At Foothills Unitarian, our commitment to unleashing courageous love is powered by your generosity. Whether you’re pledging, giving to the Sunday plate, or contributing to our Community Care Fund, your support makes a tangible impact on our community and beyond.
To make it easier for everyone—newcomers and long-time members alike—to understand what they are supporting, we’ve made some updates to the way we talk about our giving funds. Here’s what you need to know:
Pledges: The Foundation of Our Mission
Your pledge to the Operating Fund is the foundation of everything we do at Foothills. Pledges allow us to plan for the greatest possible impact in the year ahead. They fund our staff, programs, and operational expenses, from Sunday worship to small groups, justice work, and beyond.
Importantly, pledges do not cover all of our expenses. We also count on unpledged gifts to support our Operating Fund throughout the year. These gifts often come from:
- Newcomers
- Members or friends who didn’t pledge but want to give
- Pledgers who have more capacity than they anticipated or want to support a specific initiative
On our Giving Page, gifts marked as “Operating Fund” or “Pledge to Operating Fund” first go toward fulfilling pledges. Once pledges are covered, they help close the gap on our remaining operating needs.
Sunday Offering Plate: Supporting Long-Term Partnerships with Local Impact
For years, our Sunday morning offering has been shared 50/50 with local partners through what we’ve called Share the Plate. While this name is familiar to long-time members, it isn’t as intuitive for newer givers. To clarify, recipients of these funds are long-term partners, local organizations that align with our values. We do ongoing work with these partners, that is funded by our operations, which is why 50% of the plate goes to Foothills Operating Fund.
The other 50% is given as a Community MicroGrant to one of our partners. These partnerships are strategic, ongoing investments in creating a more just, compassionate world—and your Sunday offerings make this possible. Our Community MicroGrants are only offered to these longterm partners, Unitarian Universalist collaborative funds, and on occasion, direct support in response to a severe natural disaster or urgent humanitarian need.
Community Care Fund: Supporting Those in Need
Our Minister’s Discretionary Fund has a new name: the Community Care Fund (CCF). This fund provides one-time basic needs support within our Foothills community and beyond.
Sometimes, people fall into tough spots. The Community Care Fund ensures we can respond quickly and compassionately when there’s no other safety net. This might include:
- Helping pay a medical bill
- Providing moving assistance
- Supporting unbudgeted needs within Foothills
- Assisting organizations doing work aligned with our values
By renaming this fund, we hope to highlight its purpose: caring for our community with dignity and love. Foothills does not provide basic service support to the general community, as there are other organizations that fill this role. We always encourage inquirers for direct support to contact 2-1-1, the local resource hotline for this type of support. Regularly attending congregants and members may request support, and if it falls within the defined guidelines, receive a one-time gift to help with an urgent need.
Making Giving Clearer
We hope these updates make it easier for everyone to understand where their gifts go and the incredible impact they have. Whether you’re pledging to sustain our ongoing work, giving to the Sunday plate to support local partners, or contributing to the Community Care Fund to care for those in need, every gift matters.
Thank you for your generosity and your partnership in unleashing courageous love. Together, we’re building a stronger, more compassionate community.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out or explore our Giving Page.
Let’s continue to make a difference—together.
