Ways to Give
There are many ways you can contribute financially to Stratford United Methodist Church.
Please consider one of the following options:
Give Online
Online giving is quick, easy and convenient. Click on the "Donate Now" button below to make a one-time or recurring donation through Vanco e-Service Payments used by most churches in our UMC Conference.
Give via Zelle
Several major banks in the US support sending money through Zelle.
Examples include: Bank of America, Capital One, Chase Bank, and Wells Fargo, USAA. You may go to your online banking site to see if this service is available for your institution.
To give via Zelle, send your offering to gifts@sumcct.org. Specify the following information:
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Recipient’s Email (Required): gifts@sumcct.org
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Recipient’s First Name (Required): SUMC
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Memo:
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Name
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Email Address (For communication and questions that may arise)
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Indicate where your gift should go. For example, “Current Expenses”, or “Flowers,” and please remember you may always give to more than one cause.
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Give via Bill Pay
If your bank offers bill pay, you can send your offering to SUMC with a one-time or recurring payment.
To give using Bill Pay, specify the following information:
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Payee:
Stratford United Methodist Church
2600 Main Street
Stratford, CT 06615-5893
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Memo: Indicate on the memo line where your gift should go. For example, “Current Expenses”, or “Flowers,” and please remember you may always give to more than one cause.
Mail a Check
Mail your check to the church office at the following address:
Stratford United Methodist Church
2600 Main Street
Stratford, CT 06615-5893
Checks should be payable to Stratford United Methodist Church.
The following information should be pre-printed or clearly written on all your checks:
(Note: Never send cash through the mail)
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Name
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Address
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Memo: Indicate on the memo line where your gift should go. For example, “Current Expenses”, or “Flowers,” and please remember you may always give to more than one cause.
Offering Plate
Give in person during services.
Checks should be payable to: Stratford United Methodist Church.
The following information should be pre-printed or clearly written on all your checks or envelopes containing cash:
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Name
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Address
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Email Address (For communication and questions that may arise)
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Memo: Indicate on the memo line where your gift should go. For example, “Current Expenses”, or “Flowers,” and please remember you may always give to more than one cause.
Other Opportunities
Qualified Charitable Distribution
If you are 70½ or older, you are required to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your traditional IRA account. You can make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) by requesting your IRA custodian to send a distribution to Stratford United Methodist Church.
Benefits: The qualified charitable distribution amount can be counted toward satisfying your required minimum distributions and the amount is excluded from your taxable income.
Note: Since the QCD amount is not taxed, you may not then claim the distribution as a charitable tax deduction.
Please consult with your tax advisor to determine whether your donation is tax deductible in whole or in part. Nothing in this communication is intended to constitute legal or tax advice.
Donor Advised Funds
You can make an offering to Stratford United Methodist Church. via a Donor Advised Fund, such as Fidelity Charitable Giving. Please note that your tax receipt will be issued by the Donor Advised Fund, not Stratford United Methodist Church.
Remember to make known:
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Your name
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Address
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Memo: Indicate where your gift should go. For example, “Current Expenses”, or “Flowers,” and please remember you may always give to more than one cause.
Employer Matching
Many companies match employees’ gifts to charitable programs. If your company has a matching gift program, please inquire if Stratford United Methodist Church is qualified to receive company matching. For donation verification, please contact gifts@sumcct.org.
Amazon Smile
Amazon runs a program called AmazonSmile whereby it will donate 0.5% of your purchases to the eligible charity of your choice. SUMC is registered as an eligible charity. To take advantage of this, you must make your purchases on the smile.amazon.com site rather than the usual www.amazon.com.
Login to <link coming soon> using your existing amazon.com account. Once you accept “Stratford United Methodist Church” as your charity of choice, your selection will be saved with your account for future purchases on smile.amazon.com. Make sure that your selection appears on the page.
Please note that you will not receive a tax receipt for donations made via this program, as the donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation.
