2020
ANNUAL REPORT Ensuring that what we cherish today will be cared for tomorrow.
THE
CARING FOREVER F O U N D AT I O N -
OF MEMORIAL DRIVE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
W H AT I S T H E C A R I N G F O R E V E R F O U N D AT I O N ?
2020 BOARD O F D I R E C TO R S
The Caring Forever Foundation is the 501c3 supporting organization for Memorial Drive United Methodist Church established in 1999 exclusively for charitable, religious, and educational purposes. The Foundation receives gifts, bequests, and donations and administers them for the perpetual benefit of the Church's ministries and missions. At the end of 2020 The Foundation’s assets totaled more than $6.7 million.
CHA IR Scott Neal
FROM DR. BRAD MORGAN: The Caring Forever Foundation is at the heart of Memorial Drive United Methodist Church and its ministries. This dynamic foundation supports the vision and mission of MDUMC and provides grants to cultivate missions in our community that are consistent with our vision. I pray that you will join Laura and me in support of the Caring Forever Foundation as patrons. You can support CFF as a patron, through planned giving, and/or a memorial gift. The funds you donate to CFF will further the mission of Christ in the world.
SE CR E TA RY Greg Shaw MEMBERS Neal Carlson Gerry Elphingstone Ron Green David Hammer Chris Hardig TK Harrison Lindsey Martin David Miller Brad Morgan, Senior Pastor Linda Morgan Greg Nelson, Lay Leader Gary Noble Christie Petrie FOU N DAT ION STAF F Stacy Stepler, Executive Director Lisa Nelson, Administrator CHU R CH STA FF Keri Bruegger, Business Administrator
2020 INVESTMENT COMMITTEE CHA IR Gary Noble
Dr. Brad Morgan S E N I O R PA S TO R
MEMBERS Neal Carlson Gerry Elphingstone John David Ickes Brian McElroy Scott Neal
Dear Friends, We are excited about the work The Caring Forever Foundation enabled in 2020 and hope that you will be, too. Because of you and all of our donors through the years, The Foundation granted more than $109,000 in 2020. Just like MDUMC, The Caring Forever Foundation’s guiding mission is to make disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world. The Foundation works toward this effort by making grants to MDUMC and the Houston Community. The challenges that 2020 would bring were unimaginable at the start the year. Through it all, The Foundation was there to support the ministries and programming needs of MDUMC. The Foundation also made an immediate and lasting impact on the lives of our neighbors by partnering with established and respected nonprofit organizations in our community. Due to the pandemic we could not hold our annual banquet. To help make up for this, we started a new giving program, The Caring Forever Patrons. The Patrons helps directly support the operating costs of The Foundation allowing us to do more for the church and the community. We are grateful to those of you who joined the Patrons in 2020 and hope the program will continue to grow. The following pages contain stories of the work that was accomplished because of Caring Forever grants. Please read about what we have done together this year, and know that we appreciate you and the contributions that make it possible. Grace and peace,
A N O V E R V I E W O F T H E C A R I N G F O R E V E R F O U N D AT I O N
CFF Award Grants
MDUMC Programming......................... $51,905
Because you give, The Caring Forever Foundation gave out
Church Beautification...............................$3,508
$109,824 in 2020.
Pastoral Scholarships............................. $17,570 Parishioner Support .................................$4,681 Texas Annual Conference........................$5,000 Local Missions........................................ $27,160
CFF Encourages Thoughtful Giving from Church Members • The Foundation welcomes gifts of cash, marketable securities, and real property at any time. Many donors make a one-time gift in memory or honor of someone or to recognize a significant milestone. • Donors may choose to make the Foundation a beneficiary of assets from these sources: bequest from wills or trusts, retirement accounts, life insurance, donor advised fund or private foundation. • The Foundation applies its contributions to its permanent endowment funds. Earnings from our endowment funds enable the Foundation to award grants and scholarships as well as cover administrative costs. The Foundation maintains separate bank accounts, investments, and financial records from the church. The Foundation is a 501(c)3 corporation, and as a result, gifts made to the Foundation are typically deductible for federal income tax purposes.
