Stewardship Drive 2026-2027

Stewardship Drive 2026-2027

Each spring the UUFC asks its members and friends to make a commitment of financial support (a pledge) and to consider personal commitments of time in support of the UUFC for the coming fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Our Annual Stewardship Drive provides an opportunity to make these commitments that make the life of our Fellowship possible.

Watch Rev. Alex’s sermon on stewardship

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Annual Stewardship Drive?

Each spring, the UUFC asks its members and friends to make both a personal involvement commitment as well as a commitment of financial support (a pledge) for the coming fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Our Annual Stewardship Drive provides the person-power and funds that make the life of our Fellowship possible. 

Our real goal is to give everyone an opportunity to reconnect with the Fellowship and to reflect on: 

• what brings you here, 
• what keeps you coming back, 
• our personal and spiritual commitments to each other and to our world, 
• the fact that giving can be a spiritual practice. 

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What Are Personal Involvement Commitments?

At a minimum, we would like every member and friend of the UUFC to make a commitment to become involved in the life of the Fellowship in some way.  For some this could be as simple as committing to engage in a short conversation with at least one person you do not know any time you are at a UUFC function/event/service.  We are a community, and community requires knowing at least a bit about each person in it.  For those with more time, interest, capacity and capability, there are an array of volunteer opportunities in the UUFC.  We need people to do “manual labor”, to assist with mowing lawns and tending our grounds and buildings – painting, annual floor cleanings, leaf raking, roof clearing, etc.  We need people to help greet others as they come to services.  We need people to provide leadership in exploring and nurturing our religious life, connecting with others, and doing needed tasks.  Use the bottom portion of the stewardship form to indicate areas where you are willing to provide assistance.

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What is a Pledge?

A pledge is a commitment to donate a certain amount of money to the Fellowship during the fiscal year. It is a statement of intent. It is not a legally binding obligation. Do not hesitate to pledge because you are uncertain about your financial situation. Pledges can be adjusted in times of shifting resources. We depend upon your pledges for the continued health and wellbeing of our Fellowship.  

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Who Should Pledge?

Everyone! Everyone for whom the Fellowship is important in any way. We depend on those who have signed the membership book as well friends of the Fellowship to make a pledge. We know some folks who are hesitant, for different reasons, to formally become UUFC members, but have made long-term commitments to the Fellowship. All are needed, and appreciated! If you have found any of our activities to be of meaning to you, make a pledge. If the life and the work of the Fellowship makes a difference in your life, make a pledge of support! Doing so will allow us to extend these same benefits to more people in our community and beyond.

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What If I Currently Do Not Have the Financial Capacity to Make a Pledge?

Our hope is that all members and friends complete a stewardship form even if they state that they are unable to pledge.  There is an option on the form for such – “I am unable to pledge this year.”  We understand that all personal situations are different and that some people will not be able to contribute to the UUFC financially, but we want to know that you are with us in community and will contribute in whatever ways you can.   In community, we count on those with the capability to make a larger pledge to help carry the load for those who cannot.  If you need of financial support, the minister has a discretionary fund.  Contact the minister to explore options for short-term financial assistance. 

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How is a Pledge Different from a Contribution?

A pledge is a commitment for on-going support. We use pledge numbers to build and adjust our operating budget through the fiscal year.  A contribution is a gift that is appreciated and valued, but it is not something the Fellowship can count on in the future. We gratefully receive contributions to our general operating fund, building fund, endowment fund, or our monthly charity. Contributions may be mailed to the Fellowship or put into the Sunday collection basket. Make your check payable to UUFC and indicate if it is for the operating or another fund.

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Is a Pledge Required for Membership?

No, but we do want all members of the Fellowship to complete the stewardship drive form each year, even if they cannot make a financial pledge.  If we don’t hear from a member for two years in a row, we remove them from the active membership list.  We are required to report an active member number to the UUA each year. 

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When Should I Make My Pledge?

During the Stewardship Pledge drive each spring, we ask our members and friends to renew their pledge of personal time and financial support to the Fellowship.  Financial commitments support our work and mission and allow us to set the budget for the operations of the Fellowship. We welcome your financial pledge at any time, but pledging during the Annual Stewardship Drive allows our Board to create a budget for the coming fiscal year with greater confidence.  

