Planned and Legacy Giving

Planned Giving

Since 1772, our church has been a beacon of liberal religion in Charleston, and we take seriously the responsibility of keeping that light shining brightly.

A planned gift is a meaningful way to express gratitude for all the church has given you— and to help ensure it continues to serve, inspire, and make a difference for years to come.

One of the most lasting ways to do this is through gifts to the church’s endowment, which provide ongoing support for our ministries and help secure the future of our congregation.

Gifts to Our Endowments

A gift to one of our church’s endowments is a gift that keeps giving long after we are gone.

Unlike annual pledges or weekly offerings that support our day-to-day expenses, endowment gifts are invested for the long term. The principal—your original gift—is not spent. Instead, it’s carefully managed so it can grow over time. The value of the original gifts, adjusted for inflation, remains invested, building a foundation for the future.

To support the life and work of the church, a percentage of the endowments’ investment earnings is used every year to help care for our historic buildings, sustain our many programs, and ensure that our values and ministry continue to thrive.

Unrestricted Endowments

The church currently has two unrestricted endowments, meaning the earnings may be used for almost any church need.

A gift to the General Operating (Unrestricted) Endowment is like making a perpetual pledge; the earnings support the needs of our annual Operating Fund: our worship, music, lifelong learning and social justice staff and programs.

The earnings from a gift to the General Non-Operating Endowment assist with expenses outside of the annual operating budget. Examples include the Sanctuary audio/video system that allows us to live-stream our services and the building of the Annex, which houses our nursery.

Special Endowments

You may also choose to dedicate (restrict) your gift to one of our Special Endowments, each of which supports a particular aspect of church life that may be especially meaningful to you. The earnings from these four Special Endowments are directed to specific areas adding monies to be spent outside of the annual operating budget. They are:

Building Endowment: Supports Sanctuary restoration and other larger capital building projects
Fuller Churchyard Endowment: Supports the restoration of gravestones and larger landscape projects
Hearth Music Endowment: Supports musical programming beyond Sunday Services
Leash Social Justice Endowment: Supports the fight for justice within our community

The Samuel and Caroline Gilman Society

Established in 1999, the society honors Unitarian Church in Charleston members and friends who leave bequests to the church in their wills or estates.

The Gilman Legacy Builders is an honor society to recognize future benefactors and allows for either public recognition or anonymity for a gift according to individual preference.

For those who wish to join the Gilman Society, they may choose to have their names engraved on the Gilman Society stone plaque once their gift has been received by the church.

The Planned Giving Team

Our Team supports the financial well-being of our congregation by facilitating and publicizing planned giving opportunities. We provide help and maintain confidentiality as you make decisions concerning your estate. We act as your confidential advocate should you be considering an unusual gift or special designation for your gift. We can also help with professional referrals.

For more information, contact the minister at minister@charlestonuu.org.

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