Eternal Vision helps local ministries establish and manage endowments within the Eternal Vision organizational structure. These endowments provide a constant revenue stream designed to improve ministry quality. Endowments are primarily funded through estate bequests and through current cash gifting. Eternal Vision removes the greatest current impediment to estate giving—the fear of doctrinal or philosophical drift—by helping to preserve the integrity of the donor's gift.

The endowments created by Eternal Vision's efforts are designed to strengthen churches and Christian schools financially, improve the compensation paid to Christian school teachers and staff, and to make a quality Christian education affordable to responsible families. This article outlines the process for a ministry getting started with the endowment building process.

The steps to begin the process of building a ministry endowment through the ministry of Eternal Vision include:

1. Conduct a Leadership Meeting

The leadership meeting is designed to educate the ministry's leadership on all aspects of the proposed Eternal Vision process and answer all questions about the ministry.

The packet provided to your ministry includes copies of the Leadership Syllabus along with a DVD from Eternal Vision that explains with greater illustration the Vision Endowment program. The video was designed to be shown to your ministry's leadership board including the board of deacons, pastoral staff, school administration, and school board (if applicable). The leadership packet also contains samples of the various promotional pieces included with the Vision Endowment package.

When your leadership team decides to move forward, the next step in the process is to obtain the Vision Endowment package of services and resources described below.

Option: The Leadership Meeting does not require the presence of an Eternal Vision staff member. However, you may request a staff member be present to conduct the Leadership Meeting. We would consider it a privilege to serve you in this way, calendar permitting. Your ministry would be responsible to cover the travel costs we incur in conducting this meeting.

2. Establish a Vision Endowment

There are two primary parts to the Vision Endowment package; first, creating the endowment structure, and secondly, introducing the endowment to your people.

Creating the Endowment Structure

Information Gathering - Following the Leadership Meeting, Eternal Vision's staff will, at your invitation, begin working with the school's administration to obtain an accurate picture of the school's needs and develop a specific plan to address those needs. During this phase EV's legal staff will perform a review of your documents and processes to verify your ministry's tax-exempt status to receive endowment funds.

Endowment Establishment - Using the information you provide, Eternal Vision’s staff will draft the endowment documents needed to legally establish and define the endowment. Your ministry leadership will then have the opportunity to finalize the criteria that form the promise that will be made from your ministry to potential donors. The documents establishing the Vision Endowment will then be formally adopted by your governing board and executed by Eternal Vision.

Introducing the Endowment to Your People

Once the Vision Endowment is formally established, Eternal Vision will provide materials for you to use in introducing the Vision Endowment to your constituents. Members will be introduced to the endowment process and encouraged to consider God’s leading in the area of their personal finances. A short video presentation has been prepared to be shown to your church members in a Sunday service (or other appropriate time/venue). The introduction video highlights the giving opportunities created by the Vision Endowment and announces the availability of EV’s professional staff to assist members with planned giving solutions.

Promotional resources included in the package include bulletin inserts and custom presentations announcing the upcoming introduction Sunday, Vision Endowment posters to display throughout your church and school facility, customized brochures you can give to potential donors to educate them about your Vision Endowment, and “Ways to Give” booklets to inform donors of creative giving options.

Option: Upon request a staff member from Eternal Vision can come to your ministry to introduce the Vision Endowment program to your constituency on "Eternal Vision Sunday." Typically, the staff member would introduce the endowment program in Sunday School along with a challenge about personal stewardship. Then, in both morning and evening services preach about Biblical stewardship. Your ministry would be responsible for the travel expenses we incur for this Eternal Vision Sunday.

3. Sustaining the Effort

Because this is a long-term effort to teach stewardship and build the ministry endowment, Eternal Vision will stay active in a support role along-side your ministry. Once your Vision Endowment is established, the staff of Eternal Vision will be available on an ongoing basis to counsel your ministry leadership on promoting the endowment and to assist individuals who desire to give. EV will continue to provide promotional material and annual event opportunities to help you keep the endowment before your constituents as a cause worthy of their financial investment.

Several times a year, EV will process direct mail and email appeals on your behalf to keep the Vision Endowment opportunity visible to your constituents. The expense of the sustained effort can be paid directly by the ministry or you can elect to pay these ongoing expenses from any initial funding received by the Vision Endowment.

For more details on ministry endowments, see our article, "The Use of Endowments in Ministry."