Another opportunity to support Minnekirken – donate shares of stock! I received an email from a potential donor to the “For the Next Century, For det Neste Århundre” capital campaign. They may be interested in donating shares of stock to the church. With the US stock market at all-time highs, this is a great opportunity for some donors. I am in the process of opening a brokerage account to accept stock donations, and please check with your financial advisor as to the tax advantages of donating stocks with potential capital gains taxes versus making a cash donation. As always, if you have any questions or have an interest in donating stock to Minnekirken, please email me at treas.nlmc@gmail.com. —Matt Nygaard
Update on the Façade/Tower Restoration Project You may recall the background on the church restoration project. In the spring of 2019, a local restoration architect, Barnaby Wauters, pulled Beverly Covyeau aside to share some concerning news. Barnaby noticed that rainwater was seeping out from behind the brick above the Minnekirken 1908 cornerstone. At that point, the church council hired structural engineer, Ed Swierz, to assist Barnaby in assessing the condition of the church’s façade, and with their recommendation, a firm was hired to stabilize the structure in June 2019. We received an initial estimate of $527,000 for restore the façade and tower of Minnekirken, and we applied for an “Adopt a Landmark” grant with the City of Chicago to help pay for this work. In the fall of 2019, Minnekirken received a $250,000 grant for the façade/tower restoration project, and at the Minnekirken Annual Meeting, our capital fundraising campaign “For the Next Century, For det Neste Århundre” began. Since last fall, Barnaby Wauters and Ed Swierz were hired to create the scope of work and drawings for the façade/tower restoration project. Once their drawings and documents are ready, the City of Chicago Department of Planning will review the project plans, and the work will go out to bid with several restoration firms. Our goal is to select a contractor and to begin the restoration work by the spring of 2021. Beginning the restoration project early next year has two benefits for us: 1) many masonry contractors are very busy in the fall, and we may receive a better price for the work in the spring; and 2) the extra time will allow us to pursue other grant opportunities to help pay for this significant and mandatory expense. To aid the fundraising, I have personally researched and sent inquiries to over 35 foundations to begin an extensive grant application process. If you have any questions about the façade/tower restoration project, or to make a donation to support the project, please email me at treas.nlmc@gmail.com. It will be an exciting 2021 at Minnekirken.
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