With roughly one million charities operating in the United States it’s no wonder that you receive letters from many of them. It seems like everyone is asking you for support. You may wonder at times how some of these charities got your name.
Adding to this is that your telephone seems to ring often now with requests for gifts. “Please help us meet our financial crisis!” “We will have to close our doors if we can’t pay our bills!” “Children will starve if you don’t give.”
It’s downright confusing—and irritating.
As you consider the charities that you want to support we hope you will consider at least five things about Lutherans For Life:
-
We count you as part of our family. Whether you are a recent friend of Lutherans For Life or a long-time supporter, we value your interest and involvement. We consider you a partner with us in God’s plan for our ministry. You are part of our family. Together, we share a common commitment and common mission.
-
We remain true to our mission. Our mission is “Equipping Lutherans to be Gospel motivated voices For Life.” We want you to know that we have not veered from this, nor do we intend to. We lay our plans, build our budgets, and monitor our results to better achieve our mission. You can have confidence that we are “staying the course.”
-
We depend on your faithful giving. Whether a small gift or a gift from your estate, we rely on your financial support to help us accomplish our important mission. The more you give, the more we can do. It’s that simple. Without you and our other supporters, we could not exist.
-
We pledge financial fidelity. We wince when we hear of scandals involving other nonprofit organizations because this casts a shadow over all charities. We want to affirm to you that financial integrity is extremely important to us. We maintain strict accounting and reporting rules. Our books are open and we invite you to ask any question that you may want to about how we operate. Please know that any contribution to Lutherans For Life is treated carefully and with a deep sense of stewardship.
-
We offer personalized service for your annual gifts or for your estate planning gifts. Do you have appreciated stock or real estate that would make a tax-wise gift? Do you want to establish a gift annuity to benefit Lutherans For Life? Do you want to include a bequest to Lutherans for Life through your will, living trust, or beneficiary designations?
As LFL’s Christian Estate Planning Counselor, I am available to provide you with personal assistance in working with your attorney and other advisors. Please contact me at jschroeder@lutheransforlife.org or 515.490.7371.