How it works

From first step to fully running.

Setting up a 403(b)(9) plan sounds complicated. With Shorebird, it's a handful of decisions, a short setup period, and then we handle the rest.

Four steps. One platform.

From adoption to ongoing administration, Shorebird guides your church through every stage.

1

Decide

Answer a few key questions about how your plan should work — contributions, eligibility, fees.

2

Set up

We generate your plan document, open custody accounts, and prepare your admin portal.

3

Enroll

Employees receive an invitation, choose their contributions and investments, and they're in.

4

Run

Contributions flow each pay period. Shorebird tracks compliance, limits, and reporting.

Step 1 — Decide

A few decisions, not a hundred.

Your church makes a handful of choices about how the plan should work. We walk you through each one in plain language — no legal jargon, no guesswork. Most churches finish in a single sitting.

  • Contribution formula — matching, flat, or employee-only
  • Fee split — church pays, participants pay, or a blend
  • Eligibility and vesting — who qualifies, how quickly
  • Plan features — loans, hardship withdrawals, rollovers
app.shorebird.co/setup/adoption
Employer Contributions
How will your church contribute to the plan?
Contribution type
Matching — church matches a percentage of employee deferrals
Fixed — church contributes a flat percentage for all eligible employees
None — employee deferrals only
Match formula
The church will match employee contributions up to a limit you define.
Match rate
50%
Of the first
6% of salary
Back Continue
Step 2 — Set up

We handle the heavy lifting.

Once your adoption agreement is complete, Shorebird takes it from there. We generate your plan document, coordinate custody account setup, and prepare your admin portal — all while keeping you informed at each step.

  • Plan document generated from your adoption choices
  • Custody accounts opened and configured
  • Admin portal ready with your plan settings
  • Most churches go live in about two weeks
app.shorebird.co/setup
Plan Setup
Grace Community Church · Started May 2
Adoption agreement
All decisions confirmed
Complete
Plan document
Generated and ready for review
Complete
Custody accounts
Opened and configured
Complete
Admin portal
Configuring plan settings
In progress
Ready for enrollment
Invite your team to enroll
Pending
Estimated ready date: May 16
Step 3 — Enroll

Ten minutes, fully enrolled.

When the plan is ready, employees get an enrollment email. They create an account, set their contribution, pick investments, and designate a beneficiary — all in one flow, all online. No paperwork, no back-and-forth.

  • Set contribution as a dollar amount or percentage of pay
  • Choose from index funds or a target-date portfolio
  • Designate a beneficiary in the same session
  • Changes take effect with the next payroll cycle
app.shorebird.co/enroll
Your Contributions
Choose how much you'd like to contribute each pay period.
Pre-tax contribution 8% of gross pay
$307/paycheck · $7,968/year · Annual limit: $23,500
Investment selection Target-date
Target 2055 Portfolio
Automatically adjusts as you approach retirement
100%
Or choose individual funds →
Church matches 50% of first 6% — you're getting the full match
Back Continue to beneficiary
Step 4 — Run

You decide the what. We handle the how.

Once your plan is live, Shorebird runs the day-to-day. Contributions flow in each pay period, compliance is monitored automatically, and your admin dashboard gives you a clear view of everything — participants, balances, and anything that needs attention.

  • Contributions processed each pay period
  • Automatic compliance monitoring and limit tracking
  • Participants manage accounts through their own portal
  • Alerts for anything that needs your attention
app.shorebird.co/admin
Plan Overview
Active
Grace Community Church · Premium plan
Plan Assets
$412,800
↑ 8.2% YTD
Participants
18
2 pending enrollment
Next Funding
May 15
$4,860 estimated
Participants Contributions Compliance Documents
Sam Mitchell
Pastor · Housing allowance active
$68,420 Active
David Park
Operations Director
$34,180 Active
Maria Torres
Office Administrator · Approaching limit
$22,150 Review
James Kim
Worship Director
$15,760 Active

Ready to get started?

Set up a modern 403(b)(9) plan for your church. Lower fees, less paperwork, better retirement outcomes.

Get started