New members and friends who join us at other times of the year are invited to make a personal time commitment and financial pledge for the remainder of the current fiscal year.  

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How Much Does It Cost to Run the Fellowship?

Our annual budget for 2026-27 is ~$534,000.  These funds pay for our staff (~70% of our budget), provide for all the utilities and maintenance of our buildings and grounds (~14%), and provide support for the rich array of services, programs and social outreach we offer.

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How Much Should I Pledge?

Everyone’s circumstances are different. We recognize and deeply embrace the financial diversity of our congregation. To make this a Fellowship for all, we ask that those who are able to please consider carrying a greater financial commitment for our community. We ask all Fellowship members and friends to pledge generously within their means. Or, as some have said, “Give until it feels good.” We each are asked to reflect on what that amount might be.  

It might help individuals and families to know that in order to meet our current fiscal year (2025-26)  fundraising goal of ~$441,000 in pledges with our current pledging unit (individual, couple or household making a pledge) number of 194, we need an average pledge of $2,273.  Of course, not everyone can pledge that amount, so we have always counted on others who can pledge more to do so.  If you look down these pages at the “How Much Did UUFC Members Pledge” topic, our average pledge in 2025-26 was $2,146.

We ask our members to consider pledging a percentage of their annual income. The UUA has developed a Fair Share Giving Guide (below), with 2% of annual income considered as a target for “fair share” giving. This is simply a guide – some of our members pledge at higher levels and others at lower levels, based on their capability. For those interested in numbers and details, see the pledging worksheet at the end of these FAQs for one approach to determining fair share.  

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Is There a Minimum Annual Pledge?

There is no minimum annual pledge; however, we pay annual “dues” to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). The amount we pay to the UUA is based on our annual budget. In 2025-26 that amount was $27,508 which is about $142 per pledging unit in the UUFC (individual, couple or household making a pledge; 194 in 2025-26). The UUFC has been a UUA “Honor” congregation for more than 27 years – https://www.uua.org/finance/apf/honor-congregations! This means that we have given the full amount that the UUA has requested, based on our annual budget level, in each year.  Though there is no minimum requirement for a pledge at the Fellowship, we have long suggested that all members aim to pledge at least that $142, helping to support the cost of the Fellowship being served by the UUA. 

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What Do We Get Out of UUA Membership?

Each UU congregation is autonomous—congregational leaders set their own priorities and choose their own ministers and staff. Congregations vote for the leaders of the UUA, who oversee the central staff and resources. The UUA supports congregations in their work by:

• *Training ministers and providing interim minister support (Rev Alex serves us and the UUA as a trained, interim minister)
• *Providing religious education curricula
• *Group services – Zoom license; staff insurance coverages; staff, finance team, and other group networking, etc.
• *Managing the UU Common Endowment Fund to strict UU standards
• Publishing books and the UU World magazine
• Coordinating social justice activities
• More

(* services we continually use)

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How Much Did UUFC Members Pledge in 2025-26?

A quartile analysis is a common way to look at pledge range in a group. Here is the UUFC quartile analysis for 2025-26. Note pledge range is $15 to $15,000.

2025-26 Pledge UUFC “Dissection” (pledge unit is a household)

Quartile	No. pledge units	%	Mean	Range
1	12	6	$5,395	$6,240 – $15,000
2	23	11	$3,988	$4,000 – $6,060
3	36	17	$2,474	$2,400 – $4,000
4	136	66	$709	$15 – $2,400
TOTAL	207	100	$2,146	$423,500

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How Do I Fulfill My Pledge? What Are My Payment Options?

