Services for Churches - Investments
Taste of Oak Lawn Scholarship Success
“Our 35-year relationship with the Foundation, including a loan and other services, has established an important element of trust. When it came time to invest monies for the scholarship fund, we naturally turned to the Foundation.”
To commemorate its 125th anniversary in 1998, Oak Lawn UMC looked for a way to give back to the community that had enhanced and enriched the church for more than a century. They decided to create the Oak Lawn Parish Scholarship fund to benefit area youth. The first distribution will be awarded when youth born during 1998 are ready to enter college.
What better way to celebrate their rich heritage than by preparing a bright future for God’s children? Instead of focusing on preserving their past, they stepped out in faith to use their resources to transform lives for the future.
“We wanted a project that would reflect values that generations of Oak Lawn members – and the Oak Lawn community – have affirmed. We couldn’t think of a more meaningful way to honor our past than by helping disadvantaged youth fulfill their potential,” explained Mark Knight, scholarship committee member.
Their goal that first year was to raise $12,500 to coincide with their 125 years in the neighborhood. They raised more than $15,000 and have met or exceeded that number in subsequent years. Now, more than $100,000 is invested with the Texas Methodist Foundation to maximize their return and work toward their goal of a self-perpetuating endowment.
“Our 35-year relationship with the Foundation, including a loan and other services, has established an important element of trust,” commented Wyndal Earley, Oak Lawn UMC business manager. “When it came time to invest monies for the scholarship fund, we naturally turned to the Foundation.”
To promote the fund, committee members continued nourishing the principle of community. They created the Taste of Oak Lawn, an annual tasting and auction event held in the Melrose Hotel ballroom across the street from the church, space generously donated by the historic hotel. This fundraiser has enlarged the circle of participants to include more than 25 restaurants and merchants. Ticket and auction sales to this well-attended event account for the bulk of money raised for the fund.
“The collaborative spirit of the Oak Lawn neighborhood has been truly inspiring,” said Knight, who also chairs the event. “Sure, the merchants get some publicity for their businesses, but they are overwhelmingly motivated by the ultimate goal of helping the children in this neighborhood become the best they can be.”
Endowments like the scholarship program at Oak Lawn UMC can be established to assist churches with a variety of future needs ranging from maintaining aging facilities to ensuring that important ministries continue to thrive for years to come. For information on establishing an endowment for your congregation, visit Gift Planning & Endowment Services.
Financial Rewards with Eternal Value