A common question from congregations to our Stewardship for Us team is “How can we ask for higher giving during these tumultuous, uncertain times?”
Our response — Now it’s more important than ever! Supporting our beloved communities is essential in these times. The world needs our shared values, our community building and connection, our justice work and all that we do together both within and beyond our walls.
Be bold. Ask for the support to live out your mission and vision. Make the ask with compassion and care, and acknowledge that there is significant variance in people’s finances. Some people will say No and that’s OK. Many will say Yes!
This approach applies to annual funding, capital funding, creating or building a flexible long-term fund, and legacy giving.
At our recent Wednesday Wisdom discussion, representatives from twenty-four congregations and some UUA staff shared success stories and concerns about congregational funding. More than one participant raised the topic that some high givers to congregations are passing on or moving away, and that younger members have less money.
Historically, it’s been common for many of the higher givers at a congregation to be older. The younger generations are philanthropic too, however, and as reported in Morning Brew, The Greatest Wealth Transfer is Upon Us – “$84 trillion of wealth is set to be passed down to younger generations by 2045.”
A study published in 2025, The Next Generation of Philanthropy, tracked donations from 2003-2021, found that “Religion and basic needs are top causes for philanthropic giving across all generations.” The study defined “next generation” as Gen Z and Millennials. In addition, the study reported that “Religious giving remains steady as a share of total giving. Religion is also consistently favored by larger donors, especially those in the Generation Z and Millennial generations [emphasis added].”
Participants in our session shared that newer and younger members are coming primarily because of the congregation’s justice activities, and are yearning for intergenerational community and social justice work that is meaningful. The study above also confirmed that younger donors favor social justice issues. It’s exciting that younger people are coming through our doors – they are the future and a congregation needs them to thrive long term!
Ideas shared by congregants about how they met or exceeded their annual fund drive goal this year were:
- Clarify and promote the idea of stewardship as caring for our community
- Give permission to talk about money
- Be transparent about what it takes to have the programs we want
- Have fundraising events that also promote community throughout the year
- Include social components and positive messaging
- Share the plate, since it inspires higher giving overall
- Create more joy – a “hopescape” – as a haven for these times and celebrate together
- Make animated videos about giving, pledging and automated giving (a talented UU congregant this one: https://uupensacola.org/members/timmy-tv/)
Creating videos on many of the aspects of congregational life is a vital part of our story telling. It’s one of the ways we can let each other know which ministry or person touches us. https://stewardshipforus.com/pledge-drive-video/
Try one or more of the ideas above and make sure there are many ways to give – online, via text, check, cash, credit card, QR code, direct transfer from a bank account or a retirement account, stock or other assets.
Another topic raised by participants was the issue of leadership transition for stewardship and how to make that happen.
Forming a Generosity & Engagement Ministry Team, with members from both stewardship and membership, can add to your pool of volunteers, lighten the load, and help more people in the congregation see stewardship as broader than just money.
Our new shared value of Generosity, adopted at UUA General Assembly last year, can help with messaging:
“We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.”
And for those congregations not meeting budget, creating a five year strategic financial plan can be very helpful for lighting the way toward a balanced budget. Develop different scenarios for congregants to see what you can accomplish together.
Now is the time to be strategic about stewardship. Whether it’s for your annual budget, gifts to a sustainability fund, a capital project, or legacy gifts, lean into it. Be as strategic with stewardship as you are when planning your other ministries. Your congregation and your wider community are worth it!
More Resources
Legacy giving: https://plannedgiving.uua.org/resources-for-my-congregation and https://stewardshipforus.com/planned-giving-now-is-a-good-time/
Financial planning: https://stewardshipforus.com/home-2/strategic-financial-planning/
General Assembly 2025 stewardship offerings described here: https://stewardshipforus.com/workshops-at-uua-ga-2025/
Kay has more than 24 years of successful professional fundraising experience. She is passionate about helping organizations fund their mission with strategic, intentional stewardship. Reach her at kay@stewardshipforus.com.