Endowment

The St. Francis Lutheran Church Endowment is a ministry of the congregation through which members and friends can permanently continue their financial support of the Mission and Ministry of St. Francis Lutheran Church, as well as support of organizations and ministries with similar values in the San Francisco Bay Area, across the country and around the world.

Established in 1982, the Endowment is a permanent fund to receive bequests and estate gifts from members and friends of St. Francis Lutheran Church. All bequests from wills, life insurance, trusts and other estate gifts, unless otherwise designated, are placed in the Endowment. Only the income earned from the Endowment is spent each year, with half being used to fund the Mission and Ministry of the congregation and half for grants to other ministries and organizations.

Members and friends of St. Francis Lutheran Church are encouraged to make estate plans while they are still fully capable of deciding their end-of-life intentions for themselves. Simply put: If you do not have a will, the state of California has one for you — and the state’s determination of whom should receive your assets once you have passed may not align with your wishes and interests.

We ask that, when you do make estate plans or have a will drawn up, you consider including the St. Francis Endowment as a beneficiary, either for a specific dollar amount or for a percentage of the total value. You may also designate appreciated assets, including stocks, mutual funds or real estate to the Endowment. You may name the Endowment as a beneficiary of your pension, 401(k), IRA or life insurance policy. You may also ask loved ones, family and friends to give to the Endowment in your memory.

When listing the Endowment as a beneficiary, please use this language: “St. Francis Lutheran Church Endowment, San Francisco.” Your estate gift to the St. Francis Endowment will enable permanent support of the congregation and many other ministries and organizations.

We hold in memory these members and friends who have contributed to the St. Francis Endowment, either during their lifetimes or through bequests and estate gifts. This financial support of the Mission and Ministry of St. Francis Lutheran Church, as well as the support of many other ministries and organizations, has been made permanent by their financial gifts to the Endowment.

Samuel H. Aller
Jim Barron
James E. Berg
Paul Brenner
Brian Christanson

Steven Draheim
Eugene Clark
Richard Copperud
Diane Nelson DeLange and Jim DeLange
Gladys Ebner
Harry Eckhardt
Johanne Erikstad
Millicent Ferrari
Aileen Flood
Minnie Hansen
Jack and Tyne Harris
Kirsten Havrehed
John W. Hickin
Robert Janssen
Nancy A. Loewe
James Martin Luther
Paul Douglas Melton
Elizabeth Nelson
Kenneth R. Noble
Ronald D. Olson
Diana Pavia
Larry Rowell and Chuck Hancock
James Smalley
Jack Streitelmeier
Maurice Urman
Bruce Wertin
Greg Winsby
Frances Zion

Our gratitude for their generosity is truly great, for their permanent support through the St. Francis Endowment is an ongoing witness that inspires us. We give thanks for them, for their lives among us and for their presence with the saints who have gone before us.

Grants totaling $109,553 were distributed in 2024. $52,153 was granted for the Mission and Ministry of St. Francis Lutheran Church. Our Partners in Ministry and Community Partners program recipients, who are closely allied ministries with an ongoing relationship with St. Francis, were awarded a total of $22,500. Partners in Ministry and Community Partners recipients do not need to apply and may use the funds for the operations of their organizations. Grants for new projects and initiatives and for ongoing operations require applying and using the funds for a designated purpose. We awarded $24,900 in funding for grants in these categories, and these recipients send us impact reports after their projects
have been successfully completed. Guidelines for grants allow for:

50% for the Mission and Ministry of St. Francis
15% for community support
15% for global support
15% for urgent needs
5% for the promotion and operation of the St. Francis Endowment

St Francis Lutheran Church Mission and Ministry Annual Grant $52,153

Partners in Ministry and Community Partners $22,500

Friends of St. Francis Childcare Center $2,500

Inclusive and Affirming Ministries – South Africa $2,500

Lutheran Social Services of Northern California $2,500

Lutheran World Relief $2,500

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary $2,500

Reconciling Works $2,500

San Francisco–Marin Food Bank $2,500

San Francisco Night Ministry $2,500

The San Francisco Interfaith Council $2,500

New Projects and Initiatives and Ongoing Operations $24,900
Center for Church Innovation Small Groups Project $2,500
Enterprise Development & Governance Facility (EDGF) $3,500
Gold Beams $2,500
Luther Place Memorial Church $2,500
Maitri $2,500

Project Commotion $2,500

Raphael House $2,500
Shanti Project $2,500
Trinity Lutheran Church, Fresno $2,900
29-PSP $1,000

The 2025 application is available by CLICKING HERE. The new document contains:

+ Detailed instructions
+ Deadlines and an outline of our timing for the year
+ The application form you will use to type in your information
+ A list of the required documents you must attach when submitting the application

Our contact e-mail address is also included, so you may ask any questions of us before you submit your grant application. We will be happy to review a draft of your application a week or more ahead of the deadline to advise you if the committee is likely to have all the information it will need to make its decision. Thank you for applying!

Named for James Martin Luther, a deceased member of St. Francis Lutheran Church who left nearly $300,000 to the St. Francis Endowment, the Luther List is composed of currently living members and friends who are planning to include the Endowment as a beneficiary of their will, trust, estate plan, life insurance policy, pension, 401(k) or other financial asset. We encourage all members and friends of St. Francis to have an estate plan and to include the St. Francis Lutheran Church Endowment as a beneficiary.

The Endowment and its operation are governed according to the St. Francis Lutheran Church constitution. The Endowment is led by a committee (one of whom cannot be a member of St. Francis) elected by the Congregation Council, as well as the pastor of the congregation. Committee members make recommendations regarding the conservative investment of funds, make recommendations for grants, and invite and encourage members and friends of St. Francis to include the Endowment in their estate plans. Current members are:

• Brian Border, Council Representative
• Pastor Bea Chun, Ex-Officio
• Ben Emmert-Aronson
• Greg Egertson, Chair
• Tom Metz
• Randy Schieber, Outside Member

Any of the committee members will be happy to tell you more about the Endowment and answer any questions you may have. If you have end-of-life
planning needs or other pastoral needs, Pastor Bea is available to meet with you privately.