The Meeting Ground Endowment Fund

Since 1981, Meeting Ground has provided a faith-based response to the epidemic of wasted human life caused by homelessness. At either of Meeting Ground's locations, Clairvaux Farm (Cecilton, MD), Wayfarers' House or George Porter House (Elkton, MD), homeless people find a temporary "safe haven" where individuals and families can regroup and put their lives in order with the help and support of a caring community which is rooted in Christian values. On any given night, Meeting Ground will provide food and shelter for as many as sixty people.

Over the years the scope of Meeting Ground's work has grown. It also provides opportunities for concerned persons to work alongside persons experiencing homelessness and become aware of them as brothers and sisters rather than objects of charity. Many volunteers, college students, clergy and work-campers from all walks of life have participated and come away with a new concept of community. Meeting Ground has initiated, and continues to partner with, several new endeavors in Maryland, Delaware and other locations.

The Meeting Ground Endowment Fund was founded to guarantee continuation of Meeting Ground's work with the homeless. If you believe God intends that all people be loved, housed and fed and that homeless people can be helped and returned to a productive life in society, we hope that you will decide to strengthen the work of Meeting Ground.

Giving to the Endowment Fund can be accomplished in a number of different ways, depending upon your circumstances at the time of the gift. One way, and certainly a most acceptable way, is to make a gift to the fund through your will. The gift can be for a stated sum of money, or it can be a percentage of your estate. If your will is current and up to date, you need not change it in order to make a gift to the fund. A simple codicil, or amendment, to your will is sufficient.

On the other hand, your circumstances may be such that it is better for you to make an outright gift now, You may feel the need to downsize your estate, in order to minimize estate taxes, or you may want a significant charitable deduction in a particular year, to help reduce income taxes. Although cash gifts are the simplest way to make outright gifts, your interest may be better served through the gift of appreciated assets (marketable securities, real estate, etc.), thereby avoiding capital gains taxes, Whatever the reason, an outright gift now can be structured to meet your needs and concurrently benefit Meeting Ground.

For any number of reasons, you may desire to make a gift now, but retain a lifetime interest in the gift. This is known as deferred giving, and is a fairly common thing to do. If the gift is income producing, such as cash or appreciated securities, then you make the gift, but reserve the right to receive the income throughout your lifetime. Upon your death, the Endowment Fund owns the asset outright. This type of giving can often be structured to meet your financial requirements.

If you are interested in the idea of a gift to the Meeting Ground Endowment Fund, members of the endowment committee are available to meet with you and/or your financial advisor to discuss your gifting objectives.

Gifts to the Meeting Ground Endowment Fund can be mailed to:

Meeting Ground Endowment Fund
C/O Endowment Committee
P.O. Box 1029
Elkton, MD 21922

Furthermore, if you desire to meet with Carl Mazza, Meeting Ground's Director of Mission Outreach or Mr. William L. Michelinie, Chair of the Meeting Ground Endowment committee you can contact us by phone at the following number (410-275-2936).

The Meeting Ground Endowment Fund was founded to provide a steady supplemental income to the operating budget of Meeting Ground. Through development of an additional means of long-term financial support, we can ensure continuation of Meeting Ground's work with the homeless.

Gifts to the Meeting Ground Endowment Fund will be permanently invested with a professional financial management service to ensure preservation of principal, sufficient growth to keep pace with the long-term inflation rate, and provide a level income to carry out the work of Meeting Ground.