A life of giving

Throughout their lives, generosity had been a guiding principle for Warren and Theresa Eshbach.

As the married couple neared retirement, they knew they’d want to prioritize charitable giving.

“It’s part of my DNA,” Theresa said. “In my family it was just a given that you tithed and gave to the church. And we came to understand the joy of giving.”

For Warren, he felt called to charitable giving after his first Sunday serving as a pastor. As he was preparing to leave the church after service, he was reminded about the biblical instructions regarding tithing and wrote his first check. A lifelong commitment to sharing followed.

As the former executive director of Institutional Advancement for Bethany Theological Seminary, an institution of the Church of the Brethren, Theresa knew charitable planning would allow them to continue to live comfortably and still practice generosity.

Warren and Theresa had developed good relationships with representatives at Everence and sat down with an Everence financial advisor to discuss their options.

They settled on a deferred gift annuity, which provides fixed lifetime payments to the donor later, then the remaining funds go to charity once the donor passes away.

But there was another advantage that also resonated.

“There is a faith-based perspective to the gift annuity because of the way the funds are invested, which matches our values because money doesn’t go to companies in defense, tobacco or other things we don’t support,” Warren said.

And Warren says planning brings other benefits.

“Having a plan in place now enables us to plan for future giving. It also provides for us a means to access financial planning counsel from Everence.”

Everence can help you find a solution that can help you meet your charitable goals – regardless of your financial situation, current income, and future expectations.