North Indiana United Methodist Foundation
Investment Services
 
Services for Churches
We serve United Methodist churches and agencies throughout the North Indiana Conference. We help with starting, promoting and managing, their own endowments programs; and provide educational seminars, at no cost. 
Click here to learn more about Seminars and Workshops
Click here to learn more about Promoting Endowments
 
We serve individuals affiliated with United Methodist churches in the North Indiana Conference, and beyond, in the design and implementation of their planned giving objectives.  The Foundation can help individuals establish a Charitable Gift Annuity or Trust, which will provide lifetime income to themselves, or loved ones, and will ultimately benefit the UM Church, or other charity of their choice. Click here to learn more about Gift Planning
 
The Foundation operates the Investment Service Fund, which is available to local churches and agencies of the North Indiana Conference.  By pooling their assets, these churches and agencies enjoy the investment benefits and advantages available to larger investors.  Only a North Indiana Conference entity, or one sanctioned by specific policy, is eligible to participate in the Investment Service Fund.
 
Consulting Services
The Foundation provides investment-consulting services for North Indiana Conference churches and agencies.  There is no fee for this service.  There are many factors to consider when making any investment, including asset allocation, time horizon, and risk tolerance, to name a few.  A Foundation representative will be glad to meet with your committee to answer questions and help you work through these issues. Click here to contact North Indiana United Methodist Foundation.

 

The Investment Service Fund is divided into separate investment funds.  Each Fund has stated investment goals and objectives and is accounted for separately.  There are presently six established Funds in which an investor may participate.  A description of each Fund and its stated investment goals and objectives are described below:
 
  1. Money Market Fund - This fund is designed to achieve money market rates of return and will invest only in short term cash instruments.  The primary objective is to preserve capital through all market cycles.  The fund is insured up to $75,000,000. Click here to learn How to Participate

  2. Short-Term Investment Fund - The Short Term Investment Fund is a bond fund that seeks to maximize current income consistent with preservation of capital. The fund invests primarily in a broad range of high quality bonds such as U.S. Treasury Bills and Notes, U.S. Federal Agencies and short-term corporate obligations. This fund is for investors who seek conservative short-term investments that focus on capital preservation and liquidity. The market value of the fund will fluctuate as economic factors change.  Click here to learn How to Participate

  3. Domestic Bond Fund (DBF) - DBF’s investment objective is to earn current income by investing in a broad mix of investment-grade fixed income securities. DBF’s portfolio includes U.S. government and agency bonds, corporate bonds, mortgages and asset-backed securities. The corporate bonds held are primarily of companies that are domiciled in the U.S. and are investment grade. The average maturity of securities held by DBF is approximately seven and one half years. The performance benchmark for DBF is the Lehman Brothers U.S. Universal Index. The market value of the fund will fluctuate as economic factors change.  Click here to learn How to Participate

  4. Multiple Asset Fund (MAF) - MAF’s investment objective is to maximize long-term investment returns, including current income and capital appreciation, while reducing short-term risk by investing in a broad mix of investments. MAF is comprised of a pre-specified allocation of four of the other U.M. General Board of Pension (GBOP) Funds: 45% Domestic Stock Fund, 20% International Stock Fund, 25% Domestic Bond Fund, and 10% Inflation Protection Fund. The performance benchmark for MAF is a blended index based on 45% of the investment returns of the Russell 3000 Index, 20% of the investment returns of the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index, 25% of the investment returns of the Lehman U.S. Universal Index and 10% of the investment returns of the U.S. Barclays Capital Global Inflation Linked Bond Index. Market value and returns will fluctuate as market conditions change. Click here to learn How to Participate

  5. Managed Mutual Funds - This fund is a diversified multiple-asset-class fund of funds. The Objective is to obtain capital appreciation over the long term while at times providing a low level of current income to reduce portfolio volatility.  This is accomplished by investing in a broad mix of different types of investments. This Fund may be appropriate for long-term investors who are willing to accept an average level of market risk associated with investing in a portfolio that depends largely on the value of common stock holdings and some fixed-income investments.       The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in no-load and load-waived mutual funds (“Underlying Funds”). Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest almost exclusively in shares of high quality growth funds and total return funds. These Underlying Funds generally invest in equity securities of U.S. and foreign companies with a wide range of market capitalization. In addition, at times the Fund may have unlimited exposure to total return funds, or fixed income funds. Note: because this fund invests in publicly traded mutual funds, it is not socially screened as recommended in the United Methodist Social Principles. Market value and returns will fluctuate as market conditions change. Click here to learn How to Participate

  6. Global Stock Fund - The Global Stock Fund's investment objective is to earn Long-term capital appreciation from a broadly diversified portfolio that includes both domestic and foreign stocks. The Global Stock Fund is invested 80% in the GBOP Domestic Stock Fund and 20% in the GBOP International Stock Fund. The Performance Benchmark for Domestic Stock Fund is the Russell 3000 Index. The performance benchmark for the International Stock Fund is the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. Market value and returns will fluctuate as market conditions change. Click here to learn How to Participate

 

To Participate in the Investment Service Fund
Any North Indiana Conference entity desiring to participate in the Fund should first receive a copy of this Information Statement and Trust Agreement, and read them thoroughly before making a request to be a participant.  To participate in the Fund, a North Indiana Conference entity must complete a Participation Agreement.  This form is to be submitted to the Foundation along with the initial deposit of cash or securities. Click here to down load the forms
Deposits, Withdrawals and Transfer
The minimum amount that may be transferred to open an account in the Investment Service Fund is one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per account.  Once an account is opened, additional deposits may be made at any time, in any amount.  Except for investments in the Money Market Fund, a participant's interest in the Fund is available once per quarter.  When a participant wishes to redeem their interest in the Fund, they must request a withdrawal, using a form provided by the Foundation, no less than ten (10) days prior to the end of any calendar quarter.  Investments in the Money Market Fund may be withdrawn at any time by giving five (5) days notice. Click here to down load the form.