The Memorial Trust

you can make a donation to the Trust of any size or at any time or as part of your estate giving plan.  Whether your gift is part of your estate planning or a cash gift, please be sure to specifically designate the Memorial Trust.  Thank you!

Why Give to the Trust?

was established in 1968 at Kellogg Citizens National Bank to fund special projects of the congregation, not “operational” or “routine” expenses or benevolence. Over the years it has grown to more than $2,000,000 and has funded almost $1,000,000 in projects. In addition to funding some of the 2014 Sanctuary Renovation, the Trust was a low-cost loan source for the rest of the renovation costs. Recent projects reflect the variety of ways the Trust supports the congregation:

  • Organ renovations and component replacement
  • Gast Hall Roof
  • Resurfacing the parking lot
  • Vibrant Faith strategic planning
  • Beyond Confirmation programing
  • Kitchen renovations
  • Sanctuary AV additions for streaming worship
  • COVID expenses
  • Food pantry relocation
  • Boiler replacement (partial)
  • Interview and relocation expenses for the Youth and Education Ministry Leader
  • Parking lot sidewalk and lighting project
Historic Fund Transfer

In 2019, the Trust was transferred to the ELCA Ministry Growth Fund of the ELCA Foundation, joining $875,000,000 in investments of congregations, colleges, seminaries, camps, and synods. The size of the Fund increases the quarterly “dividends” the Fund pays to all of these parts of our national church. Another advantage of investing in the ELCA Ministry Growth Fund over an ordinary bank is that the Fund does not invest in gambling, tobacco, pornography, and private prisons and its investments in distilled alcohol, environmental harm, and military weapons are limited.

Giving to the Memorial Trust

If you appreciate this investment strategy, if you appreciate being part of an amazing income stream for the entire ELCA, and if you want to continue to make projects and programs possible at Grace, you can make a donation of any size to the Trust at any time or as part of your estate giving plan. Please designate the Memorial Trust specifically so that your gifts become a part of the tremendous financial resource for Grace and the ELCA that it has become.