Your recurring gift provides a dependable and predictable source of support.

Donate Online Now

Don’t want to donate online? You can reach us by mail.

Please make checks payable to St. John’s Lutheran Church and mail to:

St. John’s Lutheran Church
20275 Davidson Road
Brookfield, WI  53045

Donations must be postmarked on or before December 31 to be deductible for the current tax year.

Plan your legacy and learn more about giving bequests, trusts, retirement plan assets, charitable gift annuities, life insurance or real estate.

Creating a will or trust is an important way to extend your love, care, generosity and gratitude to family, loved ones and the charitable causes you care about. Only you know the special circumstances of your family members and heirs. Those who die without a will, leave their estate to be divided according to the laws in the state where they live. Including individual beneficiaries and your favorite charitable organizations in your estate planning is the best way to ensure that your wishes are carried out in the future. There may also be beneficial tax deductions to consider for charitable gifts made through your will or estate plans. The process is simple.

The official legal bequest language for St. John’s Lutheran Church is:

“I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath ($___ or __%) to St. John’s Mission Endowment Fund at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin.”

Relationships and situations change, so it is a good idea to review your will from time to time to ensure that it is up to date. Also, we encourage you to seek the advice of qualified counsel before finalizing your will or trust.

Learn more about donating securities and charitable IRA rollover.

RETIREMENT PLAN ASSETS
For many individuals, a gift of retirement plan assets is a wise stewardship decision. If you transfer your retirement plan assets to a charity, such as St. John’s Lutheran Church, you can save income taxes for heirs. You can also pass these assets directly to a tax-exempt deferred giving plan, such as a charitable remainder trust. You designate who will receive income for life from the trust. After the death of the beneficiary, the remaining balance can be designated for charity. Your retirement plan assets cannot be designated through your will, so you will need to file a beneficiary designation form through your IRA administrator. 

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES
A charitable gift annuity is an opportunity to make a gift, and receive a tax deduction and yearly income for life. It is an irrevocable contractual agreement between a donor and a charitable organization. The older you are at the time the annuity is established, the higher your annuity rates. You may also designate a beneficiary of these payments. If you fund your annuity with appreciated property, rather than cash, you benefit even more because you reduce capital gains tax consequences.

CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUSTS
With a charitable remainder trust, you can receive income each year for the rest of your life from assets you give to the trust you create, and you also get an immediate tax deduction. Your income can be either variable or a fixed amount. After your lifetime, the balance in the trust goes to the charities of your choice.

REAL ESTATE
When you make a gift of real property you have owned for longer than one year, you obtain an income tax charitable deduction equal to the property’s full fair market value. You also avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation of the property. You may also deed your home to a charity and remain living in it for the rest of your lifetime. You receive an immediate income tax charitable deduction for a portion of your home’s value since the gift cannot be revoked.

LIFE INSURANCE
Once the security of loved ones is no longer needed, your life insurance policy can be redirected to help support your favorite charity. Assigning St. John’s Lutheran Church ownership of your life insurance policy can provide you with an income tax charitable deduction and reduce your future estate tax liability.

Find out if your employer matches donations.

Multiply the Impact of Your Gift
Many companies encourage employees to contribute to charitable organizations by offering matching gift programs. The impact of your gift to St. John’s Lutheran may be doubled or possibly tripled! Some companies even match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses.

Ask your company’s human resources department if they offer this benefit. If so, request a matching gift form from your employer and send it completed and signed with your gift. We will do the rest.

Mail a completed matching gift form from your employer to:

St. John’s Lutheran Church
20275 Davidson Road
Brookfield, WI 53045

Thrivent Members: Direct Choice Dollars to St. John’s to sustain our ministries.

“Direct Now” button linked to Thrivent: https://www.thrivent.com/what-we-offer/generosity/thrivent-choice.html