• Account withdrawal request template
• Stock sell instructions
• Authorized Signatories template
• Sample Endowment Form
• Scholarship Application
• Grant Application

The process we follow includes oversight, diversification of investments, long-term focus, and industry best practices.

The Foundation’s Investment Service is for churches, agencies, or boards of the Annual Conference that have long-term funds to invest. The Investment Service is not for individuals. Our Investment Service is not a free service. It involves an all-inclusive management fee based on the total funds a depositor has under our management. For 2021, the annual fee remained the same at 1.0%. Your fee is further reduced for each additional million dollars you have invested up to $5 million. At the end of 2021, the Foundation had over $53 million in assets under management.

Currently, all investment customers are invested in our pooled “multiple-asset fund”. This fund consists of 45% US equities, 25% fixed income, 20% international equities, and 10% inflation protection fund. As of May 1, 2022, the Foundation is offering two additional funds in which churches and organizations can invest. The first is a “Fixed Income Fund” (more conservative) which consists of 80% fixed income and 20% inflation protection and the second is an “Equity Growth Fund” (more aggressive) which consists of 70% US equities and 30% international equities. This expansion of options allows customers more freedom and choice when it comes to investing their funds. All investments should continue to be thought of as ‘long term’, but we hope these new options will give our customers the desired flexibility some seek. Feel free to contact Anne Green at agreen@dsumf.org for more information on these exciting new funds.

The investments of the Foundation are guided by its Investment Oversight Committee, whose members are appointed by the Board of Directors. These committee members sit in on quarterly webinars hosted by Wespath Institutional Investments, explaining the quarter’s earnings. While they cover the funds’ earnings, they also report on the economy and other important factors that directly relate to those changes. It brings great solace to know that Wespath Institutional Investments has our United Methodist mindset and, thus, our best interests in mind.

These investments are included in the Foundation’s annual audit, thus enabling church endowment fund committees and church foundations using our Investment Service to comply with the Desert Southwest Conference rule that all UM entities must have an annual audit.

The Foundation deposits are made up of more than 200 different sub-accounts, which fall into four main categories:

We partner with Wespath Institutional Investments which is a branch of Wespath Benefits and Investments, the UM general agency responsible for the pension and health benefits for clergy and lay members within the denomination. They continue to support the Foundation in many ways and can always be relied upon for top-notch service.

The Educational Service Program has traditionally provided educational materials and presentations in three areas: 1) Estate Planning, 2) Stewardship and Charitable Giving, and 3) Creating Endowment Funds. Estate Planning Seminars are designed to teach members the importance of becoming good stewards of their own assets. In turn, it is known that members will transfer their new stewardship knowledge to work for the benefit of their church. Since 1995, we estimate that thousands of our members have created new estate plans and have committed millions of dollars in deferred bequests to their home churches.

The Charitable Giving, aka Planned Giving Seminar is designed to teach members about the charitable giving vehicles available, their tax implications, and how the Foundation can assist the local church in promoting a charitable gifting culture for the benefit of the local church. Since 1995, the DSUMF has assisted in the creation of almost 375 deferred gifts designed to support their churches’ ministries with gift values over $3 million.

The Permanent Endowment Fund presentation is conducted for a small committee at a local church that wishes to establish a formal Permanent Endowment Fund Program.

The Estate Planning presentation is designed to educate members of the importance of leaving their affairs in order and the importance of remembering their church in their will. This should be of great importance to your church. Keep in mind, if someone else is asking for those charitable dollars and you are not, there is an opportunity missed! We work with local attorneys who are happy to discuss wills, trusts and estate preparation at your church. In addition, Judi Smith, our Gift Planning Officer, can give presentations to include estate planning, as well as her standard planned giving presentations.

The Foundation is here to serve the churches, boards, and agencies of the Desert Southwest Conference. Therefore, all seminars and handouts are provided free of charge. We encourage all churches to participate in these free presentations. To schedule a presentation, contact the Foundation at 602-798-8202 or email your request directly to Anne Green at agreen@dsumf.org or Judi Smith at jsmith@dsumf.org.