One of the things that sets New Covenant Trust Company (NCTC) apart from other top-tier investment management firms is our close relationship with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation. NCTC was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Foundation in 1998.
For our faith-based clients, that means they not only receive comprehensive, expert investment management and trust services, they also have access to the extensive resources of the Foundation.
If the resources are the prize, then the Foundation’s 11 Ministry Relations Officers (MROs) are the key. These dedicated servant leaders can connect church, mid-council and institutional leaders with everything from fundraising support to educational tools, either free of charge or for a nominal fee.
Making Connections
The relationship between the NCTC team and the Foundation’s MROs is a true reciprocal partnership. If a church client engages with NCTC first, we make sure to connect them with an MRO to explore all the Foundation has to offer. If a church engages with the Foundation first, MROs will take a holistic approach to evaluating the client’s needs and refer them to NCTC if they need help with investment management or other investment related services.
In other words, when you work with one of us, you are aligned with both.
“We’re not operating from a sales model, but rather a relational model,” says Stephen Keizer, Vice President – Ministry Relations for the Foundation. “Our approach is: Those we serve come first. Before we get involved with a church, we ask, ‘Are they better off if we’re helping them?’ We only get involved if the answer is yes. We want the Church community to know that the only thing we care about is them. Our egos don’t play a role in that.”
Once the new connection has been made, the referring team will then provide a warm hand-off to the other, and they will stay as involved as the client desires as the new relationship moves forward.
“NCTC is deeply appreciative of the referrals we receive from the Foundation’s incredible team of Ministry Relations Officers,” says Brad Masters, VP, Client Engagement. “Because they are so deeply committed to serving and supporting the day-to-day mission, ministry, and operational plans of PC(USA) churches, institutions, and individuals, MROs have a keen understanding of and tireless desire to support their stewardship and investment needs in as many ways as possible on an ongoing basis.”
“Though we provide different and complementary services, across the Foundation and NCTC, we all have the same calling,” Masters adds. “We exist to support thriving, healthy, creative, and sustainable ministries throughout the church. We are fortunate to not only benefit from the MROs’ knowledge, experience, strong connections and call to serve, but also to rely on them as a trusted partner in ministry when NCTC’s clients need resources beyond our core service offerings of investment management and financial planning.”
A Full Suite of Resources
The Foundation has a vast array of resources, so it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. That’s why anMRO’s primary role is to be a coach, educator and advocate for churches and pastors in the Presbyterian Church, and to build long-lasting relationships with them.
“If you’ve ever been to the Foundation’s website, there’s a ton of stuff out there,” says Keizer. “An MRO is the person who can help you navigate all of it.
MROs are financial and fundraising professionals. They are also church leaders themselves, giving them a unique perspective into the needs of churches throughout the denomination. MROs spend most of their time listening to church leaders to help them identify what they need, and which resources could benefit them most.
The Foundation’s suite of services and solutions fall into four main categories: stewardship resources, planned giving resources, capital campaign support and investment services (NCTC’s area of focus).
Stewardship resources include the Church Financial Leadership Academy, which is designed to educate pastors on how to better understand church finances, and the Stewardship Navigator, a robust online tool that includes marketing materials, brochures, videos and other assets to help churches develop online giving programs.
For planned giving support, the Foundation offers programs to help pastors and congregations get discussions going about estate planning, as well as resources to help them establish a wills and legacy giving program for their churches. Materials available include legacy planning guides, informational church bulletin inserts and videos.
The Foundation also offers a wide variety of charitable giving tools, including donor-advised funds, endowments and nontraditional gift vehicles. Clients have access to capital campaign and fundraising appeal support through the Foundation’s partnership with Horizons Stewardship.
And of course, NCTC serves as our clients’ fiduciary and ministry partner by developing customized strategies for all their investment, financial planning and charitable giving needs. Services also include portfolio management and trust administration.
A Partner You Can Rely On
While the resources listed above offer a high-level overview of the many services available to NCTC clients via the Foundation, there is much more to explore. MROs can help.
“A lot of what we do is answer calls from church leaders who are frustrated or confused by all the options, and can’t find the help they need,” says Keizer. “We’re here to minimize that frustration and help guide them through the rapids, because there’s a lot. That’s where we can add the most value.”
“The relationship NCTC enjoys with the Foundation’s MROs is one of our greatest strengths,” says Angela Duffy, President & CEO. “The value they add to our organization and to the churches they serve is immeasurable. We could not provide such a comprehensive suite of services to our clients without the resources and partnership of the Foundation. And we certainly would not be able to reach the many churches in need of our services without the steadfast collaboration of our MROs.”
If you’re interested in working with a Ministry Relations Officer to explore the robust resources of the Presbyterian Foundation, click here.