A Year-End Invitation to Generosity

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As we approach the end of the calendar year, take time to remember the people who showed up in your congregation, the moments that restored hope, and the care and support provided to each other and your surrounding community. 

One of the many ways we saw generosity and its impact was the time many of our congregants invested to help ensure free and fair elections and nonpartisan voter turnout. The results of the midterm elections were historic, and there is still work to be done toward a democracy in which all people are safe, free and can live with dignity and equality. 

Our Unitarian Universalist congregations are a place to transform ourselves, support each other in our journeys, joys and sorrows, and continue the important work for a more just and compassionate world.

This makes a year-end request for support more than a financial transaction. It is an invitation to sustain something meaningful, and makes the case near the end of the year when the largest percentage of additional giving happens. 

When congregations communicate with warmth, honesty, and purpose, they help people connect their generosity with the values they live by. 

Start with the story

A compelling year-end appeal begins with the congregation’s impact. Before asking for a year-end gift, take time to name what the community has done and why it matters. What changed because people gathered, volunteered, worshiped, learned, or gave? Where did the congregation offer care, build relationships, or stand alongside neighbors? What are you preparing to make possible in the coming year?

Make the story concrete. 

Share a member’s reflection, a moment from a community partnership, a quote from a respected leader, or a glimpse of a program that embodies your values. Or all of the above! 

Make it a  warm, personal message.

You might describe a child finding a welcoming place in religious education, volunteers accompanying neighbors through a difficult season, a worship service that helped someone feel connected again or support for a marginalized family in the wider community. The point is to show how the shared life of your congregation contributes to a world shaped by love, justice, and belonging.

Frame generosity as shared care

Unitarian Universalist stewardship is about more than keeping the lights on or balancing a budget. It is the practice of caring for one another and sustaining the congregation’s work within and beyond its walls. 

A year-end gift supports the people, relationships, and commitments  that make our work possible.

Invite people to give in a way that reflects their values and their circumstances. Every gift matters, regardless of size. Avoid language that suggests there is one “right” amount or that people must give beyond their means to prove their commitment. Instead, communicate that generosity is shared: each person’s contribution joins with others to create a community no one could sustain alone.

This approach also helps move a congregation from scarcity-driven appeals toward a culture of abundance and gratitude. 

Be clear and give a time frame 

Ask directly for a year-end gift to support the congregation. Explain what the gift will sustain, and include a clear action and deadline. Ask early in December, then send a brief, gracious reminder as the calendar year ends and include a thank you to those who have already given.

Make giving straightforward across generations and preferences. Offer a prominent online giving link, instructions for gifts by check, text, church database, or other giving options your congregation supports. 

Remember that roughly one-third of charitable gifts are made in December, and December 31 is often one of the busiest giving days of the year. That seasonal attention creates an opportunity—but it also means congregations should plan ahead. 

      → Begin in November, agree on a few central messages, identify who will do what, and make a realistic timeline.

Offer a variety of ways to give

A year-end appeal can help people consider the giving methods that fit their financial lives. 

In addition to cash or a check, some donors may be able to contribute:

• appreciated stock/securities, 
• recommend a grant from a donor-advised fund, or 
• make a qualified charitable distribution from an eligible IRA. 

Some of your members may have Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) that need to be made by the end of the calendar year. Those can be used for a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) which can benefit their tax situation while also making a gift. 

Include gratitude as part of the ask

The most effective year-end stewardship connects a clear invitation with genuine appreciation. Thank people for what they have already made possible—not only for their financial gifts, but also for their time, care, leadership, and presence. 

Volunteers are often especially connected to a congregation’s mission; recognizing that connection can deepen the invitation to give.

Acknowledge gifts promptly and personally whenever possible. And report the cumulative results, explain what the gifts will support, and celebrate the community’s shared accomplishment. Transparent follow-through builds trust and lays the groundwork for future generosity. 

Make the year-end ask part of congregational life

Connect the appeal to worship, the congregation’s current themes, and the stories already unfolding in community life. A brief reflection from a member about why they give will be more powerful than another paragraph from the budget. Thoughtful integration helps stewardship feel like a natural expression of the congregation’s values rather than an interruption.

Create an invitation rooted in hope

As the year draws to a close, people are considering what they value and how they want to participate in the world. Your Unitarian Universalist congregation has a meaningful opportunity to invite them into that reflection. A successful appeal does not rely on guilt, panic, or indirect hints. It tells a real story about impact, offers easy ways to respond, and expresses deep gratitude.

Remember that the #1 reason people give is because they were asked. Your congregation is worth the ask, so be bold and ask!

The invitation is simple: If this community reflects your values, if it has helped you find connection, grow spiritually or make a difference, please consider a year-end gift as generously as your means allow. Together, our gifts sustain the places where we practice compassion, nurture belonging, and work for a world that is more loving and just.