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Understanding Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and Process Starting July 1, 2021, employees of religious non-profit organizations now qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). That means employees of churches, religious schools and camps, seminaries, church agencies, etc. can now qualify to have their student loans forgiven. Not everyone is eligible for PSLF. Only if you make 120 qualifying monthly payments to your loans through a qualifying direct loan program under a qualifying repayment plan while doing qualifying work for a qualifying employer, then you can submit an application to have your student loans forgiven. You must be working for a qualifying employer certified by the PSLF program when you submit the application and when the loan is forgiven. So, what does “qualifying” mean? See https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for detailed information about each step of the process. Since religious non-profit organizations are new to this process, you may be struggling to verify your employer. You should know: The PSLF Help Tool is the first step in determining if your employer qualifies for PSLF. To use this tool, you will need the employer’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) and your employment start and end date. If your employer is listed as eligible, you should proceed to the PSLF Help Tool and begin the application process. If your employer is not listed or is flagged as likely ineligible, don’t panic! It does not necessarily mean that the employer isn’t qualified. According to the Federal Student Aid website, the PSLF database may be incomplete, and your employer may still qualify for PSLF. Go ahead and add the employer’s information manually and as accurately as possible. PSLF will manually review your submission and use it to add your employer to its database if determined eligible. Enter your employer’s name exactly as it appears on your W-2 and upload a copy of your W-2 when prompted to upload documentation to save time in its review. If your employer is shown as ineligible, and you believe differently, don’t panic! This is based on the best information that PSLF has at the time. PSLF recommends that you go ahead and add your employer manually and upload supporting documentation explaining why you and your employer believe that it qualifies. Supporting documentation can include: Your church’s Certificate of Inclusion letter verifying its 501(c)(3) status by inclusion in the UMC Group Tax Exemption Ruling. If you no longer serve at the church, please reach out to the church directly for its current inclusion letter. Your employer’s articles of incorporation or other organizing documents Your church’s listing on the annual conference website, along with this information explaining annual conferences. Ultimately, it is important that you provide as much supporting evidence of your church’s 501(c)(3) status and your dates of employment at that church. If you are providing evidence for multiple churches you’ve served, be sure to collect all documentation and submit it all at once to speed up PSLF’s manual review process for your application. Additionally, if you need to certify your employment for a church that is now closed, you should locate its EIN by referring to your W-2s during your employment. In this case, consider asking an authorized person from your annual conference to sign your PSLF form verifying employment for the dates you served at the now closed church. Also, consider pulling your historical file from UM Data Home. You can find this by clicking on “clergy” and searching by your first and last name. You can print that webpage to show a record of your appointments, although it might not show the current year appointment(s). Further, if you are in need of a group ruling letter for a closed church, please reach out to GCFA Legal Department at legal@gcfa.org with the church name, address, and EIN. Submitting the PSLF Form After you submit your application, the PSLF Program servicer, MOHELA, will review and determine your status. If you meet all the requirements listed above, including having a Direct Loan and your employer qualifications, MOHELA will determine how many qualifying payments you made toward the PSLF program during the time period(s) certified on your PSLF form. Please note, if you have served more than one qualifying employer, it will be easier if you use the online PSLF Help Tool to complete the form instead of completing it manually. This way you can add all past and current employers and your employment dates respectively on the same form. Here are additional resources out there to help you with this process learn more about the program: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Form | Federal Student Aid Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinars | Wespath Benefits & Investments Home Page (mohela.com) Public Service Loan Forgiveness Calculator | LendingTree

While the process can be frustrating and time-consuming, contract negotiation is essential. An excellent contract can legally and financially protect you, provide you with discounts and concessions, and even create stellar vendor relationships. GCFA's Travel & Meeting Planning Department has five proven tips to negotiate your next contract effectively.

