Stories and services

As the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine unfolded in 2022, Everence® and its members stepped up to help individuals and families displaced and/or endangered amid escalating tensions.

From February through May 2022, Everence members distributed more than $815,000 from their Everence Foundation charitable accounts to some 55 nonprofits in support of Ukraine relief efforts – well past three-quarters of $1 million in assistance in just three months.

“We are heartened – but not surprised – by this immense outpouring of generosity,” said Ken Hochstetler, Everence President and CEO. “Our members feel called to channel their faith and values to care for each other in challenging and uncertain times. That’s a big reason why, I believe, they are part of the Everence community.”

Walking alongside its members in response to the crisis in Eastern Europe, Everence contributed an additional $75,000 to Ukraine relief efforts.

“Everence was founded 77 years ago to extend mutual aid to others during a time of need,” Hochstetler explained. “That need is critical in this moment, knowing that the physical, emotional and economic consequences of conflict disproportionately impact those who are most vulnerable. We have a responsibility, as people of faith, to care for our neighbors.”

The organization’s 2022 contribution was shared among several partner organizations and agencies actively working to help Ukrainian individuals and families who were displaced or in danger.

If you’re interested in supporting relief efforts in Ukraine – or any other charitable need – consider opening a donor advised fund through Everence Foundation.

A church in California got a boost in 2022 to help address food insecurity in their community, thanks to an Everence chapter grant.

Mision Cristiana fe y Compasion (Faith and Compassion Christian Mission) in Van Nuys, California, wanted to help neighbors in nearby Arleta – a community with a significant number of Latino/a, immigrant and single-parent household residents. The congregation knows the San Fernando Valley community well and, in 2017, launched a ministry to provide food boxes and hot meals to individuals and families who were struggling financially.

Across the country, food insecurity has reached its highest level in four years as of the end of 2022 – and it is even more prevalent among lower-income households. According to the Urban Institute, the share of adults reporting food insecurity rose to 24.6% in December of 2022 – up from 20% in 2021 and 2020, likely due to food price inflation and the expiration of governmental supports provided during the COVID pandemic.

The Everence National Chapter, which includes members from many states, provided a grant in 2022 to help Mision Cristiana fe y Compasion fund their program. Members of the congregation volunteer to package and distribute the food boxes and meals to the community. The church’s ministry is a powerful example of the Everence community putting their faith into action.

The Everence chapter grant program supports churches and organizations that help people with basic needs such as food, housing and health care. The grants are made possible when members purchase many Everence products.

In 2022, Everence donated more than $525,000 to 562 charitable organizations and churches through the MyNeighbor program – the highest level of annual donations from the program to date.

Among the recipients was Mennonite Disaster Service. In fact, MDS is one of the leading organizations when it comes to where MyNeighbor card holders direct their contributions each year. 

 

Annually, between 3,000 and 7,000 MDS volunteers – many coming from Mennonite, Amish and Brethren in Christ churches – respond to needs following natural disasters. Volunteers typically serve for a week or more, and the need continues to rise.

In 2022, the U.S. experienced 18 separate weather/climate disaster events, each causing $1 billion or more in damage, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And insurance industry loss costs related to natural disasters have soared by almost 700% since the 1980s according to the Insurance Information Institute.

“The number, frequency, size and scope of major disasters have definitely increased since I started in 2004,” said Kevin King, MDS Executive Director, who cites climate change as a major impact. King acknowledges that, while everyone may not agree about how much people are contributing to climate change or what we should do about it, it is happening – and the increasing need for post-disaster help is reflected in the size and capabilities of MDS.

When King arrived at the organization less than 20 years ago, “we were five people then. Now we have more staff more vehicles, more tools.”

“We are so grateful for the generosity of our donors, volunteers and prayer partners,” King added.

With the MyNeighbor program, individuals and businesses generate reward dollars for their favorite nonprofits. Each time a cardholder makes a purchase – whether to buy groceries, pay bills, or handle other expenses – using their MyNeighbor credit card from Everence Federal Credit Union, Everence donates 1.50% of the purchase total to the charity of his or her choice.

You can participate in the program, too. Apply for your own personal or business MyNeighbor credit card by visiting your local Everence Federal Credit Union branch or on our website.

Everence awarded 45 financial assistance grants in 2022 (totaling more than $200,000) to assist pastors facing significant financial and debt burdens.

The grants, offered through the Everence Pastoral Financial Wellness Program, provide financial assistance to pastors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those serving small churches and/or congregations of color.

“The intersection between race and ethnicity, religion, and money is complex and fraught with systemic disparities,” said Leonard Dow, Everence Vice President of Community and Church Engagement and Pastoral Financial Wellness Program Manager. “The pandemic further brought these disparities out of the shadows, for individuals and churches alike.”