CFF Maintains the MDUMC Memorial Garden On the east side of the church courtyard is the final resting place for the cremated remains of members and loved ones. The Memorial Garden offers a quiet, comforting space to draw close to God, to give thanks, and to remember. It is a link with the Church Triumphant and proclaims the Christian faith: the beginning and the end of human life rest with God. Practically speaking, The Memorial Garden is a columbarium with niches held in a polished wall of granite engraved with personal markers for the deceased. Each niche has been entrusted to the perpetual care of MDUMC and is the responsibility of the Caring Forever Foundation.
T H E W O R K O F T H E C A R I N G F O R E V E R F O U N D AT I O N As the supporting organization of Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, The Caring Forever Foundation (CFF or The Foundation) contributed more than $51,000 directly to MDUMC to support the ministries and programs of the Church. As was common in 2020, many of the Foundation’s grants to MDUMC were COVID-19 related to help the Church meet new challenges and fill in gaps. Pastors’ Discretionary Fund.............................................................................................. $12,000 The Pastors’ Discretionary Fund allows our MDUMC Pastors to support anyone in need at their discretion. This fund’s work is just what the CFF Helping Hands Fund is intended for – to aid less fortunate individuals living in Houston, Texas. The Foundation supports the Pastors’ Fund with a monthly contribution. Journey Audio..................................................................................................................... $10,000 The Journey Technical Team received a grant from The Foundation to invest in an audio equipment upgrade specifically to improve its livestream broadcast quality. With more and more worshipers online, this investment was critical to connect those joining from home. At this time, a clear upgrade plan has been identified, and a list of the components to purchase has been compiled. A third-party consultant will objectively critique the upgrade plan and visit our space and discuss it with the Journey Technical Team. Once the project is determined to be feasible and effective, funds will be utilized, and installation will commence.
Senior Scholarships ............................................................................................................. $8,000 When the Mens’ Ministry and Youth Department could not host their annual golf tournament to raise funds for senior scholarships, The Foundation granted the Church $8,000 to fill in the budgetary gap, allowing the tradition of Senior scholarships to continue. These funds were from both the Bonita Ranzau Scholarship Fund and the General Fund. The 2020 Senior scholarships were awarded to: Taylor Elaine Dibrell Malcolm Richard Eastman Sarah Elizabeth Eiser Ashley Nicole Guy Matthew Harris Howell
Liam D Jones Joseph Monroe Ledet Leah Ryan Manale Kaitlyn Grace Moore Jackson Bartlett Phillips
Piper McCullough Reilly William Rex Shorter Grant Alexander Shyer Karina Nicole Wagner Ethan Christopher Wohlfahrt
Video Conferencing .............................................................................................................. $5,000 One of the most substantial shifts that MDUMC staff had to make during 2020 was moving to more video calls. Upon entering the relatively new video conferencing world, staff quickly realized that our campus was not adequately set up for online meetings. Through a generous Foundation grant, MDUMC outfitted C200 on the Main Campus as a state-of-the-art video conferencing room that now acts as the primary meeting room for staff both on and off-campus.
Video Cameras...................................................................................................................... $4,955 In March of 2020, online worship became not just an option but a necessity as MDUMC took precautions to keep our staff and congregation healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online-only worship was something that none of us expected. Still, even in the early planning stages, we knew it should be unique – a Sunday morning experience that could foster a sense of community and help our congregation grow in faith from a distance. The Church needed new cameras for our media team to capture worship more fully and stream online. With a grant from The Foundation, MDUMC purchased two cameras that greatly enhanced the online experience.
