New hire helps churches plan giving

LAKELAND - Tom Wilkinson says his goal is to help United Methodists in the Florida Conference have a lasting impact on their church and the conference through giving. Wilkinson is the Florida United Methodist Foundationís new vice president of planned giving.

"There are a lot of people who can make a $100,000 gift to the church and don't know it," he said. "They donít know how to have an impact on their local church even after theyíre gone. Churches can utilize us to educate the membership and help them do a long-term planned gift."

Wilkinson worked most recently as director of planned giving for the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. He also spent 13 years working in human resources, communication and management at UBS Warburg, an international investment banking operation of Swiss Bank Corporation.

Wilkinson said many people tell him they do not consider long-term giving because they believe the tax laws make the process too complicated. Instead, he says, the tax laws are written to benefit churches and other not-for-profit organizations.

"There are some really outstanding incentives in the tax system that encourage this kind [long-term charitable] of giving," he said. "People win, and the church wins."

Wilkinson said people can give the church many different kinds of gifts without hurting themselves financially. "Most people give a tithe out of income. But with the market the way it is and the general economic condition, many people have collected wealth," he said. "They donít realize how they can give gifts out of that wealth."

Wealth, according to Wilkinson, is a marketable asset. "It's something they don't need, but that has value to the church," he said.

Wilkinson said his purpose with the Foundation is to help local churches. "I'm not here to add to the assets of the Foundation, but to help people have an impact on the local church they've been a member of and loved for so many years," he said.

Wilkinson is a United Methodist and married to the Rev. LeeAnn Inman, pastor of Orange Park United Methodist Church in Jacksonville. 

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