A pledge is a commitment to give a specific amount to the church over the coming year. It's important because it allows the church to plan its budget and ministries effectively. The vestry uses the value of the amount pledged to plan the following year’s budget. Since the vestry creates the budget based on expected pledge income, it is helpful to us if you pledge what you know you can pay. For instance, if you pledge $1,000, and at mid-year you decide to increase your contribution to $2,000, this is welcome and wonderful, and we are truly grateful. But the budget and its activities are planned around the pledged $1,000.

Pledging is a planned, intentional commitment, while regular giving can be more spontaneous. Pledging helps the church plan, but both forms of giving are valuable.

The vestry starts the budget process at the end of the summer, with a finalized budget by the end of the year. It is critically important that we have a solid idea of what Trinity’s income will be well before the end of the year so we can properly plan for outreach, programs, staffing, and compensation. If we need to make adjustments, this timeline gives us the ability to make those decisions carefully and deliberately.

Approximately 90% of our annual budget comes from pledges. This makes pledging crucial to our financial health.

This is a personal decision based on prayer and your financial situation. What Jesus commanded us to do is to give generously and sacrificially. Pray this simple prayer, “Lord, what would you have me do?” Decide the amount after thoughtful prayer and consideration. Some aim for a tithe (10% of income), others start with a lower percentage and increase over time. The important thing is to give prayerfully and joyfully. Consider increasing your last pledge by a percentage point (e.g. from 2% to 3%) or by a percentage (e.g., pledge 10% more than last year) each year. Research says the average pledge in The Episcopal Church is around $3,300, and the average pledge at Trinity Folsom is a little over $3,900. What is most important is that it comes from the heart, a generous gift given out of love and thanksgiving. We are grateful for whatever you give.

Yes, we understand that circumstances can change. Please inform the church office if you need to adjust your pledge. 

We believe and wish to participate in Trinity Folsom’s vision: To love God and one another as we seek God’s purpose for our lives. Pooling together our resources we can make our community and the world a better place and help others experience God’s love and grace. 

Your pledge supports Trinity’s ministries and operations. Running the ministry of Trinity Folsom takes a considerable sum. Our buildings are virtually always in use, not only for our benefit, but often in service of the greater good of the community through programs like scouting, peer-to-peer and self-help groups, Vacation Bible School, and so on. In addition, your money funds ministry work such as worship services, outreach, and fellowship and formation activities. Finally, your money provides for our wonderful staff which is fully dedicated to the ministry work of Trinity Folsom. A detailed budget is available upon request.

Yes, individual pledge information is kept strictly confidential. Access is limited to the operations manager, treasurer, senior warden, stewardship committee chair, and rector. 

We have regular audits, the vestry and finance committee oversee our finances, we provide financial reports to the congregation at our annual meeting, and giving statements are sent out quarterly to ensure contributions are accurately recorded. 

We encourage you to set up an automated giving schedule from your bank; we are especially appreciative of automatic payments during those times of the church year when many people are out of town, like during the summer or around other holidays. If your bank offers this option, they can help you set up automatic payments from your account to the church. You give them our name and address, specifying the amount and frequency of the payments, and they will take care of the rest. 

Yes, contributions to Trinity are tax-deductible. We provide annual giving statements for tax purposes.

Yes, we can accept various types of non-cash gifts. Giving appreciated assets like stocks may allow you to receive a tax deduction for the value on the stock and maximize the gift. We have set up an account to receive stock transfers. For more information, contact the church office (916-985-2495 or trinity@trinityfolsom.org).

If you are 70½ or older, you can make a contribution to Trinity Folsom directly from certain qualified retirement accounts by instructing the plan administrator to make the transfer directly to Trinity Folsom as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Your gift will go directly to Trinity Folsom, will not be reported as taxable income, and will count toward your annual RMD requirements. There are specific requirements around QCDs and RMDs that you should understand beforehand. 

You should always consult your own tax advisor regarding your tax needs and your specific situation.