Amplify Subscription............................................................................................................ $4,000 MDUMC received a grant from the Porter Education Fund and General Fund for a subscription to Amplify, Cokesbury Publishing’s online media resource. Currently, there are135 subscribers on our customized Amplify channel. These are MDUMC members who have created profiles so they can access the digital content. However, many more people have benefitted from Amplify because they are part of small groups, Sunday school classes, and Bible studies accessing material on this platform. Multiple ministry areas are pleased with the ease of using Amplify and the cost savings of streaming videos compared to purchasing DVD curricula. Amplify makes it easy for MDUMC to offer great Wesleyan content aligned with our doctrine to our people so that they may continue to grow as disciples of Jesus. We are excited about adding more content to our channel this spring. Examples include Pastor Brad’s Bible study and live streaming of our worship services. Especially during the pandemic, having this resource available has been invaluable for many of our ministries. On-demand streaming is the way we can offer Christ-centered content to MDUMC whenever and wherever they need it because of the Foundation’s grant. “Amplify Media has been a lifesaver! Not only are we enjoying the studies more (because we can preview them together and discuss which one is speaking to our hearts), but the members can catch up if they miss a week and easily preview the lesson if they’re leading. I’ve told many the pastors how much we’ve enjoyed the huge selection, easy search options, and convenience Amplify Media provides. I’ve recommended it to other church members for finding either a personal study or a group study. It’s been great for Zoom meetings, but it will also be excellent when we start back in-person” - TA R A H U N S U C K E R , M D U M C M E M B E R
Weekday School..................................................................................................................... $3,000 In the fall of 2020, the MDUMC Weekday School re-opened its doors; COVID regulations required it to cut enrollment in half and institute new cleaning routines and protective measures. The Foundation donated funds for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies to help keep both staff and children healthy. The school must now clean everything in the 17 classrooms and three playgrounds multiple times a day, requiring them to spend more on cleaning supplies. Additionally, the school now cleans everything with a daily Microban spray. The Weekday School also purchased plexiglass partitions to separate the children when eating or sitting directly across from each other for an extended period. Digital thermometers were purchased to check staff and students’ temperature each day. This year, the school needed even more hand sanitizer than usual. The school bought seethrough masks for all teachers so that the young students could see their teachers smile.
Stand Alone Thermometers................................................................................................. $2,450 As MDUMC returned to campus, especially for Sunday morning worship, it became necessary to have free-standing thermometers to take everyone’s temperature before entering the building. With a grant from CFF’s General Fund, the Church purchased seven free-standing thermometer and hand sanitizer stations. These stations are portable and can be moved around the church campus as needed. The thermometers make building entry more manageable and quicker because they do not require a staff member or volunteer to take each person’s temperature.
MDUMC Food Ministries..................................................................................................... $1,000 At the end of the year, CFF made a Helping Hands Fund grant to MDUMC’s food ministries to support the special food distributions, made ever critical by the pandemic. There were five community food distributions at MDUMC. With the Foundation’s grant and donations from Church and community members, MDUMC packed and distributed 1,185 meal bags at these five distributions. Each meal bag contained bread, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, canned vegetables, pasta, pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, soup, and flour. Crosswalk Houston...................................................................................................................$500 Because of COVID-19, Crosswalk Houston families are struggling to provide necessities to their families. A CFF grant allowed Crosswalk Houston to provide much-needed groceries to more than 45 families. “I’m really happy God put you in my life. Thank you for everything you do for my family and me.” - MARTHA GARCIA, CROSSWALK HOUSTON CLIENT
OT H E R G R A N T S The Caring Forever Foundation also awarded several grants that benefited the Church in other ways. Pastoral Scholarships......................................................................................................... $17,570 The H. Eugene Cragg Ministerial Scholarship Fund and the General Fund provided scholarships for two of our clergy, Rev. Victor Resendiz and Rev. Michael Jarboe. Rev. Resendiz is currently attending seminary at the Perkins School at Southern Methodist University. “I am grateful for the grants that I have received from the Caring Forever Foundation that have allowed me to acquire my masters from SMU-Perkins School of Theology. Seminary has provided me the essential tools needed to fulfill the great responsibility of being a pastor. The Foundation was a God-send.” - R E V. V I C T O R R E S E N D I Z
Rev. Jarboe’s grant was to repay loans incurred while studying at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. “This contribution has been vital in offsetting my student debt from seminary so that I might be able to live a life focused on ministry and family.” - R E V. M I C H A E L J A R B O E
Landscaping.......................................................................................................................... $3,508 When the Church needed extensive plumbing repairs on the east side of the main campus, the landscaping was damaged by the work. A Foundation grant from the Beverly Sloan Landscaping Fund allowed for the landscaping to be repaired, maintaining the Church campus’s beauty.
