Plymouth Church Foundation
The Plymouth Church Foundation
The Plymouth Church Foundation offers donors the opportunity to support Plymouth Church’s ministries and missions through planned or deferred gifts, such as wills, trusts, gift annuities, and life insurance. You may also contribute to the Foundation during your lifetime to build a legacy. Whether through a future bequest or a current gift, the Foundation provides a meaningful way to extend your lifetime commitment to stewardship and ensure the church's future for generations to come.
Mission and Purpose
The mission of the Plymouth Church Foundation is to solicit and accept contributions from caring supporters for the use and direct benefit of Plymouth Church.
Established in 1979, the Plymouth Church Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated solely to the support of Plymouth Church serving as a catalyst for projects, programs, and ministries that fall outside the general operating budget.
Foundation grants have helped breathe life into several ongoing programs like the Transition Into Ministry (TiM), Stephen Ministries, Stepping Stones, and many recent building and grounds projects. Grants have also played a major role in funding every capital campaign the church has embarked upon. Those grants include the “This Moment,” Tower Restoration, TiM Sustainability, “God is Still Speaking,” and “Faith Forward” campaigns.
Check out some recent Foundation grant awards that show the diversity and impact of that support.
Have you included Plymouth Foundation in your estate plans?
We’d like to thank you for your vision and count you as one of the legacy builders at Plymouth.
Click here for the Plymouth Foundation Gift of Intention Form.
Ways to Give
You can support the Foundation during your lifetime or through a planned gift.
A planned gift allows you to shape your own legacy — all while helping the Foundation achieve and expand its mission.
Planned giving opens a whole world of possibilities for you to make a big difference to Plymouth’s mission while also securing your legacy — all for generations to come. You can make a gift that costs you nothing during your lifetime. Sound too good to be true? Learn more here.
Cash
Bequest
Charitable IRA Rollover
Appreciated Securities
Life Insurace
Real Estate
Personal Property
Gift Annuity
Remainder Uni-Trust
Retained Life Estate
Bargain Sale
How to Make a Gift
If you are interested in making a contribution or learning more about planned gift vehicles, please contact the church office at 515-255-3149 or email foundation@plymouthchurch.com. Someone from the Foundation will reach out to discuss your specific interests.
How Gifts Are Managed
The Plymouth Church Foundation Board oversees all activities, manages donor communications, ensures that donor intent is strictly honored, and oversight of the Foundation’s financial investments.
To ensure the highest level of financial stewardship, all funds are managed by the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. This partnership provides:
Professional money management and diverse fund options.
Rigorous reporting and accountability.
Plymouth Foundation Financials
The Foundation’s Finance and Investment Committee works closely with the Community Foundation to manage the Foundation assets to ensure adherence to the Foundation’s investment policies. Some yearend financial highlights:
Foundation total assets as of December 31, 2025: $10,404,350*
Value of competitive grants awarded in 2025: $10,000
Value of strategic grants awarded in 2025: $299,000
(*$2,420,232 is in a restricted account for support of the Transition into Ministry (TiM) program, and $71,435 in restricted accounts for the Laverman Sallade Fund and the Rainbow Action Fund.)
Seeking a Grant
Since 1979, the Plymouth Church Foundation has made grants available to the church’s boards and committees providing needed catalysts for projects, programs and ministries not budgeted for through general fund giving. Two types of grants are available.
Competitive grants are awarded on a competitive basis from a Competitive Grant Pool to fund ministries, programs and projects that are supported by and consistent with the mission of the Church. Competitive grants are not to be used for activities within the normal budget for operating expenses of the Church.
Strategic grants are awarded from a Strategic Grant Pool to support special programs, capital improvements and maintenance, or other projects that are considered high priorities for the Church, and consistent with its strategic plan. Strategic grants are not to be used for projects contemplated to be within the normal budget for operating expenses of the Church.
The Plymouth Foundation awards competitive grants twice annually to significant ministries, projects or programs endorsed or sanctioned and requested by an official board or committee of the Church. Grants are funded for one year unless otherwise noted in the initial grant application. Renewed funding is not automatic. Click here to read our grant policies.
How and When to Apply
Eligible boards and committees should complete a grant application, and email the form to Grant Committee Chair. The Foundation board will review the grant request, and will get back to the submitting board or committee as soon as possible.
There are two deadlines for competitive grant applications each year:
Request due: April 1
Awarded: May 1Request due: Oct. 1
Awarded: Nov. 1
Strategic grant applications may be submitted at any time.