Whether you’re planning an Easter Egg Hunt or an inaugural conference, unexpected events are bound to occur along the way. To help decrease stress during a big ministry event, UMC Support’s Travel & Meeting Planning Department has created a checklist to help you plan today. Below are ten steps to alleviate stress and elevate success for your next event! 1. Determine Your Why Before color schemes and social media promo discussions can begin, you must first identify the objectives and success factors of your event. What do you hope to achieve? How will you measure success? Understanding the purpose of your event will allow you to better resonate with your intended audience, regardless of size. 2. Establish Your Budget Budget creation and wise resource allocation are essential. Not only do budgets enable you to generate ideas within realistic parameters, but they also add an element of accountability. Once your budget has been built, you can then identify the streams in which you intend to receive funding - whether it be donations or the church budget. Don’t forget to plan for unexpected events and hidden fees! 3. Select Your Date Many church event planners often leap to this step, ignoring the significance of setting objectives and financial plans. Ultimately, your goals and budget could impact the date of your event. However, when events are determined by a venue’s availability, it is crucial that you move quickly. Pro Tip: Keep an eye out for any potential conflicting events within your local community! 4. Build Your Team Assigning roles and responsibilities that align with personal strengths and making effective use of volunteers can propel your team towards successful outcomes. For example, the teen that’s always snapping selfies could be the perfect person to manage digital media, while a boisterous college crew might be your next masters of ceremonies. Once you’ve assembled your team, you should schedule recurring meetings as necessary to create opportunities for brainstorming, prioritizing, and delegating. Organization and communication are key factors for success. 5. Choose Your Perfect Location Although your church might typically be your first thought (and the most cost-effective option), reflect on your objectives and consider the importance of outreach, attendance, and community relations. Whether you decide to bring your vision to life on church grounds or at an offsite location, it is vital that you always consider the number of attendees, parking, and accessibility. 6. Use Your Voice (And Phone!) Now it’s time to spread the word! There are several communication methods that you can combine to achieve all your marketing goals. The most common include email, direct mail, social media, weekly bulletin announcements, and your church website. Always consider your target audiences and the channels of communication that resonate the most with them. You should also maintain a schedule or calendar to track touch points. 7. Dive Into Your Logistics Coordinating a growing list of event logistics can get overwhelming quickly, but the strategic utilization of your team can yield transformational results. From catering to registration, It is critical that you maintain a running list of all projects, record detailed notes, and make effective use of all your connections. Projects tend to increase and intensify as event dates draw nearer, so don’t hesitate to ask for assistance when you need it! 8. Check Your Expectations Although we want every event to be a 100% success, what’s a big day without a minor hiccup? It is always advantageous to have backup venues, replacement vendors, and extra staff on standby. When mishaps occur, it is key to remember our why. Deuteronomy31: 6-8 9. Enjoy Your Event! On the day of your event, try to be in the moment as much as possible. Don’t forget to acknowledge all growth and take pride in your hard work and accomplishments. Whether three weeks or three years were spent planning, there’s nothing like the sense of relief once it’s come to an end. 10. Measure Your Success Measuring the success of the goals you initially set is key, and it will take your event planning to the next level. Feedback is a powerful mechanism for this, as it simultaneously evaluates event success and identifies areas for improvement. While constructive criticism can sometimes be difficult to hear, it can break us out of stagnation and catalyze growth within us that we didn’t know was possible! Adhering to these steps will ensure that your next event is one for the books! The GCFA Travel & Meeting Planning team is here to assist you in all meeting and event planning efforts. Contact us for more information at ConnectionalRelations@gcfa.org today!

Hybrid meetings - with attendees in-person and virtual - are here to stay. Did you know that you should follow up differently with virtual attendees versus those in-person? Our certified meeting planner has created a list of best practices to follow up with your attendees. Your meeting is like an ice cream sundae - be sure to put the cherry on top after it's over!

