Dear Friends,

I don't usually use this intro to the newsletter to blow our own horn - but it is our 40th Anniversary, so I'm making an exception this month.  Please plan to come celebrate in person if you are able, at our office in Goodyear on April 30th, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

With the help of a dedicated Board of Directors, I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish through the generosity of our donors to support the principles expressed in the Book of Discipline.

• Through the Desert Southwest United Methodist Foundation, Arizona and southern Nevada churches have the opportunity to invest in a choice of funds through Wespath Institutional Investments.

• Donors who want to give stock to their churches can do so through our Foundation AT NO COST to them or their church.  That service gets intensive use year-round.

• We offer a variety of ways for both churches and individuals to be generous and thoughtful in their giving.  Recently, I had the privilege of presenting a check for $132,880 to a local United Methodist Church’s foundation whose donor had established three Charitable Gift Annuities through our Foundation.

• At the end of 2025, our Board of Directors approved grants for a start-up food pantry, an after-school youth services program, and church parking lot lighting.

• Through donor-established funds, as well as the Foundation’s own funds, with prudent investment strategies, we have been able to send kids to Methodist summer camps, provide educational opportunities for clergy, and cover small emergencies for congregations, among other things.

As we celebrate our 40th, the good work lives on and like the loaves and fishes, multiplies. 

Most recently, our Board of Directors approved a large grant to Wesley United Methodist Church, and received this note on the impact of our support from Reverend Towanda Connelly: 

On behalf of Wesley United Methodist Church, I write to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for your generous support through the multimedia grant. We are deeply thankful for your investment in our ministry and your belief in the work God is doing in and through our church.

Your support is not just a financial contribution—it is a partnership in ministry. Because of you, we are better equipped to live out our mission of Love in Action and Faith in Community, and to continue building a vibrant, Spirit-led church that welcomes all and transforms lives through Jesus Christ.

Thank you for seeing us, believing in us, and walking alongside us as we serve our community.

I echo Pastor Towanda in thanking you for supporting and using the services of the Desert Southwest United Methodist Foundation these past 40 years.  Come join us!

Blessings,

Anne Green
Executive Director
602-798-8202