Parishioner Support............................................................................................................. $5,681 Through Foundation grants from The Helping Hands Fund and Ben Bogart Youth Scholarship Fund, church members received scholarships and direct parishioner aid. The Helping Hands Fund provided Garrison Brewer, a church member and University of Texas student, a scholarship that allowed him to have a summer internship with a film company. “I want to thank you and the Caring Forever Foundation for allowing me to achieve this opportunity! I am forever grateful and can’t wait to update you more on what I do in the future!” - GARRISON BREWER
Taylor Dibrell received the Ben Bogart Youth Scholarship that helped her with her studies at Indiana University in Bloomington. “My dream has always been to further myself in my passion for music and transform it into a career. Paying for my education is very difficult, but with the help of these scholarships, I have been able to take the first steps to reach my goals.” - TAY LO R D I B R E L L
The Texas Annual Conference............................................................................................. $5,000 The Texas Annual Conference received a grant from The Foundation’s General Fund to support the Emerging Leaders Scholarship for young clergy in our Conference. This scholarship is a vital part of the Conference’s plan to nurture young clergy, and it is working. The Texas Annual Conference leads the United Methodist Church with the highest percentage of clergy under 35 years of age at 12.1%, and they have led the UMC in six of the last nine years.
COMMUNITY GRANTS In 2020 The Caring Forever Foundation awarded $27,160 in grants to six different organizations outside our church walls. These grants enhanced children’s education both during and after school, helped young adults take part in a leadership cohort, provided rental assistance to keep families in their homes, and supplied families and children with much-needed food. 2020 was a challenging year for many, and The Foundation is honored to help these organizations be the hands and feet of Christ in our community. Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM) Getting Ahead Workshops............................................................................................. $5,000 Everyone deserves a chance at a better life, and the CFF grant funded a facilitator to coach and inspire participants in the Getting Ahead program. These ongoing workshops guide young adult participants in our community review the impact of past choices, discover their strengths, learn new skills, and gain self-sufficiency. Rental Assistance........................................................................................................... $3,500 Families who encounter a temporary crisis or illness may receive MAM Rental Assistance to help them pay off the balance and not fear losing their home. After assisting the families with rental assistance, MAM works to help the families avoid needing such aid in the future. These families enroll in MAM’s financial education classes to learn the basics of budgeting and saving for a crisis. Kids’ Meals............................................................................................................................. $5,000 The Foundation’s grant to Kids’ Meals funded their healthy meal delivery program. Each weekday, Kids’ Meals delivers food to children under age six who do not have access to school-based free meal programs. On school holidays, they expand to include the schoolaged siblings, and COVID caused their program to grow 135%, feeding more than 6,000 children a day.
House of Amos....................................................................................................................... $5,000 Because of the pandemic, the House of Amos could not receive food from the Food Bank to distribute to their many hungry client families. They were forced to make changes in their food distribution program and purchased food from local stores. With the grant from The Foundation, they served an additional 1,456 hungry families.
FamilyPoint Resources......................................................................................................... $5,000 The Foundation’s grant supported FamilyPoint to provide enriching and accessible Arts & Education, Health & Fitness, and Summer Programs to children and youth from K - 12 and throughout their post-secondary schooling. FamilyPoint Resources is located in West Houston and serves many of the Church’s nearest neighbors.
