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April 3, 2018 Stewardship and Pledge Drive Update - Take a Step in the Right Direction

Dear UUSM Family:

We are in nearing the end of our “Take a Step in the Right Direction” Sustainability Drive. Grateful for all who have increased their pledges toward a $25,000 pledge increase goal, we are still looking for every member of the congregation to re-affirm their 2018 -19 pledge by Sunday, April 8.

You can make your pledge online here or you can download a pledge form here.

Next Tuesday, your board of directors will approve a budget that will responsibly address the $60-$90K deficit, hoping to minimize cuts to staff and programs and begin our work of making deficit budgeting a thing of the past. 

We believe if EVERYONE participates, cuts will be minimal and we will send a clear message to the staff that they are appreciated and this is a good place to be.  

We believe that, together, we can also send a clear message to the rest of the denomination – and those sought-after ministers in high demand who are considering where to go in 3-4 years – that UU Santa Monica is catching fire and heading in a positive and exciting direction.  

You can send in your pledge increase in the envelope mailed to you on March 16 or renew your commitment online.  You may also contact Nurit Gordon via email at admin@uusm.org or by phone at 310-829-5436 ext. 100 and provide your 2018-19 pledge commitment amount.

Remember, most increases are matched – or doubled – by our new Sustainability Fund. 

Together, we’re doing something GREAT for Santa Monica and one another.

Still have questions? Let us know! You may contact Jacki Weber at jacki.weber@gmail.com

Gratefully,
Your UUSM Board of Directors - Beth Brownlie, Ron Crane, Jerry Gates, Kim Miller, Kikanza Nuri-Robins, Norm Richey, Jacki Weber, Patricia Wright

 

March 26, 2018 Stewardship and Pledge Drive Update

As you know, we are working on collectively taking “a step in the right direction” toward financial health. While this is a 3-to-4-year turnaround effort, every step is critical to support the mission and ministry of your community.

We are asking you to join us in meeting our goal of $25,000 increased pledges by Sunday, April 8, 2018 and we want to remind you how pledge increases are being matched at least dollar-for-dollar by a new Sustainability Fund to support increased generosity in our congregation.

Success in reaching this goal means:

●       Thought-provoking and inspiring Sunday worship for nearly 200 UUs each week
●       Community engagement around homelessness, hunger, and other issues
●       Faith development, for 65 our youngest UUs as well as 312 adults
●       A new leadership development effort across our congregation through budding Worship Associates, Pastoral Associates, and Membership programs

Failure to reach this goal will mean:

●       cutting staff
●       cutting programs
●       using the reserves the congregation voted to avoid using
●       questioning the viability of Developmental Ministry at UUSM

Your increased pledge is critical to maintain the staff who facilitate the kind of personal growth and call to community action that we stand for as Unitarian Universalists.

Please return your pledge commitment by mail or commit online.

How your pledge will be matched by the Sustainability Fund

●       If you are pledging below $700, any increase to your pledge will be matched
●       If you are pledging above $700 - AND - you increase your pledge by 20% or $200, your increase will be matched by the Sustainability Fund.
●       If you are pledging below the median ($700)  - AND - you increase your pledge by 20% or $200, your increase will be doubled.
●       If you are a new member and / or have never made a pledge before, you pledge will be matched up to the ideal average ($1600)

There is a new vibrant energy at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica. The road ahead is filled with possibility. Each and every one of us is needed to participate keep the momentum going.

 Thank you for investing in your UU community so we can work together for a more loving and just society.

Rev Greg

PS – Our spring pledge drive will end April 8th. Your board of directors will be creating a new budget based on stated pledges of support. Thank you for helping them to make more positive choices by increasing your support. You can read more about the pledge drive in the March 22 update, below.

PPS - Here are links to our Online Pledge Card (PDF version), to print and return to the church office, as well as our Sustainability Fund Pledge Card (PDF).  If you have a member-level website account, and are logged in with your user name and password, you can also find an interactive pledge form here. 


March 22, 2018 Stewardship and Pledge Drive Update

Dear Members and Friends,

This past weekend, Rev. Greg and your Board of Directors made a presentation to the congregation after services on “Committing to a Sustainable Future.”

There’s been good news and bad news…  The bad news first:

UUSM, when it crunched all the numbers, discovered that it was looking at a potential  $60K - $90K deficit for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

The Good News is that this has started some incredibly honest, insightful and transformative conversations in the last 6 weeks.  And the outcome of those conversations has been a huge swell of people committing to turn this challenge into a powerful opportunity.

A number of people have worked incredibly hard in the last two months to look very honestly at our financial situation - our history as well as our future - with great clarity and transparency.  They have been able to share (a) where we REALLY are financially; (b) some insight regarding how we got here; and (c) some recommendations for how to set ourselves on a radically new financial course in the next 3-4 years that will take us in much more of the direction we’d like to be and we believe will make the very best ministers want to be part of our future.

We want every member of the congregation to read these findings (links are below).  We believe that if you really read and understand this information - AND you love this community - you will join those who’ve stepped up in a big way committing to revitalizing UUSM and placing it on a healthy financial path in just 3-4 years. 

In the last week we’ve had a dozen people - A UUSM Sustainable Future Team - invest in a Sustainability Fund. The purpose of this money is to encourage this new found commitment and vision to grow significantly in coming years.  This pool of money is not to ‘bail out’ UUSM.  It is a fund to match increases of support and help jumpstart UUSM on a bold new course.  But their gifts only work when everyone takes advantage of this great opportunity of having increases matched dollar for dollar (and sometimes doubled).

In order to use this exciting new fund to avoid cutting staff or cutting programs, please return your 2018-19 pledge envelope you received in the mail or at church by April 8, 2018 or click here to increase your 2018-19 pledge/make a new pledge.

Here are some documents you may find helpful:

If you have questions about your current level of commitment,
please contact UUSM Administrator Nurit Gordon at 310-829-5436, ext. 100.

We hope you will be able to take this opportunity to make a new commitment to the life of our church by increasing your pledge.  If you have any questions, please call our UUSM Board Vice President, Jacki Weber at 310-849-5835 or email her at jacki.weber@gmail.com.   

Thank you for your consideration,
UUSM Board of Directors and Rev Greg

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2018 Commitment Campaign

Update your annual pledge by downloading, completing and returning the pledge form found HERE. You can arrange scheduled payments on the Make A Donation page.

Profiles in Stewardship

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