Each year, members and friends of UUSS make a renewed financial commitment to support UUSS. The ministers and Pledge Committee lead a campaign over several Sundays to encourage generosity and participation in making new pledges. Highlights of the campaign can include a special sermon, special treats, pulpit testimonials by UUSS members, email messages, special logo stickers for nametags, and a free lunchtime concert.

All Members and Friends of UUSS are asked to make a written commitment of financial support for the year that goes from July 1 through June 30 of the next year. (“Friends” are people who have not formally joined UUSS but who attend or participate in the congregation and choose to support it financially.)

A pledge is a promise of specific monetary support for the coming fiscal year. Most people pledge to make monthly payments, though some will make a lump-sum payment, especially if it’s from accumulated assets or an IRA.

Pledged contributions provide 3/4 of the funds used to compensate our staff and ministers, maintain the buildings and grounds, and support music, worship, Religious Education, Social Justice, Adult Enrichment and small group ministries. These funds also support the larger UU movement through our dues to the Unitarian Universalist Association.

The pledges we make to support UUSS are for one year at a time; we have a pledge drive yearly in the spring to ask congregants to make a new commitment. Of course, you may make a pledge at any time during the budget year.

Pledging is a personal decision based on your financial circumstances and your sense of commitment to the mission and values of UUSS. We suggest making a pledge as a percentage of household income.  Find the UUA’s Suggested Giving Guide at this link; it suggests from 2% to 10% of gross income.

Payments are tracked and kept confidential. Staff and lay leaders who manage UUSS finances keep all pledges confidential, regardless of pledging or payment method. Members and friends who make annual pledges and other donations receive quarterly updates. An annual summary of tax-deductible contributions is sent to each member making pledges or other donations.

While we are certainly grateful for all donations collected each Sunday, half of those funds are donated to our monthly Community Partner organizations. The remaining half represents a small percentage of our budget. UUSS relies on committed pledges for the majority of our financial needs.

We know that sometimes life’s changes can impact financial resources. If you are not be able to make, renew, or fulfill your intended pledge, please speak with one of the ministers or our bookkeeper, Debrah, at or email . You may revise your pledge (down or up) at any time.

Absolutely! That is a safe and reliable method for paying your pledge.  Please indicate the source of your automatic payment on your pledge form, which can be filled out online by clicking here or on a paper form from the office. (ACH bank withdrawals cost UUSS less than credit card processing fees do.)

The Board of Trustees must propose a budget based on pledge commitments, so we need to know everyone’s intentions for every new budget year.  Moreover, making our pledges each year gives all of us a chance to evaluate our current pledge amount, and determine if we are able to increase our pledge.

Each year the Board prepares a new budget after the Pledge Drive is completed. The budget is based on the success of the pledge drive, along with the anticipated revenue from special fundraisers and rentals. The Board presents the budget at our annual May congregational meeting where members discuss and vote to approve the budget. You can find the Treasurer’s reports at this link.

Our annual spring pledge drive usually ends in late March or early April, so it would be ideal to submit your pledge in March. This allows time for the Treasurer, Finance Committee, and Board to prepare a budget for the May Congregational Meeting.  The fiscal year starts on July 1, when new pledge payments begin.  However, newcomers to UUSS may make a pledge at any time during the year and then make a new pledge during the annual pledge drive.

No. Only our members and friends financially sustain the church. UUSS actually makes annual contributions as an Honor Congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Thanks to this, all UU congregations receive a variety of resources and services from the UUA. Furthermore, our contributions will ensure a strong UU voice across the country, especially in places where our liberal values are threatened the most.