To achieve its mission, the Foundation manages two endowment funds, to which congregation members, friends and others are encouraged to contribute their legacy, memorial and other gifts:
The General Endowment Fund
The General Endowment Fund was established oncurrently with the Foundation in 1978. Grants from the Fund are awarded based upon grant requests received, reviewed and recommended by the Foundation Grants Committee and approved by the Trustees. Grants are made to SAKLC ministries and other creditable local, national and global non-profit organizations in accordance with the missional roles of the Foundation and the Missional Plan of the Church.
In 2022, grants totaling $85,000 were awarded as follows:
- ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod – Together in Mission – Babcock Ranch mission start – $10,000
- ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod – ELCA Youth Gathering Scholarships – $5,000
- Lutheran Bible Translators – Bible translation into local language, Cameroon, Africa – $10,000
- St. Paul Lutheran Church – Early Learning Center – student scholarships – $5,000
- Manatee County Habitat for Humanity – InterFaith Build affordable homeownership – $15,000
- Samaritan Counseling of the Gulf Coast – Post COVID pastoral retreats – $7,000
- ALSO Youth – Renovate new drop-in center – $12,000
- Aphasia Community Center – Expand electronic service capabilities – $6,000
- Second Heart Homes – Homeless transitional housing property improvements – $15,000
In the last 5 years (2018 – 2022), the Foundation has granted $370,000:
- 7% ($26,500) to SAKLC request
- 16% ($60,000) to ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod requests
- 12% ($45,000) to ELCA requests
- 12% ($43,000) to Lutheran affiliated organizations’ requests
- 43% ($158,700) to local non-profit requests
- 10% ($36,800) to national and international non-profit requests
The Church Endowment Fund
The Church Endowment Fund was established in 2011 to complement the General Endowment Fund. Annual grants from the Church Endowment Fund are made only to SAKLC and are unrestricted. The grants can be used for any purpose as authorized by the Church Council. The Fund helps Church members create an ongoing legacy that endows their Church offering to contribute gifts, now or in the future, and have confidence that the investment earnings from those gifts will be given as an offering annually indefinitely by the Foundation Trustees to SAKLC.
During 2021, the Foundation awarded a grant of $20,000 to SAKLC, and over the past five years has awarded grants totaling $89,000.
