Daybreak Endowment Fund.
One of the questions that I am frequently asked has to do with what our long-term plans are for the time when I am no longer able to continue with this ministry. This is a major concern that I have been trying to solve for quite some time.
We have now managed to develop a good staff in Zambia who will be able to continue the ministry beyond my lifetime; but the one thing we have not been able to find is someone (younger) who is interested in taking over the fund-raising responsibilities from me some day. I have also tried to make the ministry in Zambia as self-sufficient as possible (via farming), but doing business in Zambia has proven to be extremely difficult and it is now obvious that the ministry will continue to need financial support from the USA for many years yet to come.
Thus, we have now created an endowment fund to provide long-term financial support for this ministry so that it might continue for many years. This fund will supplement whatever whatever monthly support continues in the future.
I would like, therefore, to ask those of you who care about this ministry to donate to this endowment fund. Many of you have contributed to this ministry for many years now and I am certain that you would like to see the ministry continue for another 20-40 years. Here are some specific ways that you can contribute to this endowment fund:
(1) Cash contribution. You can mail a check to the address above and write, “Endowment” in the memo line.
(2) Assets. Real-Estate, land, vehicles, or any assets with a value of more than $1000.
(3) Stocks, Bonds or Mutual Funds. These can be donated directly to Daybreak so that you do not have to pay taxes on any income, interest or capital gains.
(4) IRA Required Minimum Deduction. The IRS requires people over 70 to withdraw a certain amount from their IRA funds. If these withdrawlas are donated directed to Daybreak Zambia, then you do not have to itemize the tax deductions on your Tax Return (i.e., doesn't count as income if donated directly to Daybreak Zambia).
(5) Estate Planning. Include Zambia Missions (Daybreak Mission) in your will or living trust.
(6) Life Insurance. Name Daybreak the beneficiary. It is also possible (if you have whole-life or permanent-life policy but do not want to continue paying the premiums) that you can make Daybreak the owner and let us pay the premiums.
There are several other ways that you could donate to this endowment fund. If you are interested in donating to this endowment or would like to learn more about how to do so (explore other options), then you can contact me by email (
How Churches Can Help.
Churches can also contribute to this endowment fund in various ways. Churches may also contribute cash, land, vehicles, and other such assets.
Church Closure.
Recently it was reported that (among the Churches of Christ) there is about one church per week that is having to close and/or consolidate with another church. Most all of these church closures are the result of changing demographics and no fault of their own. As their young people have moved off to find jobs in the cities, the membership has decreased and gotten older.
There is a way, however, to turn all this into a positive. Far more churches are being planted elsewhere in the world than are closing here in the USA and these churches badly need our financial help in training new leaders to lead these churches so they can growth both spiritually and numerically.
Churches can help by donating their buildings (or the proceeds of the sale of their buildings) to this Endowment Fund so that the church can live on and flourish elsewhere in the world.
A few years ago, a church in North Carolina did this. They sold their church building and donated $80,000 to help us build a dormitory for students in Zambia. The members told me that doing this gave them great joy as they knew the life of their church would continue to live on in another part of the world.
I hope you will consider this option should your congregation ever have to close (or hear of a church doing so). I believe this is one way to turn all of this into a positive and give life to the church elsewhere in the world.
How To Contribute to the Endowment Fund.
(1) Cash Contribution. Make the check payable to "Zambia Missions" and mail the check to Zambia Missions, 1910 Sycamore View Rd, Bartlett, TN 38134. Write on the memo line, "Endowment Fund" and/or include a note with your contribution that the contribution is for the Endowment Fund.
(2) Assets: Real-Estate, Vehicles, or any assets with a value of more than $1000. You will need to contact us directly to work out the details for donating such assets.
(3) Stocks, Bonds or Mutual Funds. These can be donated directly to Daybreak so that you do not have to pay taxes on any income, interest or capital gains. Contact us directly to work out the details for making these donations.
(4) Required IRA Minimum Deduction. You must instruct your broker (or company managing your IRA) to make the payment directly to Zambia Missions, Sycamore View Church of Christ, 1910 Sycamore View Rd, Bartlett, TN 38134. Do not withdraw the funds and deposit the funds into your personal account. Although you could still take a tax deduction, you would have to itemize the contribution on your tax return. But, if you have the IRA deduction sent directly to Zambia Missions (whch is a church account), then you do not have to pay taxes on the funds nor do you have to itemize on your tax return. There is no minimum on the amount you can donate directly from your IRA. It does not count as income as it passes directly from tax deferred account to a non-profit organization.
(5) Estate Planning. This is something you must work out with your lawyer who is writing up your will. Have your lawyer state the amount to be contributed from your estate and have him specify that the funds are to be given to Zambia Missions, c/o Sycamore View Church of Christ, 1910 Sycamore View Rd, Bartlett, TN 38134 and that the funds are for the "Daybreak Endowment Fund."
(6) Name the Endowment Fund as a beneficiary on your Life Insurance Policy. To do this you must contact your Insurance Agent/Company and have Zambia Missions at Sycamore View Church of Christ listed as a beneficiary on your insurance policy (Zambia Missions, c/o Sycamore View Church of Christ, 1910 Sycamore View Rd, Bartlett, TN 38134).
Other Options. There are other options that include setting up annunities, donating property, transferring ownership of Life Insurance policy, and other such financial tools. To discuss these other options, you can contact me by email or by phone (901-574-9552) so that we can explore these other options. You may also want to talk to the financial experts (member of the church) who is helping us to manage this Endowment Fund.
If you would like to read the Bylaws that will guide any future distribution of Endowment Funds, click here.
David French (June 2019).