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What is a Pledge?
A pledge is your financial commitment to the Church. Members
annually pledge to support Neighborhood with their financial
resources. Unitarian Universalist congregations are self-sustaining
institutions whose primary source of funding comes from Church
members and friends.
Why We Pledge
As a group of people covenanted together into this spiritual
community, we believe a financially healthy church is the
responsibility of all members. We also believe that if this
Church and our liberal religious faith are to live into future
generations, we must care for this place and keep it strong.
Every pledge helps Neighborhood:
- Grow spiritually and intellectually through worship.
- Provide and sustain our sacred spaces.
- Enrich our Lifelong Learning.
- Expand our outreach and social justice efforts.
- Reach out to members in need with our pastoral care and support services.
- Inspire and support our music program.
- Sponsor forums, events, and speakers that open our minds and hearts.
- Welcome more people and become more richly diverse.
What We Pledge
It costs money to support both the structure and activities
that sustain our community.
This year, it will cost almost $1,800 per member to sustain
the Church.
We ask each of our members to consider an annual pledge of
5% of their annual household income. We understand that we
all have varied circumstances and if that is not possible,
to contribute an amount that is significant for you and represents
your commitment to Neighborhood and your spiritual growth.
How We Pledge
When you become a member, you will be asked to fill out a
pledge card.
This will record your financial contribution
to Neighborhood during the Church fiscal year of June 1 –
May 31. You may pay annually, quarterly, monthly, or weekly.
If you choose to put a check in the Sunday service offering
plate, make sure to mark “pledge” in the memo line.
All other unmarked checks or cash donations on Sundays are
considered gifts to the Church’s general operating budget
or special collections taken throughout the year for various
programs and activities.
The Easiest Way to Pledge: Electronic Giving
Electronic giving provides a number of benefits to the
Church and its members:
- A stable source of revenue for the Church year round, despite vacations, illnesses, etc.
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By setting up recurring payments, members can
remain faithful to their commitment to give even
when they are not physically present at Church.
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Electronic giving is better planned and more intentional,
not limited by the cash in your pocket or whether
you forgot your check book.
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It reduces the administrative process of receiving,
counting, and depositing funds, thus freeing up
staff and volunteers to focus on other ministries.
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Electronic transmissions are safer than paper
checks: paper checks, which contain account and
I.D. info, can be lost or stolen.
- Convenience, convenience, convenience.
There are a number of ways to give electronically:
- Participate in automatic payroll deduction charitable giving programs offered by your employer.
- Set up scheduled giving through “bill pay” programs offered by your bank.
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Participate in the Church’s electronic giving
program. This offers the convenience of either electronic
fund transfer (EFT) from your bank account or an
automatic credit card charge.* If you would like
to participate in the church's electronic giving
program, getting started is simple: download an
authorization form on our website, complete, and
return to Church. Or contact the Church office for
more information.
* Due to the 2.5% processing fees and potential
for debt accumulation, we do not promote credit card
usage, but offer it as a convenience for those participating
in credit card point or reward programs.
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