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Why permanence

Why churches
need an
endowment.

An endowment is a permanent fund. Each year your board pays out a set share of the fund. The rest is preserved for generations.

What an endowment does

A donor who gives every year, permanently.

Most gifts are spent once. An endowment invests the gift instead. The original amount stays invested and the returns fund the mission each year, so gifts made today can still be funding the work in 50 or 100 years.

FundraisingAsks donors to give again.
An endowmentKeeps past gifts working.
Read: The permanent donor →

Savings, investments and an endowment.

Keep your reserves. They do a different job. Even a large reserve can be drawn down in one hard season. An endowment is held as a permanent fund under your board’s policy.

PleroSavings vs. investments vs. endowment
Savings & reserves Investments Endowment Invested for long-term growthUsually cash✓✓Available for any expense, any time✓✓Payout onlyPrincipal protected by board policy——✓Pays the mission every year, by rule——✓Built automatically from weekly giving——✓Has a home for estate gifts, stock and bequestsRarelyRarely✓Shows donors you’re planning for generations——✓Designed to outlast today’s leadership——✓
You need reserves. You also need the part that’s preserved for generations.plero.io/why-permanence
Five questions for your board

Do you have an endowment, or savings?

Tick each one you can answer yes to today.

Your result
0of 5Yeses
Fewer than five yeses means you have savings or investments, not an endowment.Your savings are a good start. An endowment keeps them safe from a hard year.
The missing piece

Universities have endowments. Churches can too.

Universities and hospitals built endowments centuries ago. Plero gives the local church the same, without choosing between today and tomorrow.

How one $100 gift is split.

$90Ministry this week
$10Endowment
01One donationA member gives $100 on Sunday.
02Two outcomes$90 funds today. $10 goes to a board-governed endowment.
03Never spentThe $10 is invested, and pays ministry back for decades.
No extra steps for the donor. No manual work for the finance team.

What it changes for your church.

Your next pastor inherits strength, not a deficit.
Your outreach stays funded through recessions.
Today’s generosity is still at work in 100 years.

Every vision deserves to
outlive the people who started it.

Fundraising pays for this year. Plero helps you plan for the next hundred.
The 100-year check

Will your mission still be funded in 2126?

Three questions. Thirty seconds. See where your church or nonprofit stands.

We have an endowment with a written spending policy.
YesNo
A set share of every eligible gift goes to long-term capital.
YesNo
We can accept estate gifts, stock and legacy pledges.
YesNo
–/3Answer all three to see where you stand.Book a session
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