Endowment

Purpose

Our Endowment Fund, founded in 1987, provides an opportunity for members and friends of the church to make monetary gifts and bequests of property or stocks in appreciation of the blessings and bounty bestowed upon them to be used to enhance the future well-being of the church.

The Endowment Committee has chosen to hold the fund with the Unitarian Universalist of America Common Fund, where investments reflect most closely our Unitarian Universalist values.

Uses and Restrictions

The bylaws provide that the Committee shall invest and reinvest gifts received, and shall disburse up to 2% of the principal for REACH grants annually.  In addition, other grants or loans are allowed with approval of the Endowment Committee, Board of Trustees, and a majority of the Congregation.  It’s important to note that funds are restricted, and are intended to supplement, not replace church general fund budgeted expenditures.  The Endowment Committee acknowledges the fiscal responsibility to grow the fund for the long-term stability and benefit of the church.

Oversight of our fund investments is carried out according to the Endowment Fund by-laws.

Giving

We’d be honored to put your generosity to work! There are several ways to support the Endowment Fund: A one-time or recurring cash contribution – You may donate online; please select Endowment in the Fund drop-down box. If you prefer to send a check, please be sure to indicate Endowment Fund in the note section of the check.

• A donation of stock or other investment asset – please contact us.
• A legacy gift in your will or from a trust or IRA  – please contact us.

Please let our Endowment Committee know if you’ve made a cash contribution as a memorial gift, for another occasion, or just because you love the church. We want to be able to acknowledge your generosity.

If you have questions or, even better, if you would like to make a planned gift, please reach out to us.

Radical Engagements And Creative Happenings

The Endowment Committee has voted to change the protocol for awarding the annual REACH Grants. The bylaws allow for the committee to award up to 2% of the Endowment Fund balance, determined at the end of the calendar year, to be disbursed to members of the congregation for implementing REACH Grants. Historically each grant has been capped at $2500, with rolling applications accepted, and grants being considered for a single year of funding with rare exceptions being voted to allow for a second year.

The committee voted in September 2025 to adapt the process to allow for two granting cycles per calendar year approximately 6 months apart. Each granting cycle, applications will be considered for up to approximately 1% of the available amount for the year. These grants will not be limited to $2500.

At the beginning of the calendar year the congregation will be notified of the amount that can be distributed in the upcoming year, as well as the dates for each funding cycle, with approximately half of the funds being awarded each cycle. The committee can choose to allocate more than half of the funds in the first cycle for proposals they believe exemplify the REACH grant guidelines, however, the committee intends to hold approximately half of the funds back for the second granting cycle. Any amount not allocated in the first cycle will carry over and be available in the second cycle. However, any amount not allocated in the second cycle at the end of the calendar year will remain in the endowment fund with a new allotment amount being announced at the beginning of the new calendar year.

You can complete the REACH grant application form to get started!