ABOUT YOUR CHURCH

  1. Which of the following best describes your church’s setting and ministry?
  2. Urban, Suburban, Urban/Suburban, Small City, Rural
  3. What is the current membership of your church?
  4. 1-100, 101-250, 251-500, 501-800, 801-1500, 1500+
  5. How many pledging units in your church?
  6. 1-50, 51-100, 101-200, 201-300, 301-500, 500+
  7. What is your church’s average worship attendance? (If more than one service, please indicate the total worshippers in all services)
  8. 1-50, 51-100, 101-200, 201-300, 301-500, 500+

ENDOWMENT GENERAL

The term "Endowment":
- INCLUDES all invested funds owned or managed by or for the church, including trust funds, real estate not used for church purposes and capital reserve funds used for major building repairs. It therefore INCLUDES "Quasi-Endowment" funds, which may receive more liberal treatment than strict Endowments.
- DOES NOT INCLUDE short-term cash deposits used for ordinary operating expenses.

  1. According to the description above my church
  2. DOES have an endowment
  3. DOES NOT have an endowment
  4. In which year did your endowment start?
  5. Insert year:
  6. Are any of the endowment funds controlled by a legal entity separate from the church? (Please do not consider investment managers or the Presbyterian Foundation or Texas Presbyterian Foundation).
  7. Y/N
  8. How many dollars were received from gifts or bequests in the past year?
  9. #
  10. What percentage of the endowment is considered by your church leadership as money that cannot be spent?

a. #%

  1. What were your church’s total expenditures last year, excluding major capital expenditures and budgets related to daycare centers and preschool programs?
  2. #
  3. What percentage of your church’s total expenditures last year, excluding major capital expenditures, was paid for by your endowment?
  4. #%
  5. What was your church’s annual giving last year that supported the church’s total budget? Include all regular giving, but do not include contributions to special campaigns.
  6. #
  7. What percentof income generated from endowment funds goes to the following categories?
  8. ____% Operating budget
  9. ____% Capital Expenditures Budget
  10. ____% Mission and Outreach Projects
  11. ____% Other ______

PLANNED GIVING

  1. Is there a Committee responsible for planned giving or endowment fund raising?
  2. Y/N
  3. To whom is this committee responsible?
  4. Session
  5. Trustees
  6. Church Foundation
  7. No one
  8. How many serve on the Committee?
  9. #
  10. Is the Pastor actively involved?
  11. Very
  12. Somewhat
  13. No
  14. The Committee has expertise in:
  15. Fund Raising
  16. Investment Management
  17. Legal and Governance
  18. Public Relations Advertising
  19. Other
  20. The Committee has the time to implement a planned giving effort.
  21. Y/N
  22. The Committee has the experience to implement a planned giving effort.
  23. Y/N
  24. Committee members have made planned gifts:
  25. All
  26. Most
  27. Some
  28. None
  29. The Congregation’s leadership (Session, Trustees, Deacons) has made planned gifts:
  30. All
  31. Most
  32. Some
  33. None
  34. Is there a long history of receiving bequests and other planned gifts?
  35. Y/N
  36. Does your congregation maintain a list of planned giving and/or endowment donors?
  37. Y/N
  38. Of how many planned gifts is your congregation aware?
  39. # or unsure
  40. How many members have died in the past 3 years?
  41. # or unsure
  42. How many bequests have been received in the past 3 years?
  43. # or unsure
  44. Does your congregation have publications promoting planned giving?
  45. Y/N
  46. Is an endowment Annual Report published?
  47. Y – independent of the church annual report
  48. Y – included within the church annual report
  49. N
  50. Does the Annual Report communicate the total endowment principal?
  51. Y/N
  52. Does the Annual Report communicate the total income and its use?
  53. Y/N

RECOGNITION

  1. Does your congregation have a recognition or legacy society?
  2. Y/N
  3. If no, describe:
  4. The thought has not come up
  5. Too complicated
  6. Members are opposed
  7. Other
  8. If yes, does your congregation hold regular events for members?
  9. Yes
  10. Description

MANAGEMENT

  1. Which form of investment management does your church implement?
  2. Bank Trust department
  3. Professional investment managers
  4. In-house managers (church members)
  5. Presbyterian Foundation
  6. Texas Presbyterian Foundation
  7. (Other?)
  8. How many professional managers does your church use?
  9. #
  10. If “C” from first question, then who makes investment decisions?
  11. Are therewritten investment policies and guidelines?
  12. Y/N
  13. If no, has leadership considered drafting written policies?
  14. Y/N
  15. Does your church have a written policy concerning the use of income from the funds?
  16. Y/N
  17. If no, has leadership considered drafting a written policy?
  18. Y/N
  19. Does your church have a written policy concerning socially responsible investment of the funds?
  20. Y/N
  21. Would you be willing to share copies of any written policies with PEER for the purposes of sharing with other churches?
  22. Yes/no...
  23. Has your church made investments or loans at high risk and/or low return in order to support a particular mission project or mission concern of the church? In the past 3 years? (Not to include investments in socially responsible funds).
  24. Y/N

INVESTMENT

  1. Allocation of assets:
  2. ____% Bonds
  3. ____% Equities
  4. ____% Real estate
  5. ____% Cash equivalents, CD’s or money markets
  6. ____% Other
  7. What best describes your church’s concept of endowment income?
  8. Income = Interest + Dividends
  9. Income = Interest + Dividends + Realized and unrealized appreciation in the value of the principal, also known as the “Total Return” concept.
  10. Use a “spend rate” over a rolling time period average
  11. Other
  12. Don’t know

FURTHER EXPLORATION OR DISCUSSION

Would leaders at your church be interested in further information on:

  1. Ethical and Theological issues related to endowments

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Fiscal and fiduciary responsibilities

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Socially Responsible Investing

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Developing planned giving programs

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Fundraising for endowment

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Integrating planned giving with annual stewardship efforts

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Training in administration and recordkeeping of endowment funds

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Different approaches to funds management

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Pros and Cons of professional vs. in-house funds management

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. How best to manage relationships with investment manager

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Developing written investment policies

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Developing written policies about use of endowment income

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Communicating with the congregation about the endowment

(Very interested – Somewhat Interested – Not interested – N/A)

  1. Other ______