Endowments

An endowment is like employing a permanent caretaker for your property. Such care goes beyond the normal care given to all parts of a well managed cemetery. It provides individualized service according to the owners specific wishes, such as cleaning and repairing of stone work; maintenance of sod and keeping the landscaping at its best; care of trees and shrubs and flowers; placing of floral tributes on special commemorative dates or holidays.

The sum of money set aside in your endowment may be an amount large or small, according to the size of the lot and the work required. This amount is invested along with other endowment funds, but the specific interest from your endowment deposit is used only in carrying out the terms of the endowment on your lot.

Since Citizens’ Cemetery Association is incorporated as a non-profit organization, there is no cost involved in establishing an endowment. Proceeds are used for the specific services of care designated by the owner. A fee is deducted for its administration and management. The principle is kept intact and only the interest is used to execute the work on your lot and cover applicable fees to the full extent that such interest permits.

It is advisable that endowments placed many years ago should be reviewed by their owners, just as insurance policies are periodically reviewed…to make sure they are accomplishing a full purpose. Please be aware that when the interest earned on a specific endowment account is insufficient to cover the cost of carrying out the wishes of the endowment, improvements and/or plantings will not be carried out. For the same reason, fees may not be recovered. Money may be added to an endowment at any time to achieve desired results.

Once an endowment has been established, it is not permissible to sub-divide or lessen the total value of the endowment. The original endowment must remain intact and utilized for its established purpose. Monies may always be added to an endowment in order to accomplish its intended purpose.