From its very beginning 75 years ago, Everence® (formerly MMA) partnered with organizations that operate with Anabaptist faith values in mind.
Loans to CPS workers
The first organization was Mennonite Central Committee in 1945. MCC had been providing structured work for Civil Public Service men during World War II. After the war, MCC knew the workers needed a hand up to begin their new lives. It looked to the new organization of MMA to provide loans to help these men return to normal life through a program somewhat modeled off the GI Bill for war veterans.
Nonprofits looking to expand
Seven years later, many nonprofits in the faith community were growing rapidly, as was Everence. They needed capital to fund their development. And church members were prospering as the economy was expanding in the 1950s.
New legal structures at that time allowed for the creation of Everence (formerly Mennonite) Foundation to allow a wide variety of tax-advantaged charitable donations to flow to nonprofits and churches. This was one of the new cutting-edge foundations for the common person, a charitable vehicle that was previously only available to the very wealthy families.
Supporting their employees
In 1963, Mennonite Retirement Trust was created to provide a retirement savings plan to churches and church-affiliated nonprofits to allow their employees to reap the benefits of tax-advantaged savings.
These are just a few ways that organizations have partnered with Everence over seven decades to meet needs in our local communities and the broader world.
Partnerships continue
Today, over 1,400 businesses and nonprofits partner with Everence. Everence services originally designed to serve the needs of a tight-knit faith community have expanded as more organizations seek new ways to build trustworthy long-term relationships based on professionalism, accountability – and values.
As Everence celebrates its 75th anniversary, we look forward to partnering with your organizations over the next 75 years!
What are your organization’s needs today, during COVID-19 and beyond? Feel free to contact me for a discussion at organizations@everence.com.