The Endowment and the Investment Club
Growing money openly, with professional legal help
Two structures, both being set up with professional legal help: a congregation endowment, where the congregation invests its own funds and the earnings pay for programs; and a member investment club, where members who want to learn invest together as co-owners, one vote each.
The first funds pay for the legal and accounting advice that must come before a single dollar is invested.
Open books and patient growth. Nobody's personal money is ever at risk in the congregation's endowment, and nobody is ever promised a return.
In plain words
Legal design first
A securities lawyer and an accountant design both structures before anything is opened. Nothing on this page is an offer or an invitation to invest.
The congregation endowment
The congregation invests its own funds, professionally and prudently managed under our state's rules for endowments. The earnings pay for programs. Members see it all on the open books, and no member's personal money is at risk.
The member investment club
A separate club for members who want to learn: every member helps decide every investment, one vote each, with minutes kept. It stands fully apart from the congregation, is never advertised, and promises no returns.
Reporting
Both appear on the transparency page: what is held, what it earned, and what the earnings built.
Designing a Congregation Endowment and a Member Investment Club
The complete step-by-step guide as a free PDF, written so that any community can follow it. It appears here the day it is finished.
Learn by watching
How an endowment works, how an investment club learns together. Made in house, free, and paired with the guide.
- Lawyers and accountants: offer an hour of advice
- Learn with the first study group before any club opens
Everything we learn goes into the free guide and the workshop videos. When they are ready, any congregation, church, school or neighbourhood may take them and build the same thing, with our blessing and without asking.
Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.Matthew 6:33 · The Fellowship Bible