The finance committee is responsible for the all aspects of church finances.  The finance committee includes the Treasurer and the Financial Secretary.  The treasurer is mainly responsible for expenses.  The financial secretary is mainly responsible for income.  Together they create the monthly and yearly finance reports.  The finance committee is not responsible for the October Stewardship drive.  That is the task of the Stewardship committee.

Be Creative In Your Giving!

Donate stocks, real estate and other non-cash assets.

Introduction

Most people think in terms of cash when they make charitable gifts, but the fact is that almost anything with a market value can be donated to Holy Cross Lutheran Church. In many cases, you can maximize your contribution while minimizing your tax liability by donating stock and other assets that have realized an increase in value since you bought them.

When you make a gift of shares of stock to Holy Cross Lutheran Church you could avoid paying capital
gains taxes at the same time you maximize your gift. Here is why:

• The stock you gift may be worth more now than when you bought it
• By giving stock instead of money, you could avoid paying the capital gains taxes that would be due if you sold the stock
• When the stock has gained in value since it was acquired and it has been held long term, you may be able to deduct the full fair market value of the stock from the current year's taxable income.

Other types of assets can be donated to Holy Cross Lutheran Church. These include real estate, closely-held stock, tax-exempt bonds, life insurance policies, valuable rugs, jewelry, artwork, antiques, collectibles, IRAs and other qualified retirement plans. The same tax benefits that apply when gifting appreciated securities may apply to the gift of these assets as well.

Before you act on any of these giving suggestions, consult your tax advisor to validate the tax benefits in your specific case.

How to transfer stock to Holy Cross

There are two procedures that can be use to transfer stock to Holy Cross. The method used depends on your current
stock broker. Holy Cross currently has an account with Ameritrade. If your broker is Ameritrade, just write a letter
to Ameritrade with your instructions to transfer the shares. If you have another broker, you must request that your
broker deliver the shares to Holy Cross.

From An Ameritrade Account: If you have an Ameritrade account, all you need to do is send written instruction
to Ameritrade that tells Ameritrade to transfer the shares of stock you wish to donate from your account to the Holy
Cross Lutheran Church Ameritrade account. This document will contain:

• Your name(s) exactly as it appears on their Ameritrade account
• Your Ameritrade account number
• A description of the stock to be transferred (Company Name and Symbol)
• The number of shares of stock to be transferred
• The exact name as it appears on the Holy Cross Lutheran Church Ameritrade account
• The Holy Cross Lutheran Church Ameritrade account number
• The signature(s) of all donor(s) on the donors' Ameritrade account

When you are ready to donate shares of stock, please contact the Holy Cross Finance Committee for the current
account information you will need to complete the transfer.

From A Non-Ameritrade Account: There are two methods.

1) You can open an Ameritrade account by transferring the stock you wish to donate from your current broker to
Ameritrade. They can then follow the instructions above.

2) You must ask your broker to delivered the shares of stock you wish to donate to Holy Cross Lutheran Church.
Most brokers will ask for a letter detailing your request. This request will contain:

• A description of the stock to be transferred (Company Name and Symbol)
• The number of stock shares to be transferred
• A request to register these shares in the name of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church as it appears on the Holy
  Cross Lutheran Church Ameritrade account.

When the shares of stock are delivered to Holy Cross, they will be properly endorsed and sent to Ameritrade with
a deposit slip for the Holy Cross Lutheran Church Account. The church will then send you a letter thanking you for
this give and acknowledging its receipt.

Contact the Holy Cross Finance Committee for additional information. When you are ready to donate shares of
stock, the committee will help you complete the transfer.