Donor Stories

Learn how others have provided for St. Luke's future through their estate planning. Additional donor stories are representative of how various giving strategies may be employed.

If you would like to offer a generosity witness for others, please contact David Heetland, our Pastor of Planned Giving and Stewardship.

Meet Joseph and Dinah Huse
Meet Joseph and Dinah Huse
Nearly everyone at St. Luke's knows Chef Joseph and his wife, Dinah, and the wonderful meals they prepare for countless events at the church.
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Meet Debra and Jeff Peek
Meet Debra and Jeff Peek
Both born in Indianapolis, Debra grew up in the Elkhart and Fort Wayne areas and moved to Speedway when in high school, and Jeff grew up in Broad Ripple and attended Jr and Sr High School...
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Meet Ann W. King
Meet Ann W. King
Ann W. King has had an amazingly rich and varied career. She graduated from Ball State University with a major in Marketing/Merchandising...
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Meet Denny and Judi Jones
Meet Denny and Judi Jones
What inspires a couple to include St. Luke's in their estate plans? For Denny and Judi Jones, it is their desire to help ensure...
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Meet Stephen and JoAnn Hoskins
Meet Stephen and JoAnn Hoskins
Stephen and JoAnn Hoskins are the poster couple for how to live active and fulfilling lives in retirement. In a recent interview with Pastor...
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Meet Jerry and Sue Shanks
Meet Jerry and Sue Shanks
Jerry and Sue Shanks joined St. Luke's United Methodist Church in November 2022, and they have already included the church in their estate plans. What led them to do so?
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Meet Scott and Linda Arant
Meet Scott and Linda Arant
If you want to meet two active retirees at St. Luke's, you need to meet Scott and Linda Arant. Soon after retirement they became involved in...
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Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift to Charity
Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift to Charity
Joanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters of our organization. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged...
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Reduce Your Taxes with an IRA Rollover Gift
Reduce Your Taxes with an IRA Rollover Gift
Margaret was a retired librarian. She volunteered at her favorite charity several times a week and also made several donations to the charity each year.
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Tax-Free Sale
Tax-Free Sale
Howard and Lynn were both age 55 when they purchased some vacant land a few miles outside of town. They thought real estate would be a good investment that could be sold later for a profit.
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Capital Gains Tax Bypassed
Capital Gains Tax Bypassed
Peter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities and built a sizable portfolio.
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Endowment Gift
Endowment Gift
Pat and Shelly were recently married. They both had been dedicated volunteers at their favorite charity for many years.
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Sale and Unitrust
Sale and Unitrust
Gene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. The company has done well.
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The Retirement Unitrust
The Retirement Unitrust
Mary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she and her husband Bill inherited the farm.
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An Easy Way to Help Our Work with Your IRA
An Easy Way to Help Our Work with Your IRA
Daniel was a retired businessman who volunteered for our organization. When we decided to add a new program, he was excited to help in a significant way.
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Property Turns Into Income
Property Turns Into Income
Miranda lived in the family home where she and her spouse had raised their three children. After her spouse passed away, Miranda found it increasingly difficult to care for her property.
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Part Gift and Part Sale
Part Gift and Part Sale
Susan and Kevin bought a vacant lot along Lake Michigan many years ago. They had planned to build a second home so that their family could spend their summers along the lake.
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Current Gifts
Current Gifts
As is the case with many families, there are times each year when Jim and Sharon focus their attention on gift giving.
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Gift of a Bank Account When No Longer Needed (POD)
Gift of a Bank Account When No Longer Needed (POD)
Keith has been a faithful supporter of St. Luke's United Methodist Church and makes regular gifts to support our work.
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Transferable on Death (TOD) Gifts
Transferable on Death (TOD) Gifts
Harold and Jeanne married after meeting at an event St. Luke's United Methodist Church held for our donors. They wanted to leave a legacy gift...
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A Bequest to Further Good Work
A Bequest to Further Good Work
Nancy and David were dedicated volunteers. Over the years, they had seen many individuals helped by the good work of their favorite charity.
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What Will You Do with Your Unspent Retirement Savings?
What Will You Do with Your Unspent Retirement Savings?
Michael and Kelly were retired engineers with two adult children. They owned a home, some stocks, and IRAs.
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A Bequest to Save Taxes
A Bequest to Save Taxes
Thomas was a widower who had a great love for our organization. As an individual who had directly benefited from our work, Thomas wanted to thank us with a gift from his estate.
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Leading for the Future
Leading for the Future
Luke and Cynthia spent many years volunteering and supporting their favorite charity. They wanted to give back in a way that would help fulfill its mission.
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Give it Twice Trust
Give it Twice Trust
While visiting her favorite charity's website, June came across the idea of a give it twice trust. She contacted the charity for more information.
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Providing for Our Children's Future
Providing for Our Children's Future
Ron and Kathy worked for many years building their nest egg for retirement.
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IRA Rollover: A Gift with Substantial Benefits
IRA Rollover: A Gift with Substantial Benefits
Mark was a retired attorney with a significant IRA and substantial income from investments. He had made IRA rollover gifts to his favorite charity several times in recent years.
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Bequest of Insurance
Bequest of Insurance
Marla and Wayne purchased a life insurance policy many years ago to create security for their children's future.
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Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrust: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!
Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrust: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!
We have all heard the saying "You can't have your cake and eat it too." This phrase describes a situation where we want two good things at the same time when that isn't possible.
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Avoiding Tax on a Business Sale
Avoiding Tax on a Business Sale
Albert was the founder and sole shareholder of a small technology company that he started 30 years ago. At 65 years of age, he began thinking about selling the business.
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Using Blended Gifts to Reach Your Charitable Giving Goals
Using Blended Gifts to Reach Your Charitable Giving Goals
Jay and his wife Amy wanted to support our organization with a significant gift of $100,000. They wanted to spread this gift out over several years but also wanted to make a gift of $25,000 this year.
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Gifts of Mineral Interests
Gifts of Mineral Interests
Walter and May recently retired and moved south to a new retirement community. They still own their 250-acre ranch.
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Gift for a Loved One with Special Needs
Gift for a Loved One with Special Needs
Richard is a successful business owner. His younger brother, Robert, was born with special needs. For the past 10 years, Richard has supported Robert, including paying the costs for Robert's adult care facility.
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