WELS FOUNDATION
EXPLORE GIFT OPTIONS
Find the best gift for your situation.
Established in 1965 and granted 501c(3) tax exempt status in May 1966, WELS Foundation was organized for the benefit of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and is guided by the same principles summarized in Christ’s Love, Our Calling.
As a WELS subsidiary corporation, WELS Foundation serves God’s people by providing gift administration to help WELS members and organizations to be faithful and generous stewards, and support the Lord’s work through WELS ministries.
Our Calling
WELS Foundation exists to assist God’s people in support of God’s ministry through the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
WELS Foundation provides a channel through which gifts can be administered for the benefit of local and national ministries by:
Why WELS Foundation
After the Israelites crossed the River Jordan to enter the Promised Land, they set up a stone memorial so that future generations would know the goodness of God. In the same way, WELS Foundation exists to help members leave a monument of their faith, which will be a blessing for many years to come.
By establishing a named endowment fund, donor advised fund, charitable gift annuity, or charitable remainder trust, you are creating a lasting legacy by supporting your local and national WELS ministries.
WELS Foundation is the foundation of choice for WELS members and ministries. It is the only foundation whose sole purpose is to facilitate donors’ desires to support WELS ministries.
Giving Opportunities
WELS Foundation exists to assist God’s people in support of the Lord’s work through the ministries of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Your generosity through charitable planning helps sustain and grow your favorite WELS ministries so that future generations might know and reflect Christ’s love.
Take the First Step
Explore gift options. There are a variety of ways to make a special gift to the Lord’s work. You’ll want to consider your family’s and your own financial needs—how to maximize tax benefits, maintain an income, and preserve assets for your heirs. This tool steps you through the different possibilities to recommend the best gift for your situation.
Run a personalized gift illustration. Click the “personalize” button and choose the gift you are interested in from the dropdown list at the top. Fill in the form fields and your deduction calculation will appear within the infograph of the gift.
Talk to someone. A WELS Christian giving counselor will assist you with completing your charitable goals (no cost or obligation).
Board and Staff
The affairs of WELS Foundation are managed by a volunteer board of directors consisting of between seven and thirteen directors. Insofar as practicable, directors shall reflect geographic diversity and represent financial, investment, trust, legal, and other like professional backgrounds. One of the directors shall be a pastor (retired or active). All must be communicant members of a WELS congregation. Directors are appointed to terms of four years by WELS through its Synodical Council. The Board shall have a voting ex-officio member, which shall be the WELS President or his designee. The Board shall have two advisory members, the Director of the Ministry of Christian Giving and the Administrator of the Board for Ministerial Education.
WELS Foundation is headquarters in the WELS synod administration building located in Waukesha, Wis. Day-to-day operations are carried out by synod employees assigned to WELS Foundation.
Annual Report
Read the latest WELS Foundation Annual Report.
How do I get started?
Explore gift options. There are a variety of ways to make a special gift to the Lord’s work. You’ll want to consider your family’s and your own financial needs—how to maximize tax benefits, maintain an income, and preserve assets for your heirs. This tool steps you through the different possibilities to recommend the best gift for your situation.
Run a personalized gift illustration. Click the “personalize” button and choose the gift you are interested in from the dropdown list at the top. Fill in the form fields and your deduction calculation will appear within the infograph of the gift.
Talk to someone. A WELS Christian giving counselor will assist you with completing your charitable goals (no cost or obligation).
What is a gift annuity?
By setting up a WELS Foundation charitable gift annuity, you are creating a lasting legacy and helping to do the Lord’s work. Giving is an act of worship—another way to offer your Lord a thankful response for his never-failing gifts.
WHAT IS A GIFT ANNUITY?
A charitable gift annuity is a contract between you and WELS Foundation, in which you make a gift of cash or securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds) in exchange for fixed payments for life. After the passing of the annuitant, the remainder of the gift will be used by your congregation, mission work of the church, schools, area Lutheran high schools, or other WELS-affiliated ministries. Like the stones placed by the River Jordan, your gift is a means to share God’s grace with others well after you enter the Promised Land of heaven.
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES?
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
For a personalized, no-obligation gift annuity illustration, please contact us.
What is an endowment fund?
An endowment fund is a donor restricted gift that is not spent immediately but invested in a diversified investment portfolio. Annual distributions from the endowment funds are used to provide a source of ongoing financial support for WELS ministries.
Through WELS Foundation, an individual, family, congregation, or any WELS-affiliated ministry can establish a donor designated endowment, such as the Smith Family Memorial Fund or St. Paul Lutheran Church Endowment Fund, for the benefit of any WELS ministry.
The endowment can be established with current gifts or testamentary gifts (i.e., wills, trusts, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, insurance proceeds).
What is a charitable remainder trust?
By setting up a charitable remainder trust, you are creating a lasting legacy helping to do the Lord’s work. Giving is an act of worship—another way to offer your Lord a thankful response for his never-failing gifts.
WHAT IS A CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST?
A charitable remainder trust is created when you transfer cash, securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds), or real estate to WELS Foundation, but keep a specified income interest—usually for life. When the trust ends per your designations, the property in the trust passes to your designated beneficiaries, such as your church and/or synod. Like the stones placed by the River Jordan, your gift is a means to share God’s grace with others well after you enter the Promised Land of heaven.
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES?
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
For a personalized, no-obligation gift illustration, please contact us.
What is a donor advised fund?
By setting up a donor advised fund, you are creating a lasting legacy and helping to do the Lord’s work. Giving is an act of worship—another way to offer your Lord a thankful response for his never-failing gifts.
WHAT IS A DONOR ADVISED FUND?
A donor advised fund is a charitable giving vehicle wherein an individual, family, or corporation makes an irrevocable, tax-deductible contribution of cash, securities, or other property to WELS Foundation and at any time thereafter can recommend grant distributions to qualified WELS ministries. The fund can be established with current gifts, deferred gifts (such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts), and testamentary gifts (such as wills, revocable trusts, or beneficiary designation for life insurance policies or retirement accounts).
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES?
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
What is the WELS Foundation’s legal name and tax ID number?
WELS Foundation, Inc.
N16W23377 Stone Ridge Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188
Tax Identification #39-6084446
Read about the latest opportunities through WELS Foundation to support the gospel efforts of your church, synod, or other WELS ministry.
WELS Foundation exists to assist God’s people in support of God’s ministry through the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
WELS Church Extension Fund exists to provide loans and grants to qualified mission congregations so they can acquire land and build or renovate ministry facilities—used as tools for gospel outreach.
As an affiliate of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, WELS Investment Funds provides cost-effective, professionally managed investment portfolios exclusively for WELS and affiliated organizations.