Outlive your life! — Max Lucado

Consider a Planned Gift to
the First Unitarian Universalist Society
of Exeter

A Thoughtful, Sensible Way
to Create a Personal Legacy While Supporting Our Long-Term Mission

Have you included a gift to FUUSE in your will or estate plans?

Our members and friends contribute to our mission in varied ways – through gifts of time, expertise, and money.  Each of these plays a vital role in the vibrant life of our congregation.

Many may not have thought about legacy giving:  gifts to our Endowment Fund that will last beyond a lifetime — through a will, life insurance, or other estate planning mechanism. Planned giving is a way to ensure a legacy beyond your family after you pass on, while at the same time helping an institution you have probably been supporting for a long time.

We are pleased to announce that FUUSE has an Endowment Fund to encourage and make it easier to receive such long-term gifts.

How does Planned Giving Work?

Planned giving begins with the desire to leave a legacy for your family and community:  to embrace our mission into perpetuity.

Planned giving can be as simple as leaving instructions in your will or adding a beneficiary to a life insurance policy or retirement account.  There are also numerous specialized giving vehicles, for which we suggest donors consult attorneys or financial advisors.

You Don’t Have to Be a Millionaire to Make a Difference to FUUSE!

Bequests are valued for their intent, not for their size.  A bequest can be a simple gift or part of a more complex estate plan. We gratefully encourage gifts of $500 and more.

Sample Charitable Bequest

Whatever you may wish to give, we want to make it easy. Sample language to discuss with your attorney might include:

I give to the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Exeter, located in Exeter, New Hampshire, [___%] of my estate or the sum of $________] for its Endowment Fund.

Charitable Vehicles and Structures to Consider

In addition to the simple bequest example above, there is a wide range of charitable giving options to consider, including non-cash gifts such as life insurance and real estate, and life income gifts such as charitable annuities and others.  The Gifting Committee recommends you talk with your lawyer or financial advisor to determine the best options for you.  Our national affiliate, the UUA, offers descriptive information on specific giving vehicles, as well as examples of bequest gifting language and other planned giving resources on their website, uua.org/giftplanning.

Beyond Our Years Circle

FUUSE’s Beyond Our Years Circle honors and thanks those who have included a gift to FUUSE’s Endowment Fund in their estate plans, as well as those in whose honor Memorial Gifts have been received.

Join and include your name in published lists of Circle members.  Donors who gift $5,000 or more will be recognized with their names on the Beyond Our Years Plaque.  Your gift may encourage others to include a bequest in their estate plans.

We also welcome anonymous members.  The nature or the amount of a gift need not be disclosed.

FUUSE Endowment Fund And Its Management

Our Endowment Fund is the FUUSE fund that receives Planned Gifts to the church.  The Endowment supports long-term preservation of the Society.  The Fund is a vehicle apart from the general operating budget, consisting of securities and cash contributions from donations and bequests.

Our Investment Sub-Committee invests and manages the Fund to increase principal and to distribute earnings for board- and congregation-approved initiatives (non-operating activities).

FUUSE Gifting Committee

Our Gifting Committee is responsible for encouraging, receiving, acknowledging, and recognizing gifts of all kinds to FUUSE, including legacy gifts.

The Gifting Committee reports to the Board of Trustees, and it also works closely with the Investment Sub-Committee.

Thank You for exploring planned giving options to support our faith community into the future.

Please contact any member of the Gifting Committee to request guidance or resources.  All discussions are confidential.  Email us via the church administrator at office@exeteruu.org