have made a planned gift to Partners for Sacred Places, please help us prepare for your gift by sending documentation to:

Partners for Sacred Places
Attn: Bob Jaeger
1700 Sansom St., 10th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Memberships for Congregations

Become a member of Partners for Sacred Places today and help ensure the future of America’s historic sacred places!

Download the membership form for congregations and organizations here

Basic Membership $100 Includes a one-year subscription to Sacred Places magazine, filled with news, stories, ideas and best practices to assist congregations in the care of their property, community programming, and partnerships, and information about regional workshops and events.
Contributing Membership $200 Includes all the benefits of Basic Membership plus a copy of Partners for Sacred Places publication, Sacred Places at Risk, a national study that provides evidence of how congregations with historic sacred places use their properties for a wide array of community outreach programs, and presents a strong argument for the sound stewardship of these neighborhood anchors.
Sustaining Membership $500 Includes all the benefits of Contributing Membership plus a 30-minute phone consultation with a member of Partners’ staff to discuss critical needs of YOUR congregation and a copy of The Maintenance Manual: A Program for Inspection and Seasonal Maintenance of Religious Properties, a resource and guide to record building inspections and maintenance, including checklists for safety and mechanical systems, a glossary, and organizers for emergency numbers.
Full Membership $1000 Includes all the benefits of Sustaining Membership plus a 1-hour phone consultation with a member of Partners’ staff to discuss the critical areas faced by YOUR congregation including: asset-mapping and community engagement; strategic partnerships and space-sharing; capital grant campaigns; and collaborative initiatives among congregations. Full members also receive Partners’ publication, Your Sacred Place Is A Community Asset: A Tool Kit to Attract New Resources and New Partners, an invaluable guide for capital campaigns.

Partners is only able to help under-resourced congregations find innovative ways to connect with their neighbors, generate new sources of income, and activate their historic religious properties as centers of vibrant, resilient communities thanks to donors like you.

Individuals who give over $40 will receive hard-copies of Sacred Places Magazine. Make a recurring donation to ensure that your subscription does not lapse. For more information about ways you can support Partners for Sacred Places, please contact us at 215-567-3234.