MAUMF 2020
Annual Report
MAUMF 2020
Annual Report
I am proud of the way our staff reacted to those challenges and maintained high standards of customer service for both our investment and our education clients. It has been heartwarming to hear the stories of churches who were able to maintain, or in some cases increase, ministry funding during the pandemic, at a time when they were not meeting in person for worship. Many of those churches attribute their success to strategies learned at education programs provided by the Foundation. Additionally, churches have been appreciative of the series of webinars that were hosted by the Foundation in 2020 (and continued in 2021), providing guidance on a variety of topics from maintaining funding during the pandemic, to creating year-round stewardship practices and conflict resolution. The Board of Directors is committed to continued support for innovative generosity education and fiduciary excellence in our investment services. As we move into the second half of 2021, the Foundation will be here to support all your ministry funding needs.
President of the Board
Because of our adaptive staff and adoption of available technology, we were able to pivot our educational programs from in-person to online learning, reaching more participants than ever. We established a loan program so that churches who needed to increase their cash flow could do so without liquidating assets during a potential downturn in the market. We provided initial grants to churches establishing online giving, to prevent funding shortfalls while in-person worship was not possible. Our staff adapted to working remotely, continuing to meet with church leaders and servicing clients, while maintaining our high fiduciary standards. We established a new high in clients we serve and a record high in investment performance. The Foundation has a vision for this new paradigm, and we look to the future with exciting new generosity programs and continual enhancements to our investment services.
Executive Director
The Foundation met the challenges of 2020 with new programs and new technologies to give churches the tools they needed. Our partners at Fulton Financial Advisors were right there with us, making key decisions early on to weather market uncertainty and support our church clients.
See our
2020 Foundation Achievements
Rapid Support for Client Churches
A $50 million line of credit was quickly set up to give clients liquidity without the need to sell assets.
Developed an Emergency Funding Plan video distributed to clients and the Annual Conferences.
Provided grants to churches who started online giving to offset credit card processing fees.
Pivoted the FLA to virtual learning, including an innovative 30-day video challenge.
I am emboldened
to speak about
generosity.
– 2020 FLA graduate
Making the Foundation
Even Stronger
Renewed our CEFEX certification –
we continue to be a leader in
fiduciary responsibility.
Added a full-time staff support
services position.
Developed a new customer-
relations-management (CRM)
system that will come online in 2021.
Change can happen when you give people the right resources.
– 2020 FLA graduate
Online Resources for All Churches
Developed a series of resource webinars on a variety of topics addressing the challenges of ministry during a pandemic. We made these available to pastors and laypeople in all three conferences and housed the recordings on our website.
More than 100 videos created for generosity development.
Hosted 10 conference-wide webinars.
I’m seeing finances as a key part of discipleship and teaching about that.
– 2020 FLA graduate
Great Education Success,
Despite the Hurdles
100 pastors graduated from the Financial Leadership Academy.
Awarded nine, $1,000 grants to FLA students.
Ramped up coaching services:
• 22 ICF trained coaches are now available for one-on-one or group coaching, with reduced rates for Foundation clients.
• Coaching is now an integral part of our Financial Leadership Academy.
• 80% of our FLA students found coaching “extremely helpful” or “very helpful” as part of their education experience.
Record Financial Performance in 2020
- Assets under management grew $10 million, from $100m to $110m.
- 15 new accounts, totaling $2.7 million.
- $1.55 million in additions to existing accounts.
- Almost exactly 50% of our accounts are
less than $150,000 and 50% are greater than $150,000. - Approximately 400 churches have accounts
with us.
No Data Found
Thanks to the MAUMF’s efforts, we are set to end 2020 in a very good place, and we owe it all to your sterling work.
– Eric Cheezum, Chair of Endowment Committee, Bethesda UMC, Preston, MD
A 2020 Success Story
Less Debt = More Mission and Ministry
With the help of FLA training and connections made there, pastor Heath Wilson of Tom’s Creek UMC tackled his church’s mortgage debt. His church’s plan included many steps including adding online giving, encouraging stock donations and the establishing of funds in memory of loved ones. The real key, however, was to shift focus from the debt to what they could accomplish once this burden was lifted. Early in 2020, Tom’s Creek finished paying their $1.1 million mortgage and began confidently funding maintenance, scholarship and capital funds for the future.
Pastor Heath Wilson, Tom’s Creek UMC, celebrates his church’s fully paid mortgage!
Our largest FLA class was in session before
the 2020 pandemic and quickly pivoted online.
Fallston UMC offered a little love to their community with free, drive-through coffee.
Video recording for FLA online sessions by guest presenter Roland Livingston of RE Livingston & Associates. Dr. Livingston’s presentations focused on leading through resistance to change.
Voices from students as they both learned through FLA and grappled with managing their ministries in 2020:
Looking Ahead through 2021 and Beyond
Important advancements are underway on all fronts
in the coming year – from investment and account service to stewardship:
- Advanced Financial Academy for Clergy, a new program for FLA graduates begins October 2021.
- Financial Leadership Academy 4 slated to get underway March 2022.
- Partnering for Vital Ministries, a new on-demand video series featuring faculty alumni from the Financial Leadership Academy.
- Foundation realignment to accommodate denominational change.
- Continued upgrades to our investment platforms.
- Online access to account information for all clients.
- Updates to the Foundation office space at the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference campus, including video recording capabilities and meeting space.
The Mid-Atlantic United Methodist Foundation Headquarters, Valley Forge, PA
P.O. Box 820, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0820
midatlanticfoundation.org
888-569-1250