Pssst!! Hey!! WUUC!! C’mere. I got something to tell ya.
March is our annual fundraising pledge drive. That’s when members and friends pledge monthly donations to the Woodinville Unitarian Universalist Church. We rely on those donations to run WUUC. So periodically we have to ask for it. Money that is. We need money. March is Pledge Drive Month. So we know what that means! Our goal this year is 330,000 so we gotta get crackin. More information and the pledge form can be found at wuuc/org/letschat.
I know, we don’t like asking for money either but we gotta keep the lights on and pay the piano player.
There’s a link below when you’re ready.
And watch that telephone booth in the foyer, the faster that phone booth fills up with people, the sooner the campaign will end. (I heard a rumor you can pick your own person to stick on the booth after you pledge. I don’t know about that. Maybe someone on Sunday will know?).
By the end of this seemingly endless three weeks of campaigning, we will be remembering why we felt welcomed here. Why we keep coming back. Why we love the people and programs at WUUC.
Members of our LGBTQ+ community face increasing risk to their lives and safety across the country. The Advocates for Social Justice (ASJ) special collection for March will support Camp Ten Trees, the Pacific Northwest’s only residential summer camp programming for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth and their allies, and for children/youth of LGBTQ+ or non-traditional families.
The ASJ Committee thanks WUUC members and friends for their generous support of our monthly special collections, which take place during services on the third Sunday of every month (March 17th). Instructions for giving are posted during the service, and you can also donate anytime the following week at https://onrealm.org/wuuc/-/give/now, or by sending a check to WUUC at P.O. Box 111, Woodinville, WA 98072. Please make checks out to WUUC and write “ASJ Special Collection” in the notes.
Nex Benedict, non-binary Oklahoma teen who died after beaten in the girls restroom at school.
In early April look for an Announce message regarding a special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, April 21st to vote on proposed Bylaws changes and also to elect 3 WUUC delegates to the UUA virtual General Assembly 2024. WUUC is governed by a set of Bylaws, or rules, agreed to and voted on by the congregation. In reviewing the Bylaws this year, the Board and Rev. Dan have identified parts that are no longer relevant, new content that needs to be added, and the fixing of some wording to bring our Bylaws all up to date. The Board will make the proposed Bylaws changes available to the congregation for review in the early April timeframe and will hold a Town Hall meeting the Sunday before the vote, to provide an opportunity for Q/A on the proposed Bylaws changes. Questions? Contact: Board Members – Trina Roulet, Azure (Blue) Forte or Jan Radoslovich.
The theme for this year’s annual budget drive is “Let’s Chat.” This is a lighthearted reference to the fact that it is through communication that we connect and build community and find hope, love, meaningful relationships, and support. The mutual values, concerns and trust of our community sustain and bolster us. We build and maintain that community with our energy, time, and finances. This financial foundation supports us and enables our impact on the lives of our members and friends as well as a positive impact on the world beyond the church.
2024-2025 Budget Drive
The annual budget drive is the time each year when we reflect on the importance of WUUC to ourselves, our families, and to our greater social mission. We believe it is essential that we have a vibrant Unitarian Universalist Church presence in our local community to provide an open-hearted and open-minded welcome to all who may seek us out. A well-funded, fiscally sound church speaks of the commitment and dedication of its members to the Unitarian Universalist faith and its sustaining principles and beliefs.
The goal for this year’s drive is $330,000. Your generous financial support will help ensure that WUUC can:
Ensure fair compensation for our minister and staff in accord with UUA regional recommendations.
Account for increases in the cost of running our programs.
Be a good steward of our building and grounds.
Attract and retain new members, including those with young families that are vital to the church.
Ensure WUUC financial stability into the future.
Pursue our congregational mission to provide a spiritual home and liberal presence in the broader community.
How We Use the Budget
It takes significant financial resources to support the level of church facilities and staff required to sustain our community. Our budget funds all programs and services, a mortgage, utilities, and ongoing maintenance and upkeep so we have a safe and inviting space to work, play, and worship. Operating expenses fall into these categories: Services and Minister (35%), Religious Education (19%), Building and Grounds (11%), Administration (14%), and mortgage, insurance, committees, UUA dues, and other expenses (21%).
