2024-25 Pledge Drive
Welcome to the 2024-2025 Pledge Campaign! The opportunities that lie before us abound! Celebrating our 75th anniversary, searching for a new minister, and --as usual-- balancing all that is required to make the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington the special place for connection, love, and action that it is.
Table of Contents
Pledge Drive Committee
Back: Joan Caulton, Corrin Clarkson (chair)
Middle: Pat Slabach, David Frew
Front: Judy Witt, JaneAnn Gifford
Pledge Drive Progress
We started collecting pledges on Thursday, March 7th, 2024.
As of Thursday, October 3rd, we have received 326 pledges, totaling $642,379 which is 99.59% of the $645,000 goal set in our budget. Note that our budget also calls for taking $27,342 from our operational reserves. Thank you to everyone who has pledged!
See the How to Pledge page for instructions on how to submit or update your pledge.
So far, we have received a total of $240,807.65 in contributions towards pledges. Thank you to all who have given!
You can contribute towards your pledge in the way that works best for you. Options include a single annual contribution, automated monthly contributions, credit card payments, checks, and qualified charitable distributions. See our Ways to Donate page for more information.
To help you keep track of your pledge contributions and ensure the accuracy of our records, we will be sending quarterly statements to everyone who pledged with the amount of their pledge and the amount that they have contributed so far. The first of these statements will go out next week. If the information on the statement doesn’t look correct, please reach out to Amanda at the church office.
Please submit your pledge using one of the following methods:
turning in a paper pledge card, or
calling the Church office
at 812-332-3695.
Why Pledge?
Critical aspect of UUCB funding and budgeting
A pledge is a promise we make to the church indicating the amount of money we will contribute in the next fiscal year which begins on July 1st. The pledges we make allow the church to make a budget based on our promised contributions. Those contributions in turn constitute the vast majority of the church’s operating funds:
Last year, we withdrew money from our reserves to balance our budget. This is not a sustainable practice. Reaching our $700,000 goal this year will allow us to pay our expenses and begin to build our reserves back up.
It is primarily the funds raised by the pledge drive that make possible all the UUCB programing that we love:
This program-based budget breakdown was constructed by Bill Lonnberg, Treasurer; Corrin Clarkson, Pledge Drive Committee Chair; and Reverend Connie Grant, Interim Lead Minister. It includes all church expenses, allocated according to program areas.
Testimonials from Members and Friends
The following stewardship testimonials were written in response to the question. Why do you pledge to financially support UUCB?
After attending churches where I was with a group of like-minded individuals and a period of time where I didn't attend as I was recovering from my most recent church experience. I came to UUCB. I found that I could follow my faith, not religion, where I can share space with a diverse group, where all have value, are loved and we all work side by side… I've found my spiritual home.
-Jeanie Cox
The UU Church of Bloomington is my trusted community. I've felt held by the friends I've met here. We wrote together in Spiritual Writing, I hear them sing in the choir. They check on my mom for me. It a place to share my music, sit and meditate, visit together after the service every week, and learn about others. Others that are incarcerated, persecuted, hungry, homeless, different. No subject is untouchable. We're talking Real Community.
-Sarah Flint
I’ve always cared deeply about questions of values and meaning, but I found as an adult that I could no longer believe in the faith tradition I was raised in. UUCB offers me a way to connect with those things that are bigger than myself and my mundane concerns in a free and authentic way, and the religious education program is a helpful support as I try to raise my son with values that reflect who I am now. I pledge because I want this community to continue and thrive as we all support each other in finding our own answers.
-Elizabeth Venstra
How Much To Pledge
Looking at the pledge amounts from last year’s pledge drive, we see both the generosity of this community and the power of pooled resources:
Last year, the pledge drive raised $581,678.16. This year, our goal is $700,000. This is a 20% increase. We can achieve this important goal through a combination of more members and friends pledging and increasing the amounts of our pledges. What can you do to help us reach our goal?
The decision of how much to pledge this year is a personal one. As the data above shows, it is also a decision with great impact for this community. The Fair Share Contribution Guide [Link to PDF] is designed to help you make that decision.
How To Pledge
You can submit your pledge one of three ways:
- the online pledge form, or
- turning in a paper pledge card, or
- calling the Church office at 812-332-3695.
Paper pledge cards and collection boxes will be available at church March 10th - March 24th.
Please submit your pledge on or before March 24th, so that our finance team can prepare an accurate budget for the coming fiscal year.
Fulfilling Your Pledge
You fulfill your pledge by contributing the promised amount of money by the end of the fiscal year, June 30th, 2025. Earlier contributions are appreciated as they help with cash flow.
Church center will begin accepting contributions towards 2024 - 2025 pledges at the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1st, 2024. If you have fulfilled your 2023-2024 pledge and you wish to begin payments toward your 2024-2025 pledge before July 1st, you can send a paper check to the church with “2024-2025 Pledge” noted on the memo line.
Detailed instructions for how to donate are available on the Ways to Donate page.
What if I am unable to fulfill my pledge?
We hope that everyone will be able to fulfill their pledge of financial support as the church budget is based on these promises. We also understand that unforeseen circumstances may require you to reduce your pledge. In this case, it is important that you notify the church office of the change in your pledge. This will allow the church to adjust its budget accordingly.
Thank You Notes and Prizes
Raffle Sunday, March 24, during community hour!
When you pledge this month, you will be entered in a raffle to win one of 17 prizes including: drinking glass, mugs, note cards, magnets and stickers. You can earn more raffle tickets by pledging earlier or increasing your pledge:
- For all participants who pledged before or during the first week, March 10-March 16: 3 Tickets
- For all participants who pledged during the second week, March 17-March 23: 2 Tickets
- For all participants who pledge March 24 by 11:30 a.m.: 1 Ticket
For pledges received by March 24th @ 11:30 a.m.
- For all participants who increased their pledge by 0-19%: 1 extra ticket
- For all participants who increased their pledge by 20% or more: 2 tickets
Thank You Notes
