St. Paul's Foundation | St. Paul's Episcopal Church

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The St. Paul’s Foundation was established in 1992 to build an endowment for the support, care, maintenance, and restoration of the buildings and grounds owned by St. Paul’s Church and to support and benefit the Christian mission of St. Paul’s Church outside the parish. The Foundation is governed by a board of Trustees who meet several times a year to discuss, monitor and direct the activities of the Foundation. The current trustees are John Siegel, President; Joe Thomas, Treasurer; Tim Belevetz, Secretary; Timothy Adams, John Keppler, Sarah Knutson, Katherine Murphy, and Dawn Stump. They are joined by vestry liaison Larry Campbell and parish liaison and stewardship officer Maria Halloran.

Donations from parishioners over the past 27 years have grown the endowment from $100,000 to over $7 million at the end of 2023, making the St. Paul’s Foundation the financial backbone of this parish. The growth of our endowment means the Foundation will take on a more active role in church maintenance, freeing up areas of the Operating Fund to focus on the church’s mission and ministry.

The Foundation is currently comprised of five funds:

ENDOWMENT FUND

Each year the Foundation directs 4.5% of its average portfolio value to restoration projects at St. Paul’s. Recent projects have included the painting of the sanctuary, lighting refurbishment in the sanctuary, gutter and roof repair, and HVAC repair -- projects totaling just under $340,000. In addition, the Foundation supports ongoing smaller-scale maintenance projects with $70,000 given directly to the Operating Fund.

2021 saw the end of the longest running St. Paul’s Foundation maintenance project, the restoration of the 34 stained glass windows in our sanctuary. Started in 2010 the project took 11 years and cost over $320,000. The project was supported by donations from parishioners, family members of deceased parishioners, and the St. Paul’s Foundation. These beautifully restored windows are the manifestation of the mission of the Foundation to support, care, maintain, and restore the buildings and grounds owned by St. Paul’s Church.

LAZARUS FUND

With the addition of the Simmons Family bequest in 2022, the St. Paul's Foundation Lazarus Fund supports the ongoing operation of this vital parish ministry. Funds from the Foundation Simmons bequest are distributed quarterly to fund administration costs.

MUSIC FUND

Another portion of the Simmons Family bequest is the Music Ministry at St. Paul's. Quarterly distributions from this fund support the beautiful music programs at St. Paul's.

CEMETERY FUND

A portion of the Simmons Family bequest supports ongoing maintenance of the St. Paul's Cemetery (you can read more here). A plan to restore and revamp parts of the St. Paul's Cemetery, including a new columbarium, are underway. The Simmons Cemetery Fund will support that project as well.

ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL PRESCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The final portion of the Simmons bequest support scholarships for our parish preschool, St. Paul's Episcopal Preschool. You can read about the program here.

The generosity of St. Paul's parishioners, those here today and those who came before us, enables the Foundation to fulfill its mission. We welcome your gifts and support as we guide the Foundation into the future. Donations can be made at any time by check or by clicking the link below. Another important way the Foundation endowment grows is through planned gifts. You can read more about making a planned gift and our planned giving society, the Covenant Circle by clicking here.

Make a donation to the St. Paul's Foundation

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The Covenant Circle is the St. Paul’s legacy society created by the St. Paul’s Foundation to acknowledge members who have included St. Paul’s in their estate planning. Established in 2001, the Covenant Society has grown to over 90 members. Joining the Covenant Society is just one of the many ways you can support the St. Paul’s Foundation. Please speak to your lawyer or advisor about the many benefits that accrue from making bequests through your estate.