The United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas’ gift annuities can be a powerful giving tool, especially for seniors on fixed incomes. They offer attractive rates of return on invested funds as an alternative to CDs or savings accounts.
“Gift annuities provide a guaranteed lifetime income that can continue to a surviving spouse,” said Janet Marshall, UMFA Vice President of Development. “They also provide an immediate income tax deduction, and part of the annual income from the gift annuity is tax-free.” Gift annuities are also extremely safe; the Foundation’s obligation to make required annuity payments is backed by all of the Foundation’s own assets.”
In addition, gift annuities provide the security of either immediate payments or larger payments deferred to a future date. They can be established with a gift of cash or appreciated stock. Annuity payments can be made monthly, quarterly, twice a year, or annually. Annuity payment amounts depend upon the donor’s age, whether it is a one-life or two-life agreement, and the amount of the gift.
Most importantly, gift annuities allow faithful stewards to create a future gift to the United Methodist Church, a gift that can continue the work of the Kingdom after their lifetimes.
The Foundation provides a free, personalized, confidential analysis regarding a gift annuity to interested church members who contact Janet at jmarshall@umfa.org or call 501-664-8632. Using the analysis, church members can easily determine how their gift annuity would work, what their guaranteed lifetime income would equal, and how much they could immediately deduct on their next State and Federal income tax returns.