Supporting Ministry Through Planned Giving
Providing financial support to WELS and WELS-affiliated ministries.
WELS CHURCH EXTENSION FUND
WELS Church Extension Fund provides loans and grants to qualified mission congregations, so that through the acquisition of land and a ministry facility the gospel can be spread.
The WELS Church Extension Fund (CEF) supports WELS Home Missions by providing loans and grants to ministry-minded congregations. These funds help acquire land and buildings, construct or renovate ministry facilities, and ensure that communities have places to hear the gospel and grow in faith. Church Extension Fund also offers loans to ministry-minded self-supporting congregations for capital expansion projects.
To support this mission, Church Extension Fund offer three types of investments: Investment Certificates, Saving Certificates, and Retirement/IRA Certificates. These investments allow individuals and organizations to invest in the expansion of gospel outreach. For full details, please refer to our Offering Circular for all policies and descriptions of our investments.
Stamp Program – A great way to involve WELS youth in ministry work at an early age.
Ways to Give: Individuals and Organizations can support Church Extension Fund by sending a check payable to WELS with ‘CEF’ in the memo line to:
WELS Center for Mission and Ministry, N16W23377 Stone Ridge Drive, Waukesha, WI 53188.
To explore long-term giving options, contact a WELS Christian Giving Counselor to learn how to support Church Extension Fund through an Endowment Fund.
WELS FOUNDATION
WELS Foundation helps donors support WELS and WELS-affiliated ministries by providing planned giving services and administrative support for donor-directed gifts.
We offer a variety of giving opportunities, including:
Charitable Gift Annuities
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Donor-Advised Funds
Endowments.
In addition, WELS Foundation facilitates donor-directed gifts, such as:
Gifts of appreciated securities, real estate or cryptocurrency
Qualified charitable distributions from IRAs (for those 70 1/2+)
Bequests and other estate plan distributions
Your generosity helps strengthen gospel ministry for generations to come.
After the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, they built a stone memorial so that future generations would know the goodness of God. (Joshua 4) In a similar way, WELS Foundation helps God’s people leave a legacy of faith through planned gifts—one that continues to bless others for years to come.
WELS Foundation serves the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, guided by the same Christ-centered principles. Christ’s love is at the heart of all we do. Through that love, we are redeemed, forgiven, and made his own by faith—blessed with the promise of eternal life with him in heaven.
God has graciously called us to assist WELS members and ministries in sharing his great love in Jesus with future generations, so that they too may know and reflect Christ’s love.
Congregations and WELS-affiliated organization can establish an Endowment Fund to support local and external ministry efforts. A WELS Christian Giving Counselor can help guide the setup process and assist churches with promoting current and estate gifts that will help grow the fund over time.
WELS INVESTMENT FUNDS
WELS Investment Fund provides WELS and WELS-affiliated ministries with cost-effective, professionally managed investment portfolios. Since 1997, WELS congregations have had access to the same investment portfolios used by synodical scholarships and endowment funds.
As of March 31, 2025, WELS Investment Fund managed $330 million for WELS and more than 260 WELS congregations and WELS-affiliated ministries. As more ministries invest together with WELS Investment Fund, the benefits of cost savings and efficiency grows—further strengthening our shared gospel ministry.
WELS Investment Fund is available exclusively to WELS and WELS-affiliated ministries.
The mission of WELS Investment Funds is to strengthen and enhance the ministry of WELS and WELS-affiliated ministries with cost-effective, professionally managed investment portfolios. WELS Investment Funds are designed primarily for the investment needs of Endowment Funds, Scholarship Funds, and Charitable Trust Funds.
WELS CHURCH EXTENSION FUND
WELS CEF provides loans and grants to qualified ministry congregations, so that through the acquisition of land and a ministry facility, the gospel can be spread.
WELS FOUNDATION
WELS Foundation exists to assist God’s people in support of God’s ministry through the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
WELS INVESTMENT FUNDS
WELS Investment Funds provides cost-effective, professionally managed investment portfolios exclusively for WELS and WELS-affiliated ministries.