UUFCC Stewardship

People give generously of their time and talent to the Fellowship. Friends and members are also expected to make a pledge for an annual financial commitment. Monies pledged are paid over a fiscal year and are the main source of the UUFCC's funds. These funds pay salaries, for the building, utilities, insurance, etc. as well as for the programs that enrich our lives and make the world a better place. These funds also pay the UUFCC's fair share to the Unitarian Universalist Association. A pledge says, "I am a part of this community and I want to ensure that it continues and grows."

How much should I pledge?

At UUFCC, you are not required to pledge at all, and certainly not any specific amount. We hear that we should "give until it feels good" but don't know how to turn that into dollars. Here are some specific ideas that might help you decide how much you'd feel comfortable with.

Tithing

Members of some religious denominations are expected to "tithe", that is, to give a tenth of their income to the church. In the past, 6% (rather than 10%) has been suggested as a "fair" amount.

However, there may be problems defining this calculation. A retired person might be living off their savings. A student might have little or no income but still want to pledge some amount. In such cases, it may produce a more meaningful answer if you use the total amount you spend in a year instead of your income.

Averages

Another benchmark is that the total cost of UUFCC's operations is about $200,000 per year, most of which comes from pledges. Typically, about 200 households make pledges. Thus, the "average" is about $1000 per household. A student, single parent, or new Friend of UUFCC would likely pledge a lower amount; those who are financially better off or have been involved longer give more than this average.

Minimum

UUFCC has no official minimum pledge, but an effective "minimum" would be the amount that covers your basic cost to the Fellowship. Two specific costs can be quantified:

Friends receive the Newsletter, which costs about $50 per year for copying and mailing costs.

When someone becomes a Member, UUFCC pays their dues (including a subscription to UU World) to the national Unitarian Universalist Association, and to the local Joseph Priestly District. This is currently about $75, and applies to each individual member.

So . . . to at least be sure UUFCC does not lose anything for their participation, Friendswould need to give $50 plus some padding, and Members at least $125.

But we hope you will feel you benefit enough from coming you'll want to help pay the salaries of the Minister, the Music Director, and the other paid staff; a share of the mortgage and the gas and electricity that keep the building warm and lighted; the chairs and tables, supplies for children, coffee and so forth.

And if enough of us give this much, and then more, we can start funding our dreams . . . more rooms for RE classes and meetings, new risers for the Choir, a larger and acoustically-better Social Room, more Adult RE programs, and so forth.

Value Received for Your Pledge

In fact, thinking about all the benefits you get from UUFCC may be a good way to determine how much support you want to give. Think about how much pleasure you get when you spend $1000 to go on a vacation (or maybe $10,000 if you travel in style). Then think about how this pleasure compares with the benefits of coming to Sunday Service, Wonderful Wednesday, and other activities for a whole year. This comparison may help you calibrate how much you'd feel good about giving to support UUFCC.

How Do I Pledge?

1) Make a commitment by filling out the pledge form (see below), or request one from the UUFCC office.

2) Return the form to the UUFCC office.

3) You can make payment toward this pledge over the course of the year in whatever increments you prefer: weekly, monthly, or in one lump sum.

Find a Pledge Card here: as a Word document as an Acrobat file