If you are interested in Planned Giving, please contact

Becky Coerper, Rector

Email: becky@stjamesskan.org | Phone: 315-685-7600

Legacy Giving

A legacy gift is focused on empowering the ministry and mission of St. James’ well into the future. Unlike a pledge to the annual stewardship campaign or weekly offerings that support the annual operating budget of the church, a gift to the St. James’ Foundation supports the long-term goals and needs of the church as the Vestry determines over time and as the ministry and mission of the church continue to change and grow. Your legacy gift can be made now through contributions to the St. James’ Foundation or in the future through Planned Giving.

The growth we are experiencing at St. James’ right now is a tribute to the leadership that we have in place and is dependent on the continued development of new leaders for every aspect of our worship, continuing education, community service and life as a Christian community. Giving to the St. James’ Foundation Leadership Support Fund is a way to support these leadership needs and to sustain this type of growth well into the future.

What is Planned Giving?

Planned Giving is thinking about the things that you care about, that reflect your values and beliefs, and considering how they will continue, develop and thrive in the future, long after you are no longer here. Planned gifts are made through bequests in wills, life income gifts or donations of appreciated property (such as stock or real estate) and are a recognition that, in time, all accumulated assets must pass from one generation to the next. They are usually part of an individual’s financial and estate planning.

Thanks to Hazel!

You may have heard of Hazel Smith. Our Parish Hall is named after her. According to the history written by Kihm Winship in his book Skaneateles and St. James’ , Hazel was born in 1899, was a lifelong member of St. James’ and lived most of her life on Leitch Avenue in the Village of Skaneateles. She worked at Solvay Process for 38 years, and upon her retirement in 1964, she was the firm’s Senior Executive Secretary. Hazel served on the Altar Guild and volunteered at the St. James’ Thrift Shop and was an outgoing person, but a quiet giver. Upon her death in 1991 many were surprised to learn that St. James’ was the sole beneficiary under her last will and testament and that she had quietly amassed a significant sum of money that was to be used for the physical upkeep of the church. Thanks to Hazel’s legacy gift, and the ongoing management of these funds through the St. James’ Foundation, St. James’ has been able to make needed capital improvements to our building over the last 30 years, and we have all been the beneficiaries of her quiet stewardship.

The St. James’ Episcopal Church Foundation

The St. James’ Episcopal Church Foundation holds endowed and restricted funds gifted to St. James’ Church. There are seven separate accounts managed within the portfolio from charitable gifts given to the Church:

• The Vera Howard Fund, established in 1992, supports Christian education projects.
• The Hazel Smith Fund, established in 1992, supports capital expenditures.
• The St. James’ Fund, established in 1993, is used for general support of the church.
• The Outreach Fund, established in 1998, supports outreach activities.
• The Bishop Kellogg Fund, established in 2000, supports general operations.
• The Leadership Support Fund, established in 2020, supports leadership – specifically clergy and staff – such as but not limited to salary, sabbatical funding, postulant support and funding a search process.
• The Mission Reserve Fund, established in 2021, holds the remainder of funds donated for mission as part of the “Standing Tall for Generations to Come Campaign,” a comprehensive capital campaign launched in 2013 primarily to support facility renovations and improvements.

The St. James’ Foundation Board of Directors, comprised of the Rector, Wardens and parishioners appointed by the Vestry, oversees the Foundation and provides a report to the parish each year at the Annual Meeting. The Foundation Board recommends and the Vestry approves the amounts, if any, to be disbursed from the various Funds each year based on the particular needs for the mission and ministry of the church and the purposes for which such Funds are held. The assets of the St. James’ Foundation are managed by an independent investment advisor as part of the Unified Investment Fund of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, which is overseen by the Investment Committee for the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York. Several parishioners from St. James’ also serve on this Diocesan Committee.

The St. James’ Foundation has been established through the generosity of St. James’ many members over generations. When you give to the St. James’ Foundation, whether your gift is $1,000 or $100,000, it will become a part of your legacy and help to ensure that St. James’ remains a welcoming, active and vibrant Christian community sharing God’s love in the world for many years to come.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34 (NIV)

Opportunities for Planned Giving

There are numerous ways to give to the St. James’ Foundation. Immediate gifts may include cash, appreciated securities, real estate or personal property. Deferred gifts are most often made through bequests made in a will, but are also possible through other financial and estate planning means, such as designating St. James’ as a beneficiary under insurance policies or retirements plans. Other financial and estate planning tools, such as charitable gift annuities or charitable trusts, can be structured to provide the donor (and their spouse) with income for life, with the principal passing to St. James’ after the donor’s death or death of a surviving spouse. Planned giving can provide an opportunity to make a gift to St. James’ from accumulated resources while gaining various tax and estate planning benefits.

Gifts to the St. James’ Foundation can be unrestricted, which allows the Vestry to best direct the funds as needed at any particular time, or restricted as “endowed” funds, so that the principal amount is invested and only the income generated is spent to support the ongoing mission of the church.

Gifts to the St. James’ Foundation can be designated to be used for a particular purpose or added to one of the existing Funds listed above. For example, in 2022, the church launched the “Give to Grow” Campaign to specifically raise monies for the Leadership Support Fund. If you are interested in supporting this effort, visit GIVE TO GROW.

Making a gift that supports the future ministry and mission of St. James’ is a great way to proclaim to the world what you have valued during your lifetime, to express your faith in the future and to leave a legacy for generations to come.

If you are interested in Planned Giving, please contact Becky Coerper, Rector