The Gospel motivates us to give of our time, talent, and treasure to ensure that the generations to come will hear the Word of God, come to faith, and join the saints in Paradise on the last day. On this page you will find options for giving now and planned giving in your will and estate plans.
Option 1: This online giving form allows you to make a one-time gift, or if you register your account (securely maintained by Vanco, our online giving partner), you can set up recurring giving from your checking or savings account. These donations are recorded for your statement of giving that is provided for tax preparation.
Note: if the “Give Now” app does not appear, try this link (opens in new tab/window): https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z7NB
A special request: If you are donating one time or setting up a recurring donation, we humbly ask that you use a checking or savings account rather than a credit/debit card. We pay a fee for every transaction, but the fee is larger for credit/debit cards. Help your contribution go farther by using a checking or savings account AND selecting the option to cover the processing fees. Thank you!
Explanation of the accounts (as of 7/6/2023):
- General Operating: Support the day-to-day operations of Immanuel Lutheran Church and School, including salaries, supplies, equipment, utilities, and maintenance. This is the area of greatest need.
- Secret Angel: Provides for tuition assistance for families with financial need.
- Tuition/Bill Payment: For payment of Immanuel Lutheran School tuition, lunches, and fees.
- Alumni Fund: Provides for special school projects and needs; typically for building repair and remodeling but could also support staffing needs.
- School General Fund: Provides for any day-to-day school expenses, projects, staffing, and other needs as they arise. Your gift here is guaranteed to be used for school-only expenses.
- School Registration: For new and returning families, paying this registration fee secures a home with the school family for the coming school year. This is typically not part of the monthly tuition and fee billing.
These funds are subject to change as needs come and go within the life of the Church. Should you find an inconsistency in the fund listing with the descriptions, please contact us so we can get it up to date.
Option 2: Thrivent offers a fee-free way to give to Immanuel! Follow this link to Thrivent’s inFaith Community Foundation for a gift to the church, and this link for the school. Note: This is best used for one-time gifts, not for member contributions or school payments.
School donations help with school staffing, technology, and curriculum. Church donations help with all church and school related expenses, most especially salaries of our Pastor and teachers and support staff. Thank you, Thrivent, for helping us to live and give generously! Note: This is a directed gift through Thrivent’s charitable foundation. Therefore, this is not recorded on any member’s giving statement.
Thrivent Members can also designate “Choice Dollars” to Immanuel Lutheran Church or School. Log on to Thrivent.com to designate your Thrivent benefits for Immanuel. Note: Prior year Choice Dollars expire annually on March 31. This is a program run by Thrivent and is subject to change.
Another convenient way to give electronically is to use your financial institution’s online bill pay service. This is often a free service to you as a customer of the bank or credit union and does not cost Immanuel any service fees. This allows you to schedule one-time or recurring contributions within one place, so you do not have to keep track of another login and password. Check with your financial institution if you have questions about their bill pay service.
A gift given through an IRA distribution is not included in the donor’s income for IRS purposes, so the gift is made without being subject to IRS taxes or penalties that are usually applicable to IRA withdrawals.
Benefits of making an IRA charitable rollover gift:
- If you are 72 or older, you may transfer up to $100,000 each year to a charity/ministry without IRS taxes or penalties.
- You may use the IRA account gift to satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD)
- Because the IRA gift transfer is not included in your taxable income (and is not a tax deduction), you receive the tax benefits of the IRA gift without affecting your ability to take other deductions whether you use the standard deduction or itemize.
- The IRA gift is not included when calculating the IRS limits of your charitable deductions.
Learn more about IRA and estate planning that can support the mission of the Church at https://giftplanning.lcms.org/.
Charitable gifts from an IRA must be made directly from the IRA account manager to the ministry/charity. Consult your personal tax or financial adviser who can further inform you on how to take advantage of this gifting opportunity in your particular circumstances and also advise you on the implications of the laws of your state, especially since tax laws can change from year to year.