Investing Involves More Than Dollars & Cents at the TBF

by Rev. Bill Gruenewald, President-Treasurer

When most people think about the work we do at the Tennessee Baptist Foundation (TBF), they think about our monetary investments in equities and fixed income as we try to help Tennessee Baptist churches and entities build a strong financial foundation for the future. But there is another asset class of TBF investments: students!

The TBF scholarship program provides financial assistance to students from Tennessee Baptist churches. These students represent a cross section of Tennessee Baptist life. They come from different parts of the state, representing churches of all sizes with educational emphasis in a variety of degree programs, including teaching, medicine, business, and of course, preparing for full-time Christian ministry positions. Because of this cross section, these students are poised to make a significant Kingdom impact in the marketplace. That is what our scholarship program is all about—impacting students so they can impact the world!

2021 was a milestone year for the TBF Scholarship program as we eclipsed $6 million in total scholarships awarded since 1987, when we started the program. The Foundation has awarded 8,237 scholarships in all.

How is this made possible?

By the generous giving of Tennessee Baptists who believed in students and left money from their estates in trust to the Foundation for our scholarship program. Here is a testimonial from a student who received a TBF scholarship:

“I will begin my Civil Engineering degree this year at Western Kentucky. I have committed to living a life on mission and hope to use this degree on the mission field in the future. I hope to build water reserves for small towns and villages and help those in need. My degree should open doors for me to be able to find work most anywhere. I am excited to see what God has in store for me and how he is going to use my skills and talents to further his Kingdom and bring him glory.

Applications are now open for the 2022-2023 school year on our website, with an application deadline of April 30. Visit tbfoundation.org/students to apply.

We want to invite you to make an investment in the lives of students for Kingdom impact. If you have this desire, please contact us so that we can help you design an estate plan that includes scholarships for Tennessee Baptist students. You have the wonderful opportunity today to impact the world for years to come. Consider a Faith-Based Estate plan that includes helping students be all that God is calling them to be!

Ready to get started?

You can reach us via phone at (615) 371-2029 or fill out this form.

Please note that the advice offered in this article is not intended to be construed as tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice for the reader. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.