Desert Hills Presbyterian Church Foundation

The purpose of the Desert Hills Presbyterian Church Foundation (DHPC Foundation) is to support the fulfillment of the goals of the Desert Hills Presbyterian Church (DHPC).

The Foundation provides additional resources for the church to expand and strengthen their work. The gifts to the endowment fund come mainly from our congregation but can also come from outside sources as well. These monies are used to support the church’s programs and functions that are generally not included in the annual budget of our church.

The endowment fund of the Foundation was started in 2014. It is currently valued at $ 1.3 million. The Foundation is intended to last forever. New contributions each year as well as substantial gifts to the Church have historically been able to keep the DHPC Foundation strong through market fluctuations. We have an annual distribution of 5% from the DHPC Foundation that is used by requests from the Session each year. Our church (DHPC) is the sole beneficiary of the endowment. The Arizona Community Foundation professionally manages the funds. The DHPC Foundation’s goal is that the endowment will grow because of both future gifts and investment stewardship.

desert hills presbyterian church memorial garden
ministry

Legacy Circle

The Legacy Circle consists of those people who have made contributions directly to
the DHPC Foundation from various sources or have directed a gift to the Foundation in their estate planning documents.

Before you decide to make a gift to the Foundation, please make sure that the gift
does not diminish your annual giving to the church to support the annual budget.
Your attorney can assist you in designating the Foundation in your Last Will and Testament, a Revocable Living Trust or an Irrevocable Trust (which cannot be changed during your lifetime).

We look forward to hearing from you about your decision to name the Foundation in your will or Trust and join others who have made that important contribution to support DHPC’s future.   Please contact a Board member of the Foundation (see the next section below for as list of Board Members) to continue forward with a gift to the Foundation.  

WOULD YOU CONSIDER MAKING A GIFT TO SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION?

Board Members

Foundation Governance

As of January 1, 2025, the Foundation Board Members are:

Allan Watson, President
Darla Gilchrist, VP Finance and Treasurer
Woody Chamberlain, Board Member
Susie Brousseau, Board Member
Ed Nichols, Board Member
Tom Masles, Board Member

Pastor Jim Noble

How are the DHPC Foundation monies used?

Grants from the DHPC Foundation are made exclusively to the Church. We are pleased to show that over the life of the Foundation, the following represent the majority of the giving done from the DHPC Foundation to the Church.

  • Orchestral Music to Support Cantata Performances
  • Memorial Garden Expansion & Furniture
  • New Chancel Furniture
  • CEI Cornerstone Scholarships
  • Choral Scholar Section Leader
  • Youth Winter Retreat
  • Fellowship Center Lighting
  • Funds to Support the Outreach Mission
  • Music and Arts at the Rocks
  • Support for seminary students (example would be Nathaniel Everett)
  • Grandparenting Program at Church
  • Funds for our Outreach Mission
  • Youth Summer Retreat
  • Funds to help provide two new pianos for the Church
  • Palm Sunday Cantata & Easter services
  • Memorial Garden Expansion & Furniture
  • New Chancel Furniture
  • CEI Cornerstone Scholarships
  • Choral Scholar Section Leader
  • Youth Winter Retreat
  • Fellowship Center Lighting

Tax Implications

Gifts made to the DHPC Foundation during your lifetime are generally tax-deductible from the donor’s income tax at the time they are received. Gifts via wills or trusts are usually deductible for federal estate tax purposes. Please consult your tax accountant and tax attorney to get a clearer picture of how this affects your individual tax situation.

The DHPC Foundation is a public charity under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), 170(b)(1)(A)(iv), and 509(a)(1), with a tax identification number of 464912083.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The best way is to contact a Board Member of the DHPC Foundation so they can sit down with you and explain the various ways to donate.

Yes! Every member of the DHPC Church is eligible to serve as an officer or director of the DHPC Foundation, provided no one can serve on both the Church Session and the Foundation Board at the same time. If you are interested in serving on the Foundation Board, please let the Nominating Committee know.

Funds in the endowment portion can be used to cover Foundation expenses. The Church’s Controller prepares monthly financial statements for the Foundation and the Foundation Board meets at the Church’s buildings. Around the time the Foundation was first established in 2014, the Church did pay for startup expenses, but since then the Foundation has been responsible for paying its own expenses.

The Church and the Foundation are separate nonprofit corporations organized under Arizona law. The Church is the only member of the Foundation, and the Foundations Grants are made only to the Church.

The easiest contributions to handle are cash contributions. The DHPC Foundation, however, can accept any other property a contributor wishes to transfer provided that the property can be sold with reasonable ease or if it will automatically convert into cash (for example what happens if the donor names the Foundation as a beneficiary of his or her life insurance policy). The policy of the Foundation is to sell any contributions made in kind and to use the cash proceeds to pay all expenses incurred to make such a sale. Before making any non-cash contributions, please discuss the nature of your proposed non-cash contribution with a Board Member of the Foundation.

No. Gifts to the DHPC Foundation are irrevocable.