"Building on History; Investing in Community"

Capital Campaign Kickoff Sunday - October 18, 2026

Mark Your Calendar!  Please join us October 18, 2026 after church in the Parish Hall for brunch and so much more!  We will have the building plans and will offer tours of the planned changes.  Copies of the capital campaign broucher will also be available.  And did we say BRUNCH?!?!?!  Hope you all can join us.

WAYS TO GIVE

The "Building on History; Investing in Community" capital campaign will provide funds for building safety updates and renovation needs.

As members or friends of FCC Scarborough, we are asked to prayfully consider how we will support this effort with as generous a gift as possible that will be payable over three years.  Every one of us should consider making a financial committment using accumulated assets, not the funds we need for day-to-day living.

In addition to outright gifts of cash, there are alternative ways of providing a generous gift to our capital campaign.

• A gift of appreciated securities:  You can ask your broker to transfer shares of stock electronically from your account directly into the church's account.  Remember to ask your broker to identify you as the donor of the shares of stock so that you will receive both the credit for the gift as well as the official acknowledgement letter from the church.
• Convert jewelry, artwork or real estate:  You may have appreciated assets such as jewelry, artwork or property that you would like to sell and then donate the proceeds to the church.  Special arrangements may need to be made with regard to real estate to avoid capital gains tax.
• A charitable Gift Annuity:  The donor receives a fixed rate of return based on age with a one-time charitable deduction and some tax-free income.  The church is named as the beneficiary of the annuity.  Charitable annuities can be established for a single life or for two lives.  A minimum gift to establish a charitable gift trust is $10,000.
• A charitable Remainder Trust may be one of two types.  Unitrusts pay variable income based on a payout percentage, usually 5%, of the Trust's annual value.  Annuity trusts pay a fixed income based on a percentage, usually 5%, of the gift amount.  The donor receives a one-time charitable deduction.  A minimum gift to establish a remainder trust is $50,000.
• Life Insurance:  The insured names FCC Scarborough either as the irrevocable beneficiary or as the owner and benificiary of the policy.  The insured can also contribute a paid-up policy to the church, naming the church as owner and benificiary.  The church may then take the policy's cash value as a campaign gift.
• IRA assets:  The donor names FCC Scarborough as the beneficiary of the IRA.
• IRA Charitable Transfers:  The donor must be 70 1/2 years of age or older at the time of the gift.  The transfer must go directly from the donor's IRA account to qualified charities.  Gifts cannot exceed $100,000 per taxpayer per year.  Gifts must be outright.  (Gifts do not qualify if transferred to donor advised funds, supporting organizations or charitable life income gifts.)  Since the gift is not included in the donor's gross income, no charitable income tax-deduction is allowed for the gift.  The distribution will count toward the IRA owner's Required Minimum Distribution.
• Bequests:  Designate FCC Scarborough as the primary or contingent beneficiary in a will or trust.

Please contact FCChurch@fccscarborough.com for further information.  Thank you!

Please note that the information included in this document does not constitute legal advice.  The Campaign Executive Team encourages you to consult with your accountant and/or legal advissor as you consider making your generous committment to FCC Scarborough's campital campaign through any of the ways to give cited in this document.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

Why does First Congregational Church of Scarborough need a capital campaign now?

Our church needs to update facilities to meet code requirements, accessibility requirements, and safetly requirements.  Multiple community organizations - including the Scarborough Food Pantry - use church facilities for events, outreach, and community service, and we'd like to continue and expand this work.

What is our goal?

With current available funding sources and considering estimated costs of work to be done, our church is aiming to raise $500,000 through this capital campaign.

Doesn't the church have investments?  Why can't we use those?

Yes, the church does have investments - and certain investments like selling the annex property are contributing to the overall funding of the planned and required renovations.  The capital campaign is necessry to raise the majority of funds for the building project.

Is a capital campaing contribution separate from our regular, annual pledge?

Yes.  It is a separate campaign and does not affect your annual pledge.  Your regular giving supports the ongoing ministry of the church, including staff salaries, regular building overhead, and program costs.  Our church is financially stable and the capital campaign shouldn't change that.  If you have to choose between regular giving and the Building on History; Investing in Community capital campaign, we encourage you to prioritize your regular giving.  See the "Ways to Give" document for creative ideas for campaign giving.

What will happen to the money if we don't achieve the goal?

If we don't reach our fundraising goal, contributions will be used to complete as many of the necessary projects as possible.  The building committee and congregation will revisit options to complete necessary work for safety and code requirements.

Will the funds received be used only for the capital campaign projects?

Yes, up to our fundraising goal of $500,000.

How will the funds be used if we exceed our goal?

If we exceed our fundraising goal of $500,000, additional projects will be completed on and around the church building.  There is also a contribution from the church fund that was approved by church council, which will be repaid as able.

When will the work of building and renovating begin?

Work may start as early as 2027.

Is my capital campaign donation tax deductible?

Yes, to the extend permitted by current tax requirements.

Do I need to give my intended gift all at once?

No, you can give your donation in installments!  The giving period for the campaign is 3 years, and you may divide your donaton over the course of that period.

What if I need to adjust my intended gift due to a change in personal circumstances?

Please contact FCChurch@fccscarborough.com if you need to make adjustments to your Letter of Intent after submission - or with any additional questions!