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Greetings Valdosta FUMC!
On Sunday I invited our congregation to be a part of a special giving opportunity on #GivingTuesday, December 1, 2020, but I want to make sure EVERYONE has a chance to be involved! While our public phase for our "Under this Roof" Capital Campaign was put on pause due to COVID-19, we want to utilize Giving Tuesday as a one day push to reach our next milestone. This campaign will impact practically every part of our church, and put us in a position for our next season of vitality as a congregation. Giving Tuesday is the day dedicated to charitable giving as a part of the official opening of Christmas Season, and follows Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. We are taking part this year to help position us for future growth and ministry faithfulness in not only the worship spaces that will be impacted, but also in our nursery, preschool and children's ministry areas that will all receive long awaited updates. |
In this short video, Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Anthony McPhail shares why our special emphasis on #GivingTuesday is so important to the future of our church!
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While we paused our campaign back in March, we have continued to see contributions and pledges come in and we are already halfway to our goal of $1,825,000! If you need a refresher on the original communication for the campaign, please take a look at our updated purpose and goals sheet and our updated Q & A sheet. Our goal for Giving Tuesday is to hit $1.2m, which is roughly two-thirds of the total project cost, and then we will resume and conclude the campaign in 2021. An additional $300,000 may seem like a lot, but I want to encourage you with a few figures. We have nearly 900 members, and so if every member chipped in $300-$400 then we could reach that milestone (or if everyone all gave $1,000 then we could reach the total goal!). We know not everyone can make a gift at this time, but we also know that some of you will be able to dig deep and give beyond your regular giving even more than those amounts. We want to encourage everyone to give something according to how you are able to give, and to prayerfully consider being a part of this special one day emphasis.
This is a great opportunity for any of you that have not already given to the campaign or for those that have given but would like to invest a little more into the project. While some of you may already be contributing according to a three-year pledge or may wish to start a three-year pledge, there may be advantages to giving this year due to the CARES Act. Members of our Capital Campaign Team with expertise in financial planning shared this statement with our team: Under the CARES Act, individuals and corporations have more opportunities to give in 2020. The tax deduction for cash contributions to public charities was previously capped at 60% of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income (AGI), but the CARES Act raised that limit to 100% for 2020. Taxpayers also get a 5 year carryover on excess gifts above their AGI. As an example, if your AGI is $100,000, you may deduct $100,000 in charitable contributions and wipe out your income tax liability entirely. Non-cash donations, such as appreciated stock, do not qualify but still may be claimed as a deduction subject to normal limits. The AGI limit for cash contributions was also increased for corporate donors. Corporations can now deduct up to 25% of taxable income, increased from 10%.
So how can you be a part of this campaign? You may give in any of the normal ways, just make sure it is marked Capital Campaign or Giving Tuesday! Those ways are 1) in person, 2) via the mail, 3) dropping it off at the church, or 4) through our variety of online giving options on our website. Do you have to give on December 1st specifically? Absolutely not, we will count every gift given between now and December 1st into our goal tally!
Whether you have already given, plan to start a pledge or simply want to be a part of this one day campaign, we just want to say thank you! As we emerge from this unusual season of shutdowns, half filled worship spaces and revamped ministries, we want to be ready for the next season of ministry that God will lead us into. Your support of not only this project, but also through regular giving, enables us to be well positioned to reach more people for Christ and grow in our faith together!
--Anthony<><
This is a great opportunity for any of you that have not already given to the campaign or for those that have given but would like to invest a little more into the project. While some of you may already be contributing according to a three-year pledge or may wish to start a three-year pledge, there may be advantages to giving this year due to the CARES Act. Members of our Capital Campaign Team with expertise in financial planning shared this statement with our team: Under the CARES Act, individuals and corporations have more opportunities to give in 2020. The tax deduction for cash contributions to public charities was previously capped at 60% of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income (AGI), but the CARES Act raised that limit to 100% for 2020. Taxpayers also get a 5 year carryover on excess gifts above their AGI. As an example, if your AGI is $100,000, you may deduct $100,000 in charitable contributions and wipe out your income tax liability entirely. Non-cash donations, such as appreciated stock, do not qualify but still may be claimed as a deduction subject to normal limits. The AGI limit for cash contributions was also increased for corporate donors. Corporations can now deduct up to 25% of taxable income, increased from 10%.
So how can you be a part of this campaign? You may give in any of the normal ways, just make sure it is marked Capital Campaign or Giving Tuesday! Those ways are 1) in person, 2) via the mail, 3) dropping it off at the church, or 4) through our variety of online giving options on our website. Do you have to give on December 1st specifically? Absolutely not, we will count every gift given between now and December 1st into our goal tally!
Whether you have already given, plan to start a pledge or simply want to be a part of this one day campaign, we just want to say thank you! As we emerge from this unusual season of shutdowns, half filled worship spaces and revamped ministries, we want to be ready for the next season of ministry that God will lead us into. Your support of not only this project, but also through regular giving, enables us to be well positioned to reach more people for Christ and grow in our faith together!
--Anthony<><