1. Automatic Withdrawal through your bank – Our preferred method is to have your pledge automatically deducted from your checking or savings account using your bank’s bill pay system.  Via such a system, your bank sends a check to the UUFC.  Such payments are most cost efficient for the UUFC.  We do not have to pay a service fee.
2. Automatic Withdrawal through Breeze – You can use your Breeze account to set up an automatic transfer from your bank checking or savings account.  There is a small fee imposed by Breeze to shepherd these transactions.  If you have a monthly pledge already set up in Breeze, sometime in June, please login and put an end date for last year’s pledge and set up your new monthly pledge starting in July 2026. Please contact Stephanie Haines (our operations and business manager) if you need help accessing your Breeze account. 
3. Credit Card – If you want to pay by credit card in Breeze, please consider adding 3% to your pledge amount to cover the fees we pay for those transactions.  These fees are in addition to the fee Breeze charges for ACH transactions. 
4. Check – Checks can be made out to the UUFC. Please write the word “pledge” in the memo line of the check. Checks can be mailed to the office at: UUFC, 2945 NW Circle Blvd, Corvallis, OR, 97330. They can also be placed in the mail slot to the right of the entrance on Circle Blvd or in the wooden collection box to the left of the sanctuary doors.
5. Retirement Account Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) – for those who hold a traditional IRA retirement account and are 73 or older in 2026, you can meet your required minimum distribution by setting up a QCD sent directly to the UUFC. The advantage of this for you is that these monies are not part of your income for the year.  You do not have to pay tax on these monies. Contact your retirement fund advisor or tax advisor for details.  

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Can I pay my annual pledge as a single lump sum?

Yes, you may pay your pledge as a single lump sum.  Some people do this by check, some by stock transfers, some by Qualified Charitable Distribution payments via check.  If you are making a single payment please let us know so that we can watch for and properly credit the incoming check.  If this payment will be made before the start of the new fiscal year (before July 1, 2026), please let the office staff know this as well so that we can credit the payment to the correct fiscal year.

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What If I Cannot Pay My pledge?

Financial hardship should never be an obstacle to Fellowship participation. Through good times and bad, we are all in this together.  Waivers are available to any member facing financial difficulty. No paperwork needs to be filled out, there is no eligibility requirement, just indicate on the stewardship form that you are unable to make a financial pledge or have a quick conversation with our minister. Reverend Alex can be reached at rev.alex.mcgee@uucorvallis.org or (541) 378-6128.  

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Is My Pledge Tax Deductible?

Yes, the UUFC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organization recognized by the IRS. The Fellowship issues end-of-year tax letters showing total contributions made. If you made a financial contribution, you will get a letter, by email unless you ask for a mailed copy, in January letting you know the amount you gave. 

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Can Collection Basket Offerings Be Used in Place of Pledging?

While gifts of all kinds and amounts are appreciated, money put into the collection basket on Sundays isn’t enough to pay for the Fellowship’s expenses. Sunday morning operations donations account for under 1% of our annual operating budget.

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What About the Time I Spend Volunteering?

Members and friends of the Fellowship are encouraged to give regularly of their time as volunteers. Without our volunteers doing much of the Fellowship’s work, our paid staff budget would need to be much higher or this work would not get done. Members and friends of the Fellowship often find that combining volunteer time with their pledge has an impact in their lives and in the life of our community that goes beyond either separate donation. Through volunteering, you spend time with others whom you admire, cherish and learn to love. You can learn new skills and share yours with others. Memories are often made. Volunteers with councils and teams also help make decisions on how Fellowship funds are spent. We encourage you to combine your pledge with your volunteer time to further our collective goal of living our values.  The bottom section of the stewardship form provides a place where you can indicate volunteer interests if you are not already engaged in such work.  We do have some members who have limited financial resources but give generously of their time.  Such stewardship of our Fellowship builds our community as well.

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I still have questions, who can answer them?

For additional questions please contact the UUFC office at office@uucorvallis.org or 541- 752-5218. Someone there will put you in touch with the pledge drive coordinator or Finance Council Chair who can answer your questions.

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Determining Your Income for the Fair Share Giving Guide

UUFC Pledging Worksheet
Fiscal Year: July 1 – June 30

Start with Adjusted Gross Income (from IRS form 1040)
Add
Tax-exempt pensions and annuities
Tax-free income
Depreciation on rental property
Other
Total Additions
Deduct
Non-reimbursed major medical expenses
Care of parent(s)
Care of higher education
Cost of childcare
Total Deductions
Income to determine fair share commitment

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Budgeting and Stewardship

To learn more about budgeting and stewardship at UUFC, read this PDF created by Russ Karow, chair of the UUFC Financial Oversight Council.

UUFC Budgeting and Stewardship at a Glance (PDF)