NewSpring.............................................................................................................................. $2,433 The Foundation’s grant to NewSpring helps expand its after-school art program at the Mabee Whole Life Center at The Women’s Home to include younger K-1st grade students; these students primarily attend Treasure Forest Elementary School. The art curriculum used by NewSpring is age-appropriate and helps meet their learning benchmarks.
SBISD Mini-Grants.............................................................................................................. $1,227 The Caring Forever Foundation provided mini-grants for teachers at Thornwood and Hollibrook Elementary Schools; both schools have long-standing relationships with MDUMC. The grant to Thornwood allowed the music department to purchase the materials needed, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, to create a music kit for each of the 750 students at the school so that the students would not have to share instruments and could continue to learn in their music class. At Hollibrook, the First-Grade team purchased new books for the 75 first graders. These books helped increase student’s interest and excitement for reading.
2020 CONTRIBUTORS Ken & Patty Albers Joe & Pam Argue Brenda Auld The Bain Family Trust John & Rosemarie Baugher Bud & Jean Bell Elisabeth Boggs William Brentzel Trish Brice Tom Burrow George & Peg Byers Ilidio Cagiza Steve & Pam Cagle Norm & Margaret Carlson Shelley Chaloupka Clayton Christopher William Clark Chris & Marli Couch John & Sandy Countzler Steve & Beverly Cragg Stephen Morisseau & Mary Lee Delafield David & Leslie Dickey Julie Eisenhauer G. Ellison Gerry & Kim Elphingstone Scott & Mary Endress Jane Erskine Jane Fieldcamp Mary Emily Garcia Linda Geremia Caro Ann Germann Kelly Gitt Good News Sunday School Class Michael Griffin Gussenhoven Charitable Gift Fund
Cindy Harvey Dexter & Julia Hill Beryl Hogshead Edward Holm Jennifer Holshouser Gloria Holt Henry & Betsy Hope Eric Hund Jim & Barbara Isbell Peter & Mary Jackson Sheri Kelley Kandice Kirby Jennifer Knapp Macye Maher Harlon & Karen Martin J. Clark Martin Jud & Lindsey Martin Ronnie & Julie Meaux John Herbert & Laura Milazzo Chris & Amy Miller David & Katie Miller Ginger Montgomery Jack & Debbie Moore Linda Morgan Brad & Laura Morgan David Morris Alix Nakfoor Scott & Carol Neal Greg & Libbie Nelson Greg & Lisa Nelson Gary & Joy Noble Ed & Pat Noel Glennis Nokes Jeffrey Oldham Oliver Ventures LP Franklin & Gail Olson Brian & Michelle Payne
Jim & Christie Petrie Mary Poole Bill & Susan Rainbolt John Ratcliff Lee & Cindy Ray Leonard Cargill Chuck Reedstrom Robert Ricard Barbara Rodriguez Keith Ross Janice Rubin Sandy Scarborough Victoria Scarborough Greg & Beth Shaw Deborah Shearer Jay & Becca Skelly Sonangol USA Birte Sorensen Ryan & Stacy Stepler Louise Sutton Tom & Leah Taylor Victoria Thomas Jack Threet Tom & Candy Knudson Charitable Fund Jennifer Tugman Troy & Sarah Utz Dot Vinyard Jennifer Walker Elaine White Betsy Wilkerson Lily Wining Jenifer Wood Wooley Family Foundation Bob Zurik Georgiana Zustovich
