The work we do at First Unitarian can’t happen without the financial generosity of our members and friends. In fact, one of the responsibilities of membership is having an annual pledge, which helps fund the day-to-day work of our church. We also plan for the future of our church through our Endowment Fund and its planned giving opportunities. We invite you to learn more about the ways in which we share our treasure!
Stewardship Ministry
The focus of Stewardship Ministry is to nurture and guide our culture of generosity at First Unitarian and lead efforts related to annual giving. We use a year-round stewardship model which assigns each member to one of 10 groups making their annual pledge commitments together at different points throughout the year.
When you choose to join First Unitarian, we’ll ask you to think about what this church means to you and how you’ll help support our programs and ministry with an annual pledge. To help with your decision, the UUA Fair Share Giving Guide may be useful. When you’re ready, just complete the annual pledge form.
Any time you have questions about your financial support of First Unitarian, please contact the chair of our Stewardship Ministry Team, Liz Bredeson, at stewardship@ucdsm.org.
Endowment Fund
The First Unitarian Church Endowment Fund offers planned giving opportunities to help support church goals that are beyond the annual budget. Created in 1987, our Endowment Fund helps make big-dollar projects happen when we need them, and supports smaller efforts through REACH Grants. Currently, our fund is invested in the Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund. Oversight of our fund investments is carried out according to the Endowment Fund by-laws.
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 talk with an Endowment Committee member
- A legacy gift in your will or from a trust or IRA – please talk with an Endowment Committee member
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, by completing our Contribution Reporting Form. 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 our Endowment Committee chair at Endowment@ucdsm.org
REACH Grants
REACH Grants (Radical Engagement And Creative Happenings) are an ongoing way for our Endowment Fund to support our church’s mission. Each year, up to 2% of the principal value of the Endowment Fund may be tapped to support projects outside of our annually budgeted expenses.
Any member or church group may apply for a REACH grant. Grants are limited to $2,500 and the funds are often used for such things as equipment purchases, educational opportunities or community outreach.
A call for grant applications is typically made in the spring by our Endowment Committee. Applications are reviewed by the committee and the awards are announced in July. Check out the REACH Grant Application Form to get started!