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:
1. Grow spiritually and intellectually through worship.
2. Provide and sustain our sacred spaces.
3. Enrich our Lifelong Learning.
4. Expand our outreach and social justice efforts.
5. Reach out to members in need with our pastoral care and support services.
6. Inspire and support our music program.
7. Sponsor forums, events, and speakers that open our minds and hearts.
8. 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 $1,600 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:
1. A stable source of revenue for the Church year round, despite vacations, illnesses, etc.
2. By setting up recurring payments, members can remain faithful to their commitment to give even when they are not physically present at Church.
3. Electronic giving is better planned and more intentional, not limited by the cash in your pocket or whether you forgot your checkbook.
4. It reduces the administrative process of receiving, counting, and depositing funds, thus freeing up staff and volunteers to focus on other ministries.
5. Electronic transmissions are safer than paper checks: paper checks, which contain account and I.D. info, can be lost or stolenIt reduces the administrative process of receiving, counting, and depositing funds, thus freeing up staff and volunteers to focus on other ministries.
6. Convenience, convenience, convenience.
There are a number of ways to give electronically:
1. Participate in automatic payroll deduction charitable giving programs offered by your employer.
2. Set up scheduled giving through "bill pay" programs offered by your bank.
3. Participate in the Church's electronic giving program.
4. 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.
AUTHORIZATION FORM
*Due to processing fees of about 2.5% and the risk of members accumulating debt, we do not promote credit card usage. However, we provide the option since many members prefer that method of payment and participate in credit card points and rewards programs.