2025-26 UUFSCC Pledge Announcement

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

of Santa Cruz County

2025-2026 ANNUAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN

Our Chalice is a Beacon of Light

This beacon symbolizes hope and perseverance in difficult times.

Dear Fellowship Members and Friends:

Our core values, developed and expressed most recently in 2019, are:

Covenant: working together in mutual respect and trust.
Transformation: achieving a higher level of spiritual development in community.
Curiosity and Openness: appreciating new people and ideas.
Universal inclusiveness: welcoming the stranger.
Justice and Action: working toward beloved community.
Love and Compassion: centering it all!

We now face the reality of our country’s politics moving in a direction opposite to these values. We will be challenged in this new era to hold our values high and to carry them into the world. We will look to our community as a beacon, and we will invite others to this beacon of light and hope.

To do this we must remain strong in our commitment to our Fellowship and each other. Part of this commitment is financial, in particular our pledges. Pledges make up almost two thirds of our income and allow us to make plans for the future. They provide for professional ministry, a beautiful and nourishing campus, a varied and meaningful Sunday worship experience, and all the underpinnings required to maintain and support our organization and its many activities.

We have successfully met the challenges of the last few years: Covid, Rev. Russ’s retirement, a year completely lay-person led, and the new experience of Rev. Laura’s half-time and hybrid ministry. So we know we can do it when we all give of ourselves and our resources, and work together.

Our annual pledge goal for 2025-26 is $148,000, an increase of 5%. We ask that, if able, you make a 5% or more increase in your pledge to meet this goal. If everyone makes this commitment, it will help the Fellowship keep pace with inflationary costs, meet our pledge goal, and fully live out our role as a “Beacon of Light” and freedom.

We encourage you to make your 2025-26 pledge in person on our Pledging Day, March 9, 2025, or online. To pledge online, go to our uufscc.org website: click on “Donate or Pledge”, scroll down to click on “Pledge 2025-2026” and fill-in the form.

Sincerely,

2025 Stewardship Committee:

Diana Wirt Joy Hinz Chuck Torrey Joe Griffin Jan Taylor

UUFSCC Pledge Guide, 2025-2026

We are the financial backbone of our Fellowship. We do not get support from the UUA, foundations, or others. We are fortunate to have forbearers who bequeathed to us our building and grounds, and the rents we get cover most expenses for our facilities. This means that most of our donations go to serving our mission via programs and services.

Our pledges for the new year, July 2025-June 2026, will support our program as follows:

Minister ½ time (salary and benefits): $58,000
Worship (speakers, musicians, music director, tech): $35,000
Administration (office staff and expenses): $53,000
Other: $24,000

This current fiscal year (2024-25) we have 62 pledging units who have pledged a total of $144,580. A “pledging unit” is an individual or couple, so there are fewer pledging units than there are members (now 79 members including the recent addition of eight new members.) The range of annual pledges this year is from $60 to $10,000 per year, each giving according to their own ability and commitment. It breaks down like this:

Number of Pledging Units		Total Pledge $	% of Total Pledges	Pledge Rainbow Level
3	$8,300 - 10,000+	$27,300	19%	Purple
7	$4,800 - 7,700	$42,330	30%	Blue
23	$1,500 - 3,600	$57,400	40%	Green
9	$750 - 1,300	$9,050	6%	Yellow
20	$60 - 650	$8,500	6%	Orange
10	$0			No pledge
Totals	$60,000 - 10,000	$144,580	100%

The following new pledging guide, originally developed by a UU church in Kalamazoo, Michigan uses the colors of the rainbow to show levels of pledges that consider overall financial circumstances instead of % of income. Of course, you can also consult the traditional UUA Suggested Fair-Share Giving Guide on the UUA website.

Whatever amount you can contribute, you will help us continue to hold up our chalice as a beacon of light in these turbulent times. Thank you for your generous contributions of time, talent, and treasure!

RAINBOW PLEDGE LEVELS

The color categories below represent different household financial realities.

We hope this guide is helpful as you decide your amount to pledge this year.

Orange*: An orange pledge is from a household with a small amount of extra money. Orange pledges may come from someone supporting a large family or that has low income. People in this category are encouraged to make some financial commitment and give more when they can. An orange pledge is $1-60 per month, $12-720 per year.

Yellow: A yellow pledge is from a household that has a modest income or that may have an income that fluctuates. A yellow pledge is $60-108 per month, $720-1,300 per year.

Green: A green pledge is from a household that has adequate income and resources for discretionary spending. A green pledge is $125-300 per month, $1,500-3,600 per year.

Blue: A blue pledge is from a household that is financially comfortable, perhaps with a well-paying job, a robust retirement fund or other assets, and with a significant amount of discretionary income. A blue pledge is $400-640 per month, $4,800-7,700 per year.

Purple: A purple pledge is from a household with significant, stable income and who may own more than one home or other assets. A purple pledge is $690-830 per month, $8,300-10,000+ per year.

Trust or Legacy Gifts: All pledgers are encouraged to consider gifts from their Trusts, retirement accounts, or other assets that will live on beyond us and support our future. Please talk to our Treasurer, Chuck Torrey, or your financial advisor about how to do this.

* Sometimes committed members cannot make a financial commitment to the church due to difficult financial circumstances. If this is your household’s situation, please still fill out a pledge form to let us know that you are not able make a pledge this year. You are also invited to speak with our caring connection members or our minister about any assistance that will help you get by, connect to community resources, or pastoral care.

This guide is adapted from one by the UU congregation in Kalamazoo, MI, adjusted for relative costs of living. UUFSCC March, 2025

This coming Sunday, March 9, will be the kickoff day for our annual pledge campaign. Come ready to get your questions answered, make your pledge, and enjoy a special dessert treat in celebration.

You can make your pledge using the online form at UUFSCC Donation or click the “Donate or Pledge” link on the menu bar of the UUFSCC main webpage to access the pledge form.