Of the financial assistance grants awarded in 2022, 64% went to pastors from Spanish-speaking congregations and 21% went to pastors of other racial/ethnic (i.e., non-white) backgrounds. The grants were made possible, in part, by a third round of funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of their National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders.

Since the Pastoral Financial Wellness Program’s inception in 2016, Everence has awarded some 372 financial assistance grants totaling nearly $2.09 million, to help pastors address immediate financial needs related to medical debt, credit card debt, educational loan assistance, or other financial concerns.

The program also offers financial education and wellness events to help pastors think through issues related to personal money management, clergy taxes, retirement readiness, cultivating generous congregations, and more. Since 2016, Everence has hosted 99 of these educational events, with nearly 2,800 participants in total.

Additionally, pastors can receive a subsidy toward the cost of a first year Everence comprehensive financial plan. From 2016 through 2022, some 284 pastors have taken advantage of this opportunity to work with an Everence financial professional to develop a plan to meet their short- and long-term financial stewardship goals.

“This transformational work requires an intentional and active commitment to engaging and standing with the pastors, churches and communities we serve, from all walks of life,” said Madalyn Metzger, Everence Vice President of Marketing and Pastoral Financial Wellness Program Director. “The Pastoral Financial Wellness Program is one way we can work together to build a healthy and equitable financial stewardship culture, while also helping our pastors and faith communities experience greater spiritual growth and vitality.”

The Everence Pastoral Financial Wellness Program is open to active and credentialed pastors from the 30+ Anabaptist and like-minded denominations and church networks Everence serves. More information about the program is available at everence.com/pastoral-financial-wellness or through your Everence stewardship consultant.

TeaLee’s Tea House and Bookstore in Denver, Colorado, is a cozy spot offering coffee, tea, and delicious food.

Owner Risë Jones and her late husband, Louis Freeman, started the business together, intentionally choosing their business’s location in the city’s Historic Five Points, a cultural epicenter for Denver’s African American community.

But, as the neighborhood evolved, TeaLee’s and other area small businesses began to feel the common impacts of gentrification, such as increasing prices and changing customer demographics. Too often, these scenarios result in displacement of small businesses.

In October of 2022, several Everence clients, partners and staff visited TeaLee’s, as part of an Invest with Impact tour sponsored and organized by Praxis Mutual Funds^®, a fund family of Everence. During their visit, the group samples teas, scones and quiches; perused the store’s culturally appropriate books; glimpsed the business’s local community meeting space; and learned about the TeaLee’s history, challenges, and future goals.

Jones shared about how she was able to stabilize and grow her teashop, preserving its distinctive approach while benefitting from the neighborhood’s continued development – despite the additional challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic – thanks to partners like the Colorado Enterprise Fund.

Based in Denver, CEF is a community development financial institution serving small businesses and entrepreneurs through financing and business consulting services. Everence and Praxis Mutual Funds invests in community-led projects, such as the CEF, through community development investments with Calvert Impact, one of the nation’s leading community investing organizations.

Alan Ramirez, Director of Strategic Lending for CEF, emphasized the benefits of partnering with impact investors – such as Everence and Praxis – to encourage and give a hand up to small business owners who have difficulty accessing traditional capital. And following the visit to TeaLee’s, the Invest with Impact tour participants saw firsthand the unique opportunities and innovative solutions and community development investing provides to address gaps in access, economic equity and wealth creation.

Everence is committed to the growth of community development investing that widens the door of economic opportunity by empowering underserved and under-resourced individuals and communities. If you’re interested in learning more, contact your Everence financial professional or call us at 800-977-2947. For more stories of the positive impact your investments can make, download the Praxis Mutual Funds Real Impact 2022 Report.

Investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal.

Consider the fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before you invest. The fund’s prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information. Call 800-977-2947 or visit praxismutualfunds.com for a prospectus, which you should read carefully before you invest.

Praxis Mutual Funds are advised by Everence Capital Management and distributed through Foreside Financial Services, LLC, member FINRA. Investment products offered are not FDIC insured, may lose value, and have no bank guarantee.

Combining a faithful focus with technical capabilities, Everence helps thousands of organizations and their supporters grow their generosity every year – including some 43 nonprofit leaders in Philadelphia, who participated in a day of resourcing, networking and inspiration in late 2022.

Held at Circle of Hope church on Philly’s south side, attendees learned about fundraising in urban settings and in communities of color, focusing on topics related to estate planning; radical compassion; and board and fundraising development in the context of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The event is one example of how Everence helps organizations think through how they can grow a stronger future and greater impact.

If your organization is looking to expand its development and fundraising services, Everence can help you manage and administer planned giving and complex charitable giving – for you and for your donors. We also offer a wide range of organizational services designed to help nonprofits and businesses strengthen their financial sustainability to meet long-term goals in ways that align with mission and values.