The FUMC Foundation of Peoria, Inc. is an incorporated, non-profit organization chartered in the state of Illinois in 1983. The Foundation is governed by the eleven member Board of Directors, each serving for a three year term. Members are elected by the Charge Conference of FUMC and may be reelected. The members are listed in this newsletter. The agent or executive director of the Foundation is a member of the staff of First United Methodist Church. The Board of Directors are governed through by-laws which can only be amended by the vote of the Charge Conference of FUMC.

All major gifts which are presented to FUMC are placed in the custody of the Foundation. Any person may make a gift of cash, stocks, real estate, insurance, retirement accounts, etc. directly to the Foundation. All gifts are tax deductible.

The Foundation has two types of accounts: endowments which will yield annual income in perpetuity and custodial accounts which are given to be disbursed over a period of time.
The funds of the Foundation are divided into funds which are designated and undesignated. Designated funds are those given for a specific purpose. Of the total funds of slightly over two million dollars held by the Foundation, about 50% are in designated funds and about 50% in undesignated funds.

Designated gifts may be made to the Foundation for any specific purpose which will support the mission of First Methodist Church or the ministry of the Foundation. Undesignated gifts may be made to be used according to need as determined by the Board of Directors.

Strategic Plan Adopted for Future Development of Foundation

Over the five month period from July through November 2002, the Board of Directors of the First United Methodist Church Foundation of Peoria, Inc. worked under the leadership of Dr. Aaron Buchko, Professor of Business Management at Bradley University, to adopt a Strategic Plan for the development of the FUMC Foundation through 2010. The Board met with Dr. Buchko in six two-hour planning sessions. This plan was adopted by the Charge Conference of FUMC on November 25, 2002.

The vision for 2010 set forth in this plan includes the four key goals to:

• Have a principal fund of $10 million dollars, with $6 million in net new assets.
• Have a proactive granting process that identifies specific opportunities which maximize the role of the Foundation in assisting the Church’s mission and vision.
• Have effective educational and communication processes such that every church member understands the power and value of an endowment. The goal is that every church member would include the Foundation in their estate planning.
• Have an efficient organization to achieve foundation mission and goals.

The purpose of the FUMC Foundation is to grow God’s gifts to support Christ’s mission. This purpose is to be achieved as the Foundation works to:

• Solicit, receive, invest, and administer planned gifts from members and friends of First United Methodist Church for ministries and missions related to the church.
• Educate and inspire our church members to create endowments, maximize the growth of all funds and use those funds to enable the Church to meet its mission and vision.
• Seek growth by effective communication with Church members and to create a proactive granting process to maximize the role of the Foundation to assist the Church’s vision.
• Be a self-sustaining and growing asset to make a difference in the Church financially and spiritually.

The three major constituents upon whom the Foundation intends to focus its plans and actions are our church members, our donors, and the Board of Directors. Regarding each of these, the strategic imperatives are respectively:

• to benefit the ministry and mission of the Church by growing the assets and making every member aware of the Foundation.
• to administer gifts in accordance with the donor wishes and invest donor gifts prudently.
• to be committed to growth, sensitive to the needs of grantees, and share this vision with members of the congregation.

Three critical success factors in implementing these strategic imperatives are identified as the following:

• We must increase the level of giving from all sources.
• We must identify and fulfill any terms of the donors’ gifts.
• We must develop and implement a program of continuing education for the Board, staff, and congregation.

Objectives and activities for 2004 include the generating of $250,000 in gifts to the Foundation. The Foundation will invite persons to become “Friends of the Foundation” by making annual gifts for the ongoing operation of its ministry, hold an annual meeting in the spring, produce updated brochures, create a videotape, establish a page on the Church’s website, implement a process to identify a donor’s wishes for the administration of that gift, and seek to have all individuals in the congregation have at least two communications with the Foundation during the year. This publication is the first quarterly newsletter which will inform members of the congregation of the ongoing ministries and activities of the Foundation.

This is an ambitious agenda, but the Board of Directors feels that the possibilities of the Foundation for future growth in ministry is bound only by our vision and generosity. Members of the Board and Dick Moore are available to come to any church group or class which wants to know more about the opportunities available through the Foundation. You may reach Mr Moore at 673-3641.