Though there are still some lingering effects of COVID-19 , UMC Support’s Travel and Meeting Planning Department is preparing for a busy year as many groups throughout the connection return to hybrid and in-person meetings! We’ve identified the 5 top trends that Travel and Meeting Planners throughout the UMC can expect to see in 2023: 1. Higher Costs → Higher Spend According to Business Travel News, the overall spend for meetings is predicted to increase by 3.1% on average globally. The cost per attendee for all meeting types is also predicted to increase by 1.5% for small and internal meetings, and up to 3% for larger conferences and trade shows. 2. Decreased Attendance & Increased Fees It is critical that Meeting Planners consider how vastly event attendance has evolved. While attendees continue to ask for virtual offerings, guests who are interested in attending an event in-person might require an additional push. Planners who experienced no-show rates of 30% at events pre-COVID are now seeing no-show rates of nearly 50%. In addition to decreased event attendance and increased no-shows, lofty last-minute cancellation rates are expected. 3. Diversity, Sustainability, and Mental Health Although the pandemic triggered many tragedies and difficulties, it gave us important lessons in diversity and sustainability, as well as the gravity of mental health. When planning meetings and events, it is vital that these principles are considered and embraced. 4. Bringing the Family With remote and hybrid workforces on the rise, families are increasingly tagging along for business and meeting travel. This boost in flexibility around physical work locations creates more opportunities for spouses and young children to attend events alongside primary attendees, which may help your attendance. 5. Shifts in Negotiation Power With increased labor costs, operating expenses, inflation, and the lingering fear of cancellations, hotels are less willing to negotiate as aggressively as they once did pre-pandemic, or even last year. While the top 5 meeting trends are listed here, the UMC Support Travel and Meeting Planners are gathering and analyzing the latest industry complexities daily. Ultimately, our top priority is ensuring the utmost success and productivity of all your meetings and events. As you can see, meeting planning and the accompanying travel is complex as ever. Ease your burden and gain peace of mind by working with a meeting planning professional! Contact our UMC Support team today to see how we can help with any or all aspects of your event. Drop us a line at ConnectionalRelations@gcfa.org or call us at 866-367-4232.

GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. Listing your church, annual conference, district, or UM-affiliated organization is FREE and EASY. 1. How can my church be listed on GuideStar? To get started, visit UMgroupruling.org, and follow the steps to request a group ruling letter. You will be given the option to check the box, “Yes please list me on GuideStar.” That is all you need to do to be listed! 2. What if my church already has a group ruling letter? GCFA began offering GuideStar listings in January 2018. If you received your group ruling letter before then, you can still be listed in GuideStar. Go back to UMgroupruling.org and complete the application for an updated group ruling letter. Before submitting the application, click “Yes please list me on GuideStar.” 3. Can I be added to GuideStar if I am an affiliated UM organization and not a church? Yes. Affiliated organizations that have been issued a certificate of inclusion in the group ruling can be added to GuideStar. If you are eligible for a group ruling letter, you have the option of being added to Guidestar. When you sign into UMgroupruling.org, check the box, “Yes please list me on GuideStar.” 4. Why should my church or organization be listed in GuideStar? In a time when most donor organizations are using electronic verification of an organization’s 501(c)(3) status, they check GuideStar. AmazonSmile, Facebook, and the Wal-Mart Foundation are just a few entities that utilize the GuideStar database to verify nonprofit status. 5. How long does it take to be added to GuideStar? GCFA updates GuideStar quarterly beginning in January. Once GuideStar adds your UM church, annual conference, district, or affiliated organization, you must claim your profile at guidestar.org/update.

Does your United Methodist ministry need a federal tax exemption letter? There is an easier way than applying directly to the IRS! The Internal Revenue Service has designated the General Council on Finance and Administration of the United Methodist Church (or “GCFA”, the global administrative body of the denomination) to act on its behalf. GCFA certifies your ministry’s status and can issue your tax exemption letter!

Fire and natural disaster – two ways a church’s data could be compromised. Unfortunately, identity theft, ransomware, and digital breaches are also ways a church’s sensitive assets can be stolen or burglarized. However, there are steps a church can take to minimize the occurrence of digital poaching within its IT systems.

With virtual worship growing there are many questions on how report the number of people viewing online. Does one view equal 1 person? Use this resource to help gain a better understanding on how to account for online viewers.

Performing a general information technology assessment within your ministry and/or organization is crucial. You have data that needs protecting. You can use help in streamlining administrative processes, which gives you more time to concentrate on being with those souls entrusted to your care. Executing information technology (IT) assessments can aid in documenting the network, identifying security vulnerabilities, and ensuring proper performance. Your reviews can also help find ways in which technology can improve productivity and your bottom line.

In this video series, attorney Sam Miller joins GCFA’s legal team to break down copyright law. Between song lyrics, Google images, and powerpoints, church personnel need to have a firm grasp on copyright basics. Watch today, and look for more in this continuing series.

"If you or your church are sued for copyright infringement, it will be expensive, stressful, and time-consuming.” – Attorney Sam Miller. Miller joins GCFA’s legal team to break down copyright law in the second installment of our Legal Copyright video series. Between song lyrics, Google images, and powerpoints, church personnel need to have a firm grasp on copyright basics. Watch Today, and look for more in this continuing series next month.