Building a Foundation For Our Future

2025-2026 Annual Fund Drive

Thank you for being part of UUCDC! As we kick off the annual Fund Drive, we hope you will consider financially supporting our community. Our fund drive runs from April 5–11, and we warmly invite you to join us at a special gathering – hosted both in members’ homes and at the church – where you can meet new friends, learn about our shared vision, and hear from Reverend Ed about this year’s drive.

Over the past two years, UUCDC has grown stronger through enriching religious education, impactful social justice initiatives, and essential facility improvements. Now, as we prepare to launch our next settled ministry, our focus is on building a strong financial foundation that will support the unique gifts and vision of our future minister. Whether you’re new to the community or have been here for years, your support plays a vital role in shaping our collective future.

Each year, over 80% of our annual budget comes directly from the donations of supporters like you, and success from the current pledge drive will enable the board to prepare for and fund the impactful plans we have for the year ahead. For fiscal year 2025 – 2026, our projected budget is $592,801. Each year, our budget is dependent on how much money we raise during this fund drive. Our current pledge drive goal is $450,807, which would be an average of $1,800 per member.

Here you will find both a pledge card and details of the parties. We are asking you to sign up to attend a party, during which we will ask you to make your pledge for next fiscal year. If you are unable to join us at a party, please complete the enclosed form and mail or drop it off at UUCDC. If needed, please review the UUA Fair Share Giving Guide for suggested giving levels. UUCDC is also set up to accept monthly donations, thus, your pledge can be paid throughout the year.

Thank you for joining us on this exciting journey. We look forward to growing in faith and community with you. Please feel free to reach out to any of us, if you have any questions or need further information.

Yours in faith,

Bill Clinton, Dierdre Konar, Jane Seelaus, and Nic Watson
UUCDC Annual Fund Drive Team  funddrive@uucdc.org

Fund Drive FAQs

A pledge is a promise to contribute a specific amount of money to UUCDC over a specific period of time (typically a church year, which runs from July 1 to June 30). Collectively, pledges paid by the UUCDC church community constitute over 80% of the income received by the church to fund salaries, the mortgage, utilities, religious education, etc. An individual or family who makes a pledge is referred to as a “pledge unit.”

UUCDC operates under annual budgets, which are prepared by church leadership and presented and approved by the congregation at the annual meeting in May. To support building the budget, a pledge drive is held in February to canvass the UUCDC church community to make their pledges for the upcoming church year.  The results of the pledge drive enable church leadership to project the pledge income for the upcoming church year and to set the budget accordingly.

Voting church members are expected to pledge and pay at least $100 per year (per individual voting member). If financial constraints preclude doing this, a waiver can be obtained from our minister.

No. All pledges payments should be made payable to “UUCDC,” without restrictions on how the pledge should be spent. Restricting pledge payments to a member’s favored program or activity limits the church’s flexibility to meet its overall operating budget. For example, if some members were to restrict their pledges to a given program, the church could then face a shortfall in funding other requisite expenses. The church must have the flexibility to meet all the expenses in its annual operating budget, as approved by the Congregation at the May annual meeting. 

No; anyone who wants to financially support the church can make a pledge.

The upcoming church year (starting July 1st) will be pivotal for the congregation, as we work to sustain and grow our religious education and social justice programs, as well as continue to maintain and improve our facilities. For these reasons, we ask you to pledge generously. Some members are able to pledge more, others less, but we can all share in supporting our church. Every gift counts! 

To help the church maintain steady cash flow throughout the year, it’s best to pay your annual pledge in regular installments, such as monthly. That said, everyone’s financial situation is different, and the decision of when to pay your pledge during the year is up to you. Note that the online Breeze portal makes it easy to send recurring gifts (e.g., monthly) to fulfill your pledge over the year (see next question).

Yes. Log into your Breeze account and use the give button.  If you do not have a Breeze account, please email our administrator, Megan Grissom at megan.grissom@uucdc.org to set one up.

At UUCDC, the church’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 of the next year. In practical terms, that means current year pledges should be fully paid by June 30th. This spring, when you make a new pledge for the upcoming fiscal year, those future contributions should be made after the start of the new fiscal year, which is July 1st.

Yes; to do so you should contact the church office at churchoffice@uucdc.org

No; only pledge payments count against a pledge commitment.  Other money given to the church, such as for Religious Education registration, the auction, other church events, and plate cash donations does not. To ensure your pledge payment is recorded as such, please write “pledge payment” on the check memo line or, if paying your pledge with cash, please enclose a note that designates the contribution toward your pledge. 

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, the church had been raising money through a Capital Campaign to expand and renovate church facilities. The campaign was (and remains) suspended for the time being, but many who had already donated to the campaign asked the church to keep their contributions for other important capital expenses. These funds are reserved only for major property improvements, aligned with the campaign’s original goals to improve facilities. For example, some Capital Campaign funds have been spent on new A/V equipment, to connect into the township’s sewer line, and is now being used for deferred maintenance. While the Capital Campaign fund is an important financial asset for UUCDC, this money cannot be used to fund the annual operating budget, which pays for the church’s day-to-day operations.

You can access your pledge status via the Breeze Log in button on the UUCDC website home page or contact the church office at megan.grissom@uucdc.org if you would like to set up access to Breeze.