Gift Planning Process

Your ministry's dedicated gift planning counselor

When you enter into partnership with the LCMS Foundation, we’ll provide your ministry with the services of a trained gift planning counselor. That counselor will commit to leading the effort within your ministry to create awareness and understanding of your gift planning program, to help identify and encourage individuals to go through the gift planning process, and ultimately, to work with individuals, at no cost to them, to create charitable estate plans that provide for both the people and the ministries they care about. When working with a gift planning counselor, you and your members can expect convenience, confidentiality and expert counseling services at no charge.

Our four-step process

The Lifetime Plan for Giving^TM is the uniquely helpful gift planning process we walk through with each individual. Divided into four steps, each phase of the process is designed to guide and educate members as they create their Christian estate and gift plan. 

1. Discovery: With the help of an in-person or virtual visit and a useful, clear-cut workbook, your gift planning counselor gathers necessary information.
2. Design: Using information from the survey and visit, we provide multiple options to structure your gift plan. These designs should all align with your goals, but may provide a range of benefits and approaches. Designs are explored and considered until we arrive at the right plan for you.
3. Summary: We create a complete, thorough explanatory document that explains the details of your gift plan for you, your loved ones and your advisors.
4. Implementation: The final step is to assist you with implementing the gift plan. We’ll make sure your beneficiary designations are updated and correct, and if needed, provide your attorney with all the information they need to prepare and review any necessary legal documents.