The Foundation is a non-profit organization which holds in perpetuity gifts made to it for the benefit of St. John's Lutheran Church of Kasson. Its purpose is to enhance the gospel outreach of the church. The Foundation invests the gifts made to the Foundation and makes annual distributions from the income of those gifts. The St. John's Foundation is compromised of five church members, with each member serving a five-year term on the Foundation Board.

Each year the Board distributes a portion of the income to four areas: Beyond the Budget, Local Missions, Worldwide Missions, and Scholarships.

Beyond the Budget are items that St. John's could use, but are not included in annual budgets. Some examples of recent awards for the Beyond the Budget: Vacuums, the pastors' cordless mics, new projector, office equipment. Click here for our Memorial Wish List for specific items.

Local Missions are current needs for church related missions and special needs such as disaster relief. They include missions in the United States. Some examples of Local Missions supported by the Foundation are: Hurricane Katrina victims, Good Earth Village support.

Worldwide Missions are those given in support of missionary programs located outside the United States. Past examples of gifts made by the Foundation include: Tsunami Disaster relief, Colombia.

Scholarships are available to St. John's members attending a Lutheran based college. Each year the Foundation apportions the annual amount to be given among the applicants. Many of the colleges will match the funds and double the member's scholarship award.

Each fall the Foundation seeks applications from the Church's membership and commissions to request funds for the above areas of needs. The Board then spends most of the annual net income in about equal proportions on the above four areas.

Contributions to the Foundation are completely separate from the weekly contributions to the Church. Gifts to the Foundation become part of a permanent endowment. The principal of the endowment is kept intact and only income is distributed. By way of contrast, Sunday offerings to the Church are used for current expenses of the Church.

In addition, each gift is tax deductible as the St. John's Lutheran Foundation is a Section 501(c) (3) charity.

Gifts can be in the form of Cash, Stocks and Bonds, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Securities, Bequests through a will, Life Insurance and Annuity policies naming the Foundation as the beneficiary, and Property.

Please contact a member of the St. John's Lutheran Church Foundation of Kasson. A current list of board members is available on the Church's website or at the Church's office. Email address: foundation@stjohnskasson.org