How can I set up a monthly gift?
Visit this donation link and select “Show my support by making this a monthly donation” or give us a call at 650-569-0909 and we’ll set it up with a credit card or EFT.
How can I transfer appreciated stock or IPO stock?
Easy. Access the stock form here or give us a call at 650-569-0909 and we’ll share a form for your broker.
I have a Donor Advised Fund; can Aslan accept a distribution?
Yes!
Your advisor knows the drill. Tell them: Aslan Housing Foundation, EIN: 83-0913511, how you’d like to be recognized, and the specific purpose if you have one (hot tip: unrestricted gifts are always most useful to ministries and churches!).
Can you help me with the legal work involved in transferring a home?
Absolutely.
Yes, we would love to help you. Reach out to nicole@aslan.org for help and coordination with our legal team.
My employer matches donations, does Aslan qualify?
Yes.
Aslan does not discriminate in housing and therefore corporate matches are a no-brainer. Give your liaison our EIN: 83-0913511. We are also listed on Benevity.
Can I make a pledge instead of an outright gift now?
Yes, please!
We don’t need all the cash at once, so this is a great option. Send our CEO an email at nicole@aslan.org to set it up.
Can I make a gift from my estate?
Bequests are such a game-changer!
Yes, please, join the other donors who have done the same thing with Aslan. Imagine, if your ministry had been included in estates over the years, how much more you would already have to tackle staff housing. We can provide you with language to take to your wills and trusts lawyer. We can also suggest tax and legal experts who specialize in this area of law if you are not already represented. Our CEO is an attorney and can get you pointed in the right direction, but she will not represent you herself (conflict alert!). nicole@aslan.org
Can I restrict my gift? Should I?
Aslan respects donor intent and has strong financial controls to ensure your wishes are followed. Whether an individual or an entity (say, PCC or another church) all assets Aslan receives are dedicated to staff housing purposes and are accounted for strictly. All assets at Aslan from any source are irrevocably dedicated to these missional purposes. As a Type III Functionally Integrated Supporting Organization of PCC, all of our work fulfills the mission of PCC. (This unique mix of flexibility and fidelity allows us to serve PCC’s mission broadly. It also provides an oversight mechanism that the state and federal public agencies (IRS, BOE, AG) track. As PCC itself has come to realize, restricted gifts from individual donors are a hassle to administer. You can certainly restrict your gift to Aslan, but it ties the hands of Aslan if you make the restriction super strict. If you feel strongly about imposing restrictions, let us know and we can accommodate your request. We take this aspect of stewardship and trust very seriously. Reach our CEO at nicole@aslan.org
How can we be sure that Aslan has the expertise to manage all of this?
We know these FAQs can’t anticipate every question.
We are happy to talk further. Just call! 650-569-0909
Glad you asked!
Aslan’s board has three former PCC Officers (our CEO, Chair, and Treasurer). The board is comprised of an architect, a builder, a wealth manager, a renter, a CFO, an HR executive, a property manager, an insurance expert, and an attorney. We have an amazing tech stack. Our accountants and bookkeeper are experienced with ministries throughout Silicon Valley and we file annual returns with the IRS. We have a Platinum Seal from Guidestar. We report to PCC quarterly and the ECC annually. We’re very transparent and take our stewardship seriously.
We know these FAQs can’t anticipate every question.
We are happy to talk further.
Just call! 650-569-0909
How It Works
How We Do It
How do you know what ministry staff need?
We ask!
A core value of Aslan: Do nothing about staff without staff. Aslan offers free 1:1 housing coaching to all staff of PCC’s Center, Church, Preschool, and School Aged Child Care. Our goal is to understand how housing affects them personally and at work. This coaching helps staff ground their housing goals and strategies, and take full benefit of the tax breaks uniquely offered to pastors. We have a committed team of advisors that help navigate real estate, personal budgeting, and lending issues facing pastors. Coaching ensures Aslan is co-creating housing solutions that meet the price, location, and size metrics important to staff. Aslan also consults with other churches and ministries to provide the same coaching services.
Aren’t prices too high for you to make an impact?
Great question! Yes, wow, prices are high. Aslan is committed to long-term, equity-based solutions. This is expensive for Aslan. But the value is long-term stability and growth for the staff and the ministry.
Cash rental assistance has an occasional role in stabilizing the home situation for staff. However, funds spent on that exit the ministry ecosystem and cannot be recouped—so it’s never our first choice.
Below market rate (BMR) rentals are a better step on the pathway to homeownership. Aslan owns homes it rents at BMR and works with other owners willing to do the same. Aslan manages properties for these owners at a cost-effective rate that makes this feasible.
Most of all, Aslan prefers to come alongside staff wishing to buy a home and through a series of scaffolded steps move them along the continuum from renting to homeownership. Bonus: whenever Aslan is on title for a pastor’s home the house is exempted from property tax.
This all sounds exciting—and complicated. Does Aslan have the expertise to make this work?
Aslan is run by a seasoned group of executives with deep experience in real estate, development, law, philanthropy, insurance, planning, and finance. We have a team of advisors that provide strategic and tactical assistance.
Who We Help
How do you select which staff person gets your help?
Aslan doesn’t make this call. At PCC, the lay-led Housing Committee decides who gets what form of housing assistance. We think this is the best way to lean into our role as a supporting organization of PCC. There is a set of qualitative and quantitative criteria that inform the Housing Committee decision-making process.
We recommend a similar approach to the other ministries we advise.
How can I apply for housing assistance from Aslan?
All full-time staff at PCC’s Center, Church, Preschool, and School Aged Child Care are eligible to receive housing coaching from Aslan. They are also encouraged to respond to the PCC Housing Committee when it announces available housing. For more information, contact your PCC supervisor. Even if you don’t get assistance at first, keeping the Housing Committee aware of your needs is important as staff transitions and available resources happen throughout the year.
If you are in ministry at another church or para-church organization—or lead one—Aslan is happy to take your call or email. We’ll set up an initial (free) consultation and from there decide how we can support you and the entity.
Is this the same thing as pastoral housing? What if I’m not a pastor?
Aslan is committed to helping all full-time employees that advance the mission of PCC regardless of the ministry of which they are a part. Historically, PCC just focused on housing for pastors. However, PCC has come to see itself as a mission with a church (rather than a church with a mission). Therefore, all staff are important to the mission. This is an approach we wholeheartedly support and recommend for other churches.
You might also have heard that there are tax issues associated with housing for pastors—technically, ‘ministers for tax purposes’. Correct! Aslan works with staff to optimize housing assistance for tax purposes. When qualified, these include exemption from property taxes and housing allowances. The benefits are huge!