Frequently Asked Annual Giving Campaign Questions and Answers |
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| What is the Annual Giving Campaign? |
| Who pledges? |
| How much should I pledge? |
| I have a limited income, what should I pledge? |
| I’m doing well, what should I pledge? |
| What are other people pledging? |
| When should I make my pledge? |
| Our children are in Religious Education, and we pay a fee: what
about us? |
| What about the Sunday offering? |
| What about the time I contribute? |
| How do I pledge? |
| How do I contribute to honor my pledge? |
| How do I change my current pledge? |
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| What is the Annual Giving Campaign? |
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| The Unitarian Church in Westport is financially autonomous. We have no diocese or umbrella organization to support us if we fail to meet our annual operating budget needs. We are it: we are in effect a co-op. The Annual Giving Campaign provides about 80% of the revenue we need, with the rest provided by pledges made at other times of year, church facility rentals, Sunday offerings, etc. |
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| The Annual Giving Campaign is usually in the early Spring , but pledges can be and are made throughout the year by new members and
friends as they realize the value they find here. In the
Spring,
every household in our community is canvassed (asked) to make a pledge – a
promise – of
financial support. The pledge you make and then honor in the upcoming year
keeps the Unitarian Church in Westport thriving. |
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| Who pledges? |
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| Members. Friends. Parents. Newcomers. Each of
us who is connected to the
Unitarian Church in Westport is
asked and expected to make an annual financial commitment to support the
church. |
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| How much should I pledge? |
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We believe that our standard of giving should reflect our standard of
living. We ask everyone to consider making a pledge that is both responsible
and significant based on his or her own financial situation. A
commitment appropriate to our faith tradition is 2%
to 5% of net household income. Most of our members are able
to contribute on a regular basis and many households already pledge at
these levels. For those who do not, we ask you to consider working towards
this goal over time. For newer members and friends, we ask that you consider
pledging an amount that reflects a serious commitment to the place you
have chosen as your spiritual home – not simply to make a donation
to yet another charity.
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| I have a limited income, what should I pledge? |
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| Know that you are always welcome at our
church. If you’re
out of work, have a modest income, or are facing demands on your resources,
then pledge what you can. |
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| I’m doing well, what should
I pledge? |
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| If you attend Sunday services, are active in our programs
and activities, or if you have children in RE, OWL, or Youth Group, and
these connections are important in your life, then please
consider
more than 2% and
demonstrate your commitment with a significant pledge. |
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| What are other people pledging? |
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| Not as much as you may think. Did you know that 50% of our pledges account for only 20% of what we need? If this 50% were able to pledge $100 a month each, we would more than make our goal. Thankfully, we have 21 individuals whose pledges account for over 50% of what we need. But what if that were to change? We need everyone to pledge their responsible share. |
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| When should I make my pledge? |
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We hope you made your pledge on Annual Giving Sunday. But if you did
not, you can Submit a pledge online now, or print out, fill in and mail to
the church office a pledge card.  |
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| Our children are in Religious Education,
and we pay a fee: what about us? |
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| The RE registration fees cover only a small part of the cost of the RE
program. Your pledge supports not only the RE program, but
also the costs of the RE staff, facilities and programs of the church. |
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| What about the Sunday offering? |
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| We appreciate Sunday offerings, but they represent only a
tiny percent of our
income. If you’re a visitor, thanks. If it’s your
pledge, please write
a check so we can credit you. If you are
a regular participant, please pledge — you rely on the
Unitarian Church in Westport ,
and we need
to rely on you. |
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| What about the time I contribute? |
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| Your volunteer efforts are greatly appreciated! You understand
the value of our staff, our building, and the things that we do for each
other and for the rest of the world. These require money as well
as time. Most members of our church volunteer their time, too, as well
as pledge. |
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| How do I pledge? |
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| Generally one makes a pledge on Annual Giving Sunday
by filling out a pledge card.
Groups
that have a particular role in demonstrating financial leadership, like
the Annual Giving Campaign Committee, canvassers, and the Board of Trustees will pledge
before Celebration Sunday. |
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| If you have not made a pledge before and would like to do so now, you can make a new pledge in the following ways: |
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or |
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| How do I contribute to honor my pledge? |
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| Please consider having your pledge automatically deducted monthly from
your checking or savings account. We can also charge your credit or debit
card - monthly or quarterly are best. These options help us manage our
ability to meet expenses year-round. But you may also honor your pledge
by: |
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Placing checks in the Sunday morning offering plate
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Mailing checks to the church office
- Charging your credit or debit card in one lump sum
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Making a gift of stock through our transfer agent
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How do I change my current pledge? |
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| If your financial circumstances change and you want or need to change your pledge – either up or down – simply call or email the church in the church office (203-227-7205) and tell her what you would like to do. A pledge is a promise – it is not a contract – but your letting us know of your intention helps us to anticipate our cashflow and manage our budget: thank you. |
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