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Planned Giving

The Christian Reformed Church Heritage Fund accepts estate gifts from individuals and families to help meet the ministry goals of the CRC for generations to come, whether by designating a future gift or creating an endowment for a ministry program.

While the Christian Reformed Church does not offer estate-planning services directly, it does so in partnership with Barnabas Foundation for U.S. donors, and with Christian Stewardship Services for Canadian donors, in order to help families make planned gifts and develop estate plans.

Planned gifts may be made either during your lifetime or at death. Any important life event such as the sale of appreciated assets, sale of a business, sale of a farm, and retirement are excellent times to consider a planned gift to the CRC Heritage Fund.

Estate planning is the process of deciding where your assets should be distributed after your death. The plan is implemented through a will or revocable living trust. For many people a revocable living trust is an excellent tool by which to implement their estate plan. Like a will, a trust makes provision for the transfer of your assets at death. However, assets in a trust are not subject to the costs and delays of probate, as is the case with a will. During your lifetime, the trust remains completely under your control.

Gifts you can make anytime

  • cash
  • traded securities
  • real estate
  • closely held securities
  • paid-up life insurance
  • tangible personal property
  • residual retirement plan assets, after your lifetime

Ways to Give

  • charitable gift annuities
  • charitable remainder trusts
  • memorial and honorary gifts
  • charitable lead trusts
  • donor advised funds
  • bequests
  • beneficiary designations
  • endowed gifts
  • gift of your home, but you continue to live there for life

If you have questions, or to get started, please contact Jeff Bolt, and he will be happy to talk with you about this important decision.

Jeffrey Bolt 
Director of Advancement 
Christian Reformed Church in NA 
(616) 224-0817 or 877-272-6204 
[email protected]

Barnabas Foundation

The Barnabas Foundation is committed to the principles of Christian stewardship. Every discussion of using “our resources” is based upon the recognition that God owns everything and we are God’s stewards. It is our responsibility to manage the assets entrusted to us. From this stewardship perspective, the Barnabas Foundation:

  • helps Christians accomplish their individual and family estate planning goals
  • assumes complete confidentiality in the planning process
  • does not sell or promote any particular financial or investment product
  • provides planning services free of charge
  • does not ask for gifts

For more than 25 years, the Barnabas Foundation has helped Christians support ministries they care about. Based on this experience, the Barnabas Foundation provides:

  • clear and easy-to-understand planning information
  • answers to your estate planning questions
  • estate planning visits in your home
  • professionals with estate planning experience
  • tax calculations and illustrations for charitable gifts
  • competent local Christian attorney referral choices

Contact the Barnabas Foundation by calling 888-448-3040 or visit barnabasfoundation.com.