Even though the pledge is made to the church, it's up to us to say thank you. The letter should confirm the amount of the pledge and remind people offering envelopes will be available as of a specific date. Send the letter in early December. The rector, pastor, or priest should also send a letter with a personal message. Send it in time for people to fulfill their financial commitment this year and receive the full tax deduction.
People appreciate the timely information about the status of their pledge.
More Than Money Starting with the December issue of the Episcopal New Yorker, a regular feature will be a column about people who have made planned gifts of their congregation of the types described in the Magi article below. If such a gift has been or is made to your church, we want to feature a story about it. If the donors wish to remain anonymous, we will of course honor that request and describe the gift while maintaining confidentiality. A person becomes a member of the Society by making provision for the support of the church through what are generally accepted as planned gifts. Most commonly this is done through a bequest in a Will, but increasingly people are using gifts that pay you an income during your lifetime and then pass to the church upon death.