2 0 2 0 PAT R O N S We are grateful to these donors who joined the inaugural group of Caring Forever Patrons, supporting The Caring Forever Foundation’s operating expenses, directly increasing the amount the Foundation can give away each year. Ken & Patty Albers Joe & Pam Argue Brenda Auld Patricia Brice George & Peg Byers Chris, Marli, Connor, & Caden Couch John & Sandy Countzler Steve & Beverly Cragg Gerry & Kim Elphingstone Jane Fieldcamp Gloria Holt Henry & Betsy Hope
Mary Yeoman Jackson Kandice Kirby Harlon & Karen Martin Jud & Lindsey Martin David & Katie Miller Jack & Debbie Moore Brad & Laura Morgan Linda Morgan Scott & Carol Neal Greg & Libbie Nelson Greg & Lisa Nelson Gary & Joy Noble Ed & Pat Noel
Jeffrey Oldham Brian & Michelle Payne Jim & Christie Petrie Janice Rubin Greg & Beth Shaw Jay & Becca Skelly Ryan & Stacy Stepler Tom & Leah Taylor Troy & Sarah Utz Wooley Family Foundation Dot Vinyard Bob Zurik
* The Caring Forever Foundation makes every effort to maintain an accurate donor base. If you notice an error in this listing, please let us know.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY For the Caring Forever Foundation
Assets
2020
2019
Variance
$47,116 6,673,282
$42,131 5,709,634
$4,985 963,648
$6,720,398
$5,751,765
$968,633
Liabilities and Net Assets Liabilities and Net Assets Net Assets
Liabilities and Net Assets
Liabilities and Net Assets
-
-
-
-
-
-
3,490,925 3,229,473
2,954,454 2,797,311
536,471 432,162
6,720,398
5,751,765
968,633
$6,720,398
$5,751,765
$968,633
Cash and Cash Equivalents Investments Total Assets
LIABILITIES
Total Liabilities NET ASSETS Without Donor Restriction With Donor Restriction Total Net Assets Total Liabilities and Net Assets
The Caring Forever Foundation’s portfolio is managed by TMF (Texas Methodist Foundation). Since its first year in 1999, The Foundation has fulfilled all IRS requirement as a 501(c)3 organization and has filed an IRS Form 990.
S TAT E M E N T O F A C T I V I T I E S For the Caring Forever Foundation
Revenues
2020
2019
Variance
$44,084 54,511 28,540 10,202 5,600 3,174
$ 165,315 5,360 21,100 29,800
$(121,231) 49,151 7,440 10,202 5,600 (26,626)
146,111 998,652 1,144,763
221,575 950,147 1,171,722
(75,464) 48,505 (26,959)
Expenses
Expenses
Expenses
GRANTS 12,000 39,905 27,160 17,570 4,681 5,000 3,508
GRANTS 52,000 33,110 6,000 14,945 -
GRANTS (40,000) 6,795 21,160 2,625 4,681 5,000 3,508
109,824
106,055
3,769
61,285 400 4,621
55,693 9,608 7,226 10,744
5,592 (9,208) (7,226) (6,123)
Total Expenses
176,130
189,326
(13,196)
Changes in Net Assets
968,633
982,396
(13,763)
5,751,765 $6,720,398
4,769,369 $5,751,765
982,396 $968,633
Contributions Memorial Gifts Memorial Garden PPP Grant Income Caring Forever Patrons Fundraisers & Events Total Support Investment Gain Total Revenues
Expenses GRANTS Memorial Drive UMC Church Programming Local Missions Pastoral Scholarships Parishioner Support Texas Annual Conference Church Beautification Total Grants Made O P E R AT I N G E X P E N S E S Salaries & Payroll Taxes Memorial Garden Banquet & Event Administrative
Net Assets - Beginning of Year Net Assets - End of Year
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A GIFT MAILING ADDRESS 12955 MEMORIAL DRIVE H O U STO N , T X 7 7 0 7 9 PHONE (713) 468-8356 E-MAIL STACY ST E P L E R E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R STACY ST E P L E R @ M D U M C . O R G LISA NELSON A D M I N I ST R ATO R LISANELSON@MDUMC.ORG WEBSITE MDUMC.ORG/CFF
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