In addition to our full-time minister Dan Lillie, we employ the following staff:
Office Administrator: May Killorin Choir Director: Matt Smith Accompanist: Terry Levitt Bookkeeper: Devrah Bennett DRE Consultant: Margaret Rogers RE Coordinator: Tracye Hirasawa Custodian: Manny Macias
The annual budget is gathered by the finance committee with input from staff, ministerial leads, and program committee chairs. It is then reviewed by the Board and voted on by the congregation. The annual budget drive goal is determined by the annual budget needs of WUUC. The Minister is responsible for managing the staff and the leads and chairs manage their program budgets.
Fair Sharing Giving
Giving is a personal decision based on many factors. As you determine your financial commitment, please consider giving 2-10% of your income as you are able and willing. Many of our pledging members and friends make annual fair share pledges. Nearly 40% of our members self-report that their commitment fits within the “fair share” guideline. If everyone did so we would have an abundance to carry us into the future. We encourage you to review this table to determine which level of commitment is appropriate.
A: We believe that members want to contribute their fair share, but it is often hard to decide what that means in dollars and cents. We recommend you consider 2-10% of your income and offer this broad range because we know that 10% of your income when you’re struggling to make ends meet is much harder than 10% of your income when you have few or no financial difficulties.
Q: What do others pledge?
A: The average annual pledge commitment for fiscal year 2023-2024 was $3,474, with a median pledge of about $2,000.
Q: Are the church’s needs greater or less this year?
A: We are rebounding from the pandemic and expanding our outreach to increase our membership. Additionally, we need to replenish our reserves to ensure a healthy financial future.
Q: What happens if we fall short of our annual goal?
A: We have to make difficult cuts and tradeoffs, including adjustments to expenses and programs.
Q: I’m already giving time and talent, isn’t that enough?
A: The funds needed to run a church are substantial. Without the generous financial support of members and friends, WUUC could not continue to support the services and programs vital to our community.
Q: How much does this pledge drive matter? How much of our annual budget comes from this drive? How much do other sources contribute?
A: The drive makes up 90% of our operating expenses. Other fundraisers and unpledged support contribute, but a successful drive is essential to ensure a healthy financial future.
Q: I already give on Sundays. Is that sufficient?
A: WUUC relies on a sustained monthly income to meet its recurring operating expenses and to cover unexpected events. We cannot make extended agreements such as staff contracts and mortgages without having a guaranteed income.
Thank you!
From your annual budget drive team: Jo Raymond: Stewardship Chair and Treasurer
Kathy Fosnaugh: Kick-off Event Coordinator Mary Alexander: Communications, Art and Graphics David Simons: Brochure Charlotte Benson: Calling Steward Coordinator Holly Beck: Volunteer, Script Program Kermit Sprang: Board Treasurer Marcia Sprang: Ministry Lead
In July 2022, we ran this article of Carol Pitman’s reflection on her career. Carol passed away this month.
“The ultimate source of spiritual and transcendental experiences
Teaching music has resulted in many unspoken rewards for me. However, I always kept in the back of my mind, what a L.A. teacher once wrote in the L.A. Times. She said, “Get your lovin’ somewhere else!”
In my early years, I gave young children piano lessons at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where I was part of the Young People’s faculty. Many teaching skills needed to be developed such as choosing music suitable to their age and developmental stage. At the same time, I was studying music education at a local university.
My favorite school district was in Long Beach, California where they had a very well developed music program, because of the consultants in the music department who had an outstanding vision of what a school music program could be. I was a traveling vocal music teacher, visiting classrooms in K-6.
Classroom music was important, but it was in the glee clubs that selected students learned the value of hard work as they prepared 2 and 3 part songs for festivals and PTA programs. They learned the importance of perseverance and cooperation in achieving a higher musical goal. Every spring, the L.A. philharmonic performed for 5th and 6th graders. These classes were given special listening lessons to prepare them for the concert experience. Important listening skills were developed.
My volunteer work began when I moved to Kirkland in 1991. I discovered our new church and began to participate in the choir. The group needed a soprano so I sang with them until they needed an accompanist. Later on, I served on the music committee when the church was ready to hire a choir director and accompanist. I also helped the search committee discover our beautiful grand piano.
To me, a life in music reflects the ultimate source of spiritual and transcendental experiences. I feel much gratitude for having made a small contribution this source. Perhaps not very practical, but ESSENTIAL.” – Carol Pitman
