What is a pledge?
A pledge is an offer and a plan to contribute an amount of money you choose to your church over the course of the July-June financial year.
How is this different from putting money in the plate?
Your pledge is the money HUU counts on. The Sunday cash offering provides a small amount of additional income.
How many people pledge?
In 2008-09 HUU received 29 pledges of support; in 2009-10, 34 pledges. This year we hope for 40 pledges.
How much should I pledge?
We hope you will give at a level that reflects your ability to contribute and your enthusiasm for HUU. Every household’s ability to give is different. The range of individual pledged amounts is very wide.
Every pledge raises our level of participation, and that encourages others to believe that HUU is worth their financial support. All pledges are valuable because they help the governing body of the church plan the budget that members vote on in May.
In other words, no pledge is too small. In recent years, the average pledge has been in the $1,350 – $1,450 range. This year we are hoping that pledges will average $1,500.
How do I make a pledge?
You can pick up a pledge card at the table by the door at HUU. Put your completed pledge card (in its envelope) in the collection basket.
Or send the Treasurer an email with your pledge amount. Include your name and address so that he can set up a record for you. Send your pledge to Treasurer@huuweb.org .
Do I have to be a member to pledge?
No. Some people prefer not to be members of any church or have not yet decided to join HUU.
When should I pledge?
We carry out our pledge drive in March and wrap it up in April. The Finance Committee and the Board have to have a budget ready in May for the annual meeting of the congregation. The new fiscal year begins in July.
You can pledge at any point in the year by sending an email to Treasurer@huuweb.org .
Who knows how much I pledge?
The Treasurer, currently Ralph Grove. He doesn’t share this information with anyone.
How do I pay my pledge?
We’re UUs, so as you might suppose, everyone decides this for him- and herself. You can write one big check; you can put a check in the collection basket on a regular basis; you can mail a check to the church if you don’t come to services often.
If you pledge, any check you put in the Sunday offering will be credited toward your pledge unless you specify that it is for some other purpose. If you want to make pledge payments in cash, put the money in an envelope with your name on it.
What if I can’t pay my pledge?
An email message to Treasurer@huuweb.org enables him to change the record he keeps of each pledge. Circumstances change; and any changes you find you must make are confidential.
What if I forget how much I pledged or how much I’ve paid on my pledge?
Send an email to Treasurer@huuweb.org . Ralph Grove will answer you promptly. He also sends statements twice a year.
What’s the bottom line?
You are free to pledge or not pledge. Gifts of your time, energy, and just your presence are valuable to HUU, too. We act in faith that those who can, will pledge, enabling us to provide HUU with those resources that only money can buy.