Give to the Theological Schools Endowment Fund

Will Presbyterian congregations be vibrant, living communities, growing in strength and faith in the twenty-first century? As we prepare for the spiritual needs of generations to follow, Presbyterians have an opportunity to secure the successful continuity of the Reformed tradition through the Theological Schools Endowment Fund.

The Theological Schools Endowment Fund, established by the 198th General Assembly (1986) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is entrusted to the management of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation. The fund, made possible by outright contributions and estate gifts, provides an important source of operating funds to Presbyterian theological schools. This funding enables seminaries to provide ongoing preparation for church pastors and leaders of future generations.

The Committee on Theological Education of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) oversees the equitable allocation of income from the Theological Schools Endowment Fund to our Presbyterian seminaries. Gifts to this fund benefit all eligible seminaries related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) according to an agreed upon formula.

How to give to the Theological Schools Endowment Fund

There are many ways of giving to the fund, all of which can provide generous tax benefits and some arrangements that can provide you with income for life. These include:

• Outright gifts or memorial gifts of cash, securities and, in many cases, real estate.
  
• Lifetime income gifts, with the charitable remainder directed to the Theological Schools Endowment Fund (e.g., charitable gift annuities, pooled income funds, unitrusts and annuity trusts).
  
• Bequests through wills that leave all or a portion of the donor's property to the fund after the donor's lifetime.
  
• Life insurance policies utilized in several different ways, some of which provide immediate charitable deductions that make significant gifts to the fund.
  
• Charitable lead trusts, which allow the transfer of large estates for the eventual benefit of children. They also minimize estate and gift taxes as well as providing income to the fund for a number of years.

Learn more about funding your seminaries

To find out more about how to contribute to the Theological Schools Endowment Fund, please contact Patsy Godwin in the Office of Theological Education at (888) 728-7228 x5337 or call a representative of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation at (800) 858-6127.