Planned Giving
Your actions today can help the Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalist community survive into the future as a beacon of love, learning, hope, service, and belonging in the Sierra Foothills region! If this congregation is where you found a spiritual home, life-long friends, and a spark to take action for justice and equity, it is fitting that you would want SFUU to be available to the generations of seekers to come. Ensure your values live on by making a planned gift to the Carol Arvay Endowment Fund!
The Birth of the Carol Arvay Endowment Fund
In 2013, SFUU member and visionary Carol Arvay made a gift that began our endowment fund. The endowment fund is intended to support SFUU forever by allowing the withdrawal of only a small percentage of funds per year so the principle keeps growing. The money in the SFUU endowment fund is managed by the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Common Endowment Fund, which is a socially responsible investment fund overseen by the UUA. To limit the confusion caused by similar names and to honor the founder of the fund, SFUU’s endowment fund was named the Carol Arvay Endowment Fund in 2026.
How to Make a Planned Gift
If you would like to make a planned gift to the Carol Arvay Endowment Fund during your lifetime, it is as simple as writing a check and filling out a planned giving form to make sure your wishes for the money are honored. You can also make “In Honor Of” and “In Memory Of” gifts. These gifts are tax deductible.
Another popular way to give during your lifetime is with Required Minimum
Distributions. RMDs from retirement accounts including IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s are required after age 73. If you contact the company which holds your retirement account, you can instruct them to transfer RMDs directly to the Carol Arvay Endowment Fund, thus eliminating income taxes on the distributed amount.
If you would like to set up a planned gift for after your lifetime, you can simply name Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalist as a beneficiary on any of your accounts, including our Tax ID number:
Another easy way to set up a planned gift after your lifetime is through a bequest in your will or trust. Simply talk to your estate planning attorney about adding language such as:
Will:
“I give the sum of $_____________; or the following property: _________________; or ________ percent of my estate; or the residue of my estate, as an unrestricted gift to the Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalists, a California non-profit church located at 190 Finley St, Auburn, CA., Tax ID
Trust
“The Trustee shall distribute the sum of $_____________; or the following property: _________________; or ________ percent of my trust estate; or the residue of my trust estate, as an unrestricted gift to the Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalists, a California non-profit church located at 190 Finley St., Auburn, CA. Tax ID ”
There are many other ways to make a planned gift, such as Charitable Remainder Trusts or Charitable Gift Annuities, that may be appropriate for your estate planning situation. Feel free to reach out to SFUU or to your financial planner for more information on these options.
Becoming a Legacy Donor
By making a planned gift either during or after your lifetime, you become a Legacy Donor at Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalists, a very special designation for members who want to ensure our spiritual home survives forever to welcome those seeking refuge and community. Legacy donors will be honored by an inscription of their names on a bench and by an invitation to share their “SFUU Story” in a Legacy Donors book. Donors can also choose to remain anonymous to the wider SFUU community if they prefer.
Let Us Know!
1It is very important that Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalists know about your gift so they are best able to honor your wishes. Please fill out the Planned Giving Intention Form below to communicate your plans.