Donate to St. Luke’s

St. Luke’s welcomes your support through charitable gifts for the works of the church in Los Gatos and the larger community.

St. Luke’s accepts several kinds of donations:

• Cash
• Securities, especially appreciated stock
• Donations of other items of value
• Donations through estate planning.

Donations of any type can be directed to the general fund for operating expenses or can be designated to particular programs or areas of outreach or in-reach.

St Luke’s Episcopal Church, Los Gatos, CA, is a 501(c)(3) organization with IRS tax ID 94-1358299. Your donations qualify for a tax deduction to the maximum amount allowed by law.

Cash Donations

Donations of cash can be made by clicking on Realm Giving or can be done through PayPal using one of the buttons to the right.

Text “STLUKESLG$100.00” to 73256 to give $100 using your mobile device. This number will never send unsolicited texts to you. To cancel further messages, text STOP. If you need assistance with text giving, text HELP. Standard text message and data rates may apply. Privacy Policy – https://legal.acst.com/privacy-policy Terms of Service – https://legal.acst.com/terms-service-use

Payment can be made from any credit card or from your checking account.

With donations of cash through PayPal or Realm, we ask for your address to acknowledge your gift as a charitable contribution to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Los Gatos, CA and your designated program.

Donations by check should be made payable to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, noting any special designation in the Memo section, and mailed to our office at 20 University Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030.

It is important to note that IRS regulations require all cash donations be documented by the receiving charitable organization in order to be taken as a deductible charitable donation. We recommend that you provide your name and contact details as necessary for all gifts of currency.

Making a Pledge to St. Luke’s

Members are asked annually to pledge an amount they can give to St. Luke’s during the calendar year for operating expenses of the facilities and programs. The pledge is very important because it is used by the church leadership to determine the kinds and level of activities that can be supported. Payment of a pledge can be weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually. The pledge card is typically used to communicate the member’s commitment to the church, and is personal and confidential.

Fill out an online pledge form using our automated system. Electronic pledge cards are sent to the Treasurer via email to treasurer@stlukeslg.org.

Types of Gifts

Undesignated gifts to the general operating budget support the programs, staff and facilities at St. Luke’s. All pledge commitments are made to the general operating budget.

Designated gifts can be assigned by the donor for a special purpose. As an example, members make designated gifts to support the St. Luke’s Pantry Program, Buildings and Grounds, maintenance of the columbarium, the music program, altar flowers, support for the Santa Maria Urban Ministry and many other areas of program or ministry. Please contact the office if you wish to make a specially designated gift beyond those available in our giving systems.

Stock Donations

Gifts of stock, especially appreciated stock, may have benefit to both the donor and to St. Luke’s. The donor transfers the stock directly to St. Luke’s without selling it, taking the full value of the stock as a charitable deduction, and will not have to pay capital gains taxes on any appreciation. Meanwhile, St. Luke’s gets the full value of the stock for its needs.

Information about donations of appreciated stock can be found here.

Donating Items of Value

St. Luke’s may also accept some items of value as a charitable donation. There are so many criteria involved in accepting items generally, St. Luke’s has established a Gift Acceptance Policy for determining the acceptability of these. If you have an item that you wish to donate, such as real estate, vehicles, jewelry, unlisted securities, etc., please contact the Treasurer at treasurer@stlukeslg.org to be contacted by the Gift Acceptance Committee. They will speak to you to review the policies and determine how best to work with your gift.

Gifts Through an Estate Plan

Another excellent way to support St. Luke’s is through a designation of a gift, or bequest, in your will, as beneficiary of Life Insurance, or other ways. Other opportunities allow the donor to give now and continue to receive income from the gift through various financial vehicles such as Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs). St. Luke’s works with the El Camino Foundation and the Episcopal Church Foundation in creating these gift arrangements. Please contact the church office for information.

Thank you for considering a gift to St. Luke’s. We welcome whatever size gift you wish to make, and appreciate your support.

Legacy Society

St. Luke’s Legacy Society is made up of those who have made a planned gift to the church in their will, estate plan, or through life insurance. If you have made this type of commitment and have not yet been inducted to the Legacy Society, please let the church office know of your gift.