TLLC Endowment Fund

The Endowment is a set of funds established to provide a permanent source of income in perpetuity. Donations are a way for individuals to give special, permanent gifts dedicated to the work of the church. These funds are used solely for grants and are not used to support the general budget or operating expenses of the church.

If you would like to learn more about the Enowment Fund or how you can contribute please fill out a Connections Card.

About the Endowment

Our mission is to provide the congregation an opportunity to honor, celebrate, and memorialize loved ones and events through donations to the Endowment and the Memorials/Honoraria Fund and to reach out to those in need through grants to non-profit organizations.“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God” 2 Corinthians 9:10.

Donors can make gifts to the Endowment in honor or memory of a loved one, in celebration of occasions, by naming Triumphant Love Lutheran Church as owner of life insurance policies, or through other personal commitments. The generosity of contributors to the Endowment allows lives to be touched, not only in Austin, but throughout the world. The grateful responses received from the recipients affirm the impact. It differs from other church Funds in that it is permanent fund that is invested. Up to 5% of the Endowment is made available for grants each year.

Have you considered leaving an estate gift to the TLLC Endowment? The TLLC Endowment Legacy Program provides many opportunities to leave a legacy through the creation of planned gifts. There are many ways to leave this legacy, and the specific plan that works for you will depend upon your own circumstances and goals. A specific dollar amount or a percentage (even one or two percent) of your estate, trust, or retirement plan would greatly benefit the Endowment while providing you with a lasting legacy. You can designate your gift to a specific fund(s) within the TLLC Endowment: Unrestricted, Outreach, or Firnhaber Seminary Education fund. All Endowment gifts are used to reach out to those in need through grants to non-profit organizations.

Endowment Groups

Endowment Funds

Triumphant Love Lutheran Church established the Unrestricted Fund to operate within the Endowment and committed it to providing grants to 501(c)3 organizations. It operates as a dedicated fund within the Triumphant Love Lutheran Church Endowment. Grants made using money from the Unrestricted Fund may include but is not limited to such things as assistance for people in need such as the homeless, people who have been abused, and the indigent; scholarships for Congregation members and other students entering the Seminary, higher education, camping, leadership conference, continuing education, etc.; mission support; medical assistance; as well as congregational participation in its own community programs. The first distribution from the Unrestricted Fund was made in 2007, and distributions have been made each year thereafter.

This fund is designed to operate in perpetuity and will distribute up to 5% of its fund balance annually, thus enhancing the Church’s Total Mission and Ministry to eligible non-profit organizations locally and throughout the country.

Eligibility for grants

Individuals, accredited educational institutions, and 501(c)3 non-profit organizations are all qualified to receive a grant from the Unrestricted Fund. Grants shall be awarded only for projects or items that are outside of the operating budget of TLLC, that are consistent with the religious and ethical standards of the Congregation, and that are seen to have the potential for achieving their specified purposes.

Triumphant Love Lutheran Church chartered the Outreach Fund as a dedicated fund to operate within the Endowment, and committed to providing grants to 501(c)3 organizations that help vulnerable people. The fund was announced to the Triumphant Love congregation at the 2000 Annual Congregational Meeting. Title to property given to the Outreach Fund as the first donation was transferred to the Endowment, through the Church, in November 2000, and the Outreach Fund charter was signed February 2002.

The Outreach Fund is designed to operate in perpetuity and will distribute up to 5% of its fund balance annually to help people who cannot help themselves, thus enhancing the Church’s Total Mission and Ministry and to the Glory of God. Funds shall be awarded to eligible non-profit organizations locally and throughout the country.

Eligibility for grants

Any 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to help people in need is qualified to receive a grant from the TLLC Endowment. Grants shall be awarded only for projects or items that are outside of the operating budget of TLLC, that are consistent with the religious and ethical standards of the Congregation, and that are seen to have the potential for achieving their specified purposes.

History and Purpose

In April of 2011, the TLLC Endowment Committee created a new fund dedicated to the education of seminarians in honor of Pastor Norb Firnhaber. Pastor Firnhaber retired in June 2011 after ten years as Triumphant Love Lutheran Church’s senior pastor. This fund operates within the Endowment as a dedicated fund committed to providing scholarships and other support for individual seminary students and providing resources to seminaries to support the mission of theological education.

The Firnhaber Seminary Education Fund (FSEF) is designed to operate in perpetuity and will distribute up to 5% of its fund balance annually for its scholarship and educational mission to support deserving seminarians and seminaries. At the discretion of the Endowment Committee, up to 5% annually of the Unrestricted Fund’s balance may be combined with the FSEF to award scholarships and grants to seminarians and seminaries.

Eligibility for scholarships and grants

Any student who is enrolled to earn a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from a seminary whose denomination shares pulpit and altar fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America is eligible to receive a scholarship from the Firnhaber Seminary Education Fund. Priority is given to Triumphant Love members attending Lutheran seminaries.

Any seminary whose denomination shares pulpit and altar fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America is eligible to receive a grant to support the mission of theological education. Potential uses include funding workshops or courses, participation in an international program, funding a visiting professor, independent study for a student or professor, or other program approved by the Endowment Committee. Only requests for efforts that further the education of seminarians are eligible.

Cecie Scholarship

Endowment Events

No current events scheduled.

Endowment Recipients & Donors

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