Give > Endowment
ENDOWMENT
Thank you for considering a gift to the Endowment Fund. The Endowment aims to preserve capital for the long term while making grants to support Transfiguration’s mission and ministries.
You may target your gift to one or more of the Endowment’s six sub-funds:
- Legacy Fund –supports the general work of the church
- Outreach Fund – supports the outreach ministry
- Joanna Elizabeth Pierce and Justin Ford Pierce Youth Fund – supports the youth ministry
- Music Fund – supports the music ministry
- Rodgers Seminarian Fund – gives grants to help seminarians sponsored by Transfiguration
- Infrastructure Capital Fund – supports capital building and grounds works
About
In 1978, a small group of parishioners gathered with the goal of preserving the future of Transfiguration and created The Church of the Transfiguration Endowment Fund.
Since then, the Endowment has grown into six sub-funds serving distinct needs in our church community. The Endowment is critical to the future health and growth of our church. It grows through prudent investment, thoughtful cash contributions, and especially, planned giving by our parish family. Parishioners who have notified us that they have included the Endowment in their estate plans in any fashion become members of the Legacy Society.
The Endowment is managed by a Board of Trustees who ensure the funds’ proper management and evaluate applications for fund distribution.
2024 Board of Trustees
- Bill Keslar – Chair
- Chuck Hodge – Vice Chair
- Linda Ayres – Secretary
- Alan Dunlop – Treasurer
- Dana Bartholomew
- John Caldwell
- Tony DeBruyn
- Keri Holt
- Elizabeth Jenkins – Development Chair
- Kurt Meisenbach
- Paul Sternweis
- Renee Thomas
If you would like to learn more about the Endowment Fund and ways that you can participate, please contact any of the Trustees, or Cathleen Dolt at the church office on (972) 233-1898, or email us on endowment@transfiguration.net. To learn more, see our FAQs.
Frequently Asked Questions
The total value of the Endowment is constantly growing. At the end of December 2023 its assets had a market value of over $3.2 million.
The Endowment is an Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) organization, so it is exempt from federal income taxes, and donations made to it are fully deductible. It is a separate 501(c)(3) organization from the church, and it is managed by its own Board of Trustees. The members of the Board are appointed by the Vestry, and while the Board and the Vestry work in close cooperation, it is the Board which is responsible for all aspects of the management of the Endowment.
In 2023, over $76,000 in grants were approved. For most of our six sub-funds, the amount available for grants is determined as a percentage of the average value of the sub-fund over the preceding three years. Our endowment allows a “spend” of 4% of the average value, a median rate among endowed parishes and charities that are similarly managed. This rate is consistent with our goals of growing the Endowment while supporting the mission and ministries of Transfiguration and supplementing the program that the operating budget permits.
Grants are awarded by the Endowment Board of Trustees. Grant applications are made by staff and ministries of the church, other organizations and, in the case of the Seminarian Fund, individuals. The Trustees consider all qualifying applications and, approve grant requests that are consistent with the capacity and goals of the Endowment Fund. Some sub-funds have specifically defined purposes which can be described upon request. Guidance and application forms are available by emailing the Endowment at endowment@transfiguration.net
Currently there are six sub-funds, supporting different aspects of Transfiguration’s ministry:
- Legacy Fund – supports the general mission and ministry of Transfiguration
- Outreach Fund – expands our financial support of outreach ministries.
- Joanna Elizabeth Pierce and Justin Ford Pierce Youth Fund – supports the youth ministry
- Music Fund – supports the music ministry
- Rodgers Seminarian Fund – helps seminarians sponsored by Transfiguration
- Infrastructure Capital Fund – capital facilities renewal and replacement
Yes. If you would like to create a new sub-fund to support a particular aspect of Transfiguration’s ministry not already supported by an existing sub-fund, please get in touch with the Endowment trustees. The minimum contribution to create a new sub-fund is $25,000, funded by one or more persons, at one time or over a period of five years. For more details about the Fund Policy, contact the Endowment at endowment@transfiguration.net
Not directly. The trustees employ a professional team—a nationally recognized Investment Advisor (Episcopal Church Foundation) and Investment Manager (State Street Global Advisors), both of whom specialize in managing investment portfolios such as ours. The trustees annually issue an Investment Policy Statement, and monitor the overall portfolio performance as compared with market benchmarks. For more details, please see the Endowment’s Investment Policy Statement.
Yes. The Endowment can accept gifts of stocks, including being nominated as a beneficiary of your 401(k) or 403(b) plan, IRA or life insurance policy. In certain circumstances, we can accept gifts of real property, personal property, mineral rights and the like. For more details, please read our Gift Acceptance Policy.
To discuss other planned giving options, we can arrange with the professionals at Episcopal Church Foundation to advise you and the Endowment Fund on a structure that will enable you and your tax advisor to meet your personal goals.
Yes. The Endowment can accept gifts of stocks, including being nominated as a beneficiary of your 401(k) or 403(b) plan, IRA or life insurance policy. In certain circumstances, we can accept gifts of real property, personal property, mineral rights.
The heart of the Endowment is that generous group of Transfiguration friends and parishioners who have decided to include the Endowment in their estate planning, regardless of the amount of a potential bequest or conditions that may apply. If you let us know that you have taken this step, you will be named a member of the Legacy Society. Of course, you are not asked to disclose the details of your planned gift. Legacy Society members gather periodically for social and informational events, and the services of Episcopal Church Foundation can be arranged if needed. If you have questions about planned giving or the Legacy Society, you may contact Elizabeth Jenkins or Linda Ayres.
To specify your intention clearly, identify the beneficiary as: “The Church of the Transfiguration Endowment Fund” 14115 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, Texas 75254” . Unless a sub-fund is named, the gift will be directed to the Legacy Fund. if you wish to specify a sub-fund identify the beneficiary as: “the [name of sub-fund] within The Church of the Transfiguration Endowment Fund” at the same address.
If you wish to dedicate a gift to a specific purpose that may not be covered by one of the existing sub-funds and the gift is expected to meet the requirements for establishing a sub-fund, please contact a Trustee to ensure that the Endowment is properly planning during your lifetime to carry out your wishes whenever the gift is ultimately received.
Probably not. Most wills include a provision allowing you to make minor changes without a formal amendment or codicil. We encourage you to discuss this with your attorney or seek a referral of a legal advisor if your attorney is no longer available.
Yes, by all means. Contributions of any amounts are welcome. And what a wonderful way to remember someone you wish to honor—on their birthday, a life milestone, or their passing. You can contribute at any time by sending a check made payable to “The Church of the Transfiguration Endowment Fund” or leaving it in the collection plate. You may also make contributions through Realm or the Give page of this website. If you wish your gift to go to a particular sub-fund, please add the name of the sub-fund to the memo line of your check, or note on a web-based contribution. If you would like to make a gift in a form other than cash, contact Cathleen Dolt, Parish Administrator, at (972) 233-1898 or by emailing us at endowment@transfiguration.net.
Click the button below to give and select an Endowment Fund from the drop-down menu.