It was February 2020 and the board of the West Ohio Conference Council on Development was looking to the future.

After 40 years of supporting the West Ohio Conference, including funding the pension program and establishing numerous endowments for local churches, COD's leaders decided it was time for a change.

Little did those leaders know that the world and the UMC were about to enter into a time of permanent change.

Founding Executive Director Susan Black, CFRE, CAP® began some months later in September 2020. Immediately, Susan and her team, including now Program Manager Maddy DeWitt, began determining what programs and services they could provide to the West Ohio Conference churches and what information was needed to get the word out about the Foundation’s mission and purpose.

Over the past five years, assets under administration grew by over $113M. This increase was largely supported by the Conference Trustees and Board of Pension Trustees, new church starts and organization endowments, and WOC’s District boards, who felt the Foundation was their best investment choice.

Another key component of growth was the choice of Wespath Institutional Investments as the Foundation’s asset manager in 2023. “Wespath Institutional Investments’ expertise and support has been invaluable. We love getting to share the triple impact that churches can have when they invest in Wespath through the Foundation,” Black added.

“Our first five years have been challenging but we have met that challenge head-on and are ready for what the future brings,” said Black. “We’re dedicated to providing best-in-class asset management services to our constituents, and we’re here for every church that wants to improve their stewardship, legacy giving, and philanthropic options for individual donors. All it takes is a phone call.”

Pastors and church leaders can call Susan Black at 380-223-9257 for more information or check out the Foundation’s programs on their website, www.umfwestohio.org.