Planned Giving

Leaving a legacy gift for deacons and those in formation.

You can make a meaningful impact on deacons and those in formation. Planned Giving to The Fund for the Diaconate enables us to provide financial assistance to deacons and those in formation who have insufficient funds for their needs, or are facing a crisis.

3 ways you can make a Planned Gift  (as pdf)

1. ​Bequests: ​Include The Fund for the Diaconate of The Episcopal Church in your will. If you have had any major changes in your family – marriage, divorce, death, children born or reached maturity, relocation – it is time to revisit your estate plans.
2. Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA  If you are at least 70½ years of age, you may direct your retirement plan manager to send up to $100,000 of your IRA to The Fund, as an IRS qualified charity. If you are at least 72 years old, doing so will avoid your having to pay income tax on that portion of your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). The IRS website provides detailed information.
3. Beneficiary Designation Naming The Fund as the beneficiary of your retirement account can be a wonderful and tax-efficient way to make a legacy gift to support future deacons in financial need, thus supporting a diaconate that is so important to you. It is relatively simple to make a gift using the beneficiary designation form provided by the financial institution that serves as your retirement plan administrator or custodian. 

Other considerations: Use a percentage rather than a fixed dollar amount, as investment performance may change. 

Resource Documents
Deacon Robert Franken, The Fund treasurer, discusses planned giving in these materials:

• Leaving a Legacy: How your gift can help deacons and those in formation
• ​Who Should Consider Planned Giving to The Fund for the Diaconate? 3 min. video
• How are Deacons Supported by AED and The Fund for the Diaconate? 3 min. video
• ​On ENS: How deacons are benefitting from Planned Giving to The Fund for the Diaconate.

To begin a conversation about planned giving, estate planning and/or major gifts to The Fund, please contact the Rev. Brian Nordwick, treasurer.

The Fund's full legal name, Tax ID number, and address:
​​The Fund for the Diaconate of The Episcopal Church
99 Wall Street #2815
New York, NY 10005
(800) 281-5421
​Tax ID: 23-7125960

This information is not intended as legal or financial advice. Please contact your legal or financial advisor before making any decisions.

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Donating

Thank you for considering a donation to the Fund for the Diaconate. For the past several years, the Fund has been working more closely with our sister organization, the Association for Episcopal Deacons (AED). That work has included such activities as sharing the costs of a booth at General Convention, sending representatives to each other’s board meetings, and working in concert to explain the diaconate to the Church Pension Fund and others.

In 2016, the two groups hired The Cornerstone Group (led by Deacon Lisa Bennett) to do an analysis for a potential fund-raising campaign that would allow the Fund and AED to do more for deacons in The Episcopal Church. That report, which both boards accepted, recommended that the Fund concentrate on planned giving and large donations, and that AED concentrate on an annual campaign and increasing membership.

• To support the work of deacons, we recommend that donations be made to the Association for Episcopal Deacons.
• If you'd prefer to make a monetary donation to The Fund, please mail your check to the address below.