| Endowment
Program & Perpetual Care
ENDOWMENT FUND
What is the Endowment
Fund?
The Calvary Cemetery
Endowment Fund is a method by which benefactors
may make a tax-deductible contribution
to the cemetery.
Is the Endowment
Fund the same as Perpetual Care?
No, the Endowment Fund
is not the same as perpetual care. The
perpetual care fund is made up of a portion
of each sale of cemetery burial property,
which is placed in a trust fund for the
perpetual care and maintenance of the
cemetery. The cemetery may use the income
only, for the maintenance of the cemetery.
The endowment fund is a separate fund,
established by the contributions of individuals,
for the ongoing maintenance and beautification
of the cemetery, or for the purpose specified
by the donor.
Why does Calvary
Cemetery have an Endowment Fund?
Calvary Cemetery has
established a high standard for maintenance
and beautification of the cemetery. The
endowment fund was established to assure
that the cemetery will be maintained as
well in the future as it is today. The
costs of running a cemetery are constantly
increasing. Calvary Cemetery wants to
assure lot owners and their families that
the cemetery will never compromise the
current level of care due to inadequate
financial means.
What Costs are
there to Operating a Cemetery?
The costs are many. There
are approximately 65 developed acres in
the cemetery. These must be mowed and
trimmed at least once per week during
the summer. Grass is fertilized and re-seeded
as necessary. Flower beds are planted
and weeded. There are approximately 6
miles of roads to keep in good repair
in summer and plowed and salted in winter.
Monuments are leveled each spring. Shrubbery
and trees are kept trimmed. Equipment
must be maintained, and replaced periodically.
The cemetery office maintains a record
of each person buried at Calvary and is
responsible for daily cemetery operations.
Staff is available to answer questions
and assist visitors to locate graves.
There are legally-required taxes and insurance.
This all adds up to quite a large expense,
and these costs are constantly increasing.
How can I contribute
to the Fund?
You may make a contribution
to the cemetery, either in your name or
in memory of a loved one. There are many
featured areas, both developed and planned,
which can be designated in commemoriation
of an individual. You may also establish
a flower endowment, have a tree planted,
purchase a bench, a feature plaque or
statue, dedicate a portion of a roadway,
or have your contribution acknowledged
on a plaque in the chapel mausoleum.
Can I remember
Calvary Cemetery in my will?
People often make provisions
in their will to endow the cemetery upon
their death. The financial needs of a
cemetery last well beyond a lifetime.
We are grateful to those who continue
to show their support of the cemetery
through generous contributions. Please
feel free to contact us to make your tax
deductible contribution today! Thank you!
PERPETUAL CARE
Perpetual Care is interpreted
by PA State Law to be a service which
preserves the lots and grounds, repairs,
and renews the buildings and property
connected with and forming part of the
cemetery. Each time a lot or crypt space
is purchased, a perpetual care fee is
included. The cemetery then has the obligation
to prudently invest these funds and use
the resulting income to maintain the grounds. |
