Think about a generous person you know. . . . Have someone in mind? Think of a story about that person that is emblematic of their generous spirit. What attributes does that person have? How would you describe them? During our December Friday Forum, lay leaders shared stories about their congregations, their aunts, cousins and […]
Generosity as a Spiritual Value Read More »
Greetings UU stewardship leaders and Happy New Year. This is my last post for Stewardship for Us as I am retiring after 17+ years as a UU stewardship consultant. My work with our UU congregations and with you as stewardship leaders has been the most rewarding of my career, and I already am missing it,
New Years Wishes for 2025 Read More »
Here is the report on the Stewardship For Us Pledge Drive Survey results. Thank you to the folks who joined us for the web meeting last Friday. It was a struggle to get the information out and for people to join the Zoom – apologies for that! Luckily you can access the PDF of the
S4Us 2024 Pledge Drive Survey Results Read More »
We are entering a new era of Federal leadership – this is a challenge for many of us and our communities. Still the work carries on, perhaps with a different lens than it had before. To that end, let’s gather and talk about stewardship. We are finally ready with the report on the Pledge Drive
Pledge Drive Survey Results Report: Save the Date Read More »
Reps from 20 congregations shared their ideas at the October Friday Forum with Stewardship for Us. How are your sibling Unitarian Universalist congregations keeping their Annual Budget Drive methods fresh from year to year? How is success measured? Ways folks shared they measure success: Number of connections made with congregants in person or by phone
Takeaways from Congregations: Annual Budget Drives! Read More »
We have seen a significant uptick and effective use of video in pledge drives over the last few years. People record simple testimonials, create more highly produced videos about the goals and theme (usually with the help of youths!), or even record video sermons. Here is a great example: the Olympia Brown UU Congregation (OBUUC)
Pro Tip for The Pledge Drive: Video! Read More »
In the midst of an historic General Assembly, the Stewardship for Us team lead six engaging GA Cohort meetings, with three topics: Wrestling with Investments and Legacy Building Capacity Building Asking We started on Thursday with a panel discussion with UUs from three different contexts who answered the question: What kind of investment is needed
Adventures in the Stewardship Boosters GA Cohort Read More »
Our May 31, 2024 Friday Forum, attended by about 20 stewardship leaders, was all about wrapping up your campaign or major phase, formally marking the end, celebrating, listening to feedback, and thanking all of the participants. The wrap-up phase, which is sometimes overlooked or minimized, is essential for laying the groundwork for future campaigns. The
Wrapping up your Stewardship Campaign Read More »
People often ask us, “What is a usual median pledge?” “What pledge quartiles are congregations getting these days; have they changed?” “What pledge drive strategies are working?” You may have other questions like these, whose answers might be very helpful in trying to improve your stewardship. For that reason we are gathering data from you
S4Us Annual Pledge Drive Survey: Please Take it! Read More »
In the challenges of the current times, a time when many congregations have fewer people on Sunday mornings, fewer pledging households, fewer fundraisers, fewer rentals, and all around less money coming through the doors, we must choose carefully what we invest in. And need to understand our available resources and develop our capacity for stewarding
Stewardship Boosters Cohort – GA 2024 Read More »
