2023 Stewardship Campaign
Our pledge goal for the 2023 Stewardship Campaign to support our operating budget is $440,000, which will ensure that we have the financial resources needed to support our programs that reflect our mission and vision. Read the campaign brochure here (PDF).
Return your paper pledge form to the UUS office (2355 Oakdale Road, Coralville, IA 52241), submit your pledge online now, or contact the office (admin@uusic.org or 319-337-3443).
If you cannot or do not wish to make a pledge this year and would like to be removed from follow-up communications by the campaign, contact the office. If you cannot pledge due to financial strain and would like to request a waiver to maintain your membership status, contact the minister (minster@uusic.org).
The UUS community relies on the pledge you make to meet the budget for 2023.
Submit Your Pledge Now!
Message from the Stewardship Team
The 2023 Stewardship Campaign is pivotal as we come back, together. Coming back is a multi-year process and the UUS board has developed a strategic plan to…
- • come back to higher member growth
- • come back to higher non-pledge revenues
- • come back to a balanced budget by 2024 (no more than 3 to 5% per year from General Endowment Fund)
During this multi-year process, the goal is to maintain the excellent staff and valuable programming at UUS. This includes reaching everyone through in-person and remote services, providing youth education, and growing our work in the community.
We are asking you to increase your pledge by 7% over last year’s pledge levels to reach our 2023 Stewardship Campaign goal of $440,000. To help reach our campaign goal, three anonymous donors have stepped forward to match all pledge increases of 7% or more, up to $11,000. Thank you to our match donors. We hope your gift inspires all of us to give generously within our own individual abilities.
-Diana Miller, Liz Swanson, Pete Brokaw, Michael Schmitz
Submit Your Pledge Now!
How to Pay Your Pledge
Once you’ve made your pledge, you can pay it in many ways, but the easiest way is by setting up a online bank account or credit card payment through Realm! Payments will automatically be applied to your pledge on record.
Click here to set up a one time or recurring donation towards our operating budget.
(UUS asks that all credit/debit payments include an additional 3% charge to cover processing fee.)
You can also send checks/cash to the office or set up a stock or IRA transfer.
(Did you know that anyone over the age of 70 and a half with an IRA can write off charitable donations of IRA income up to $100,000 per year and still take the standard deduction? Click here to learn more).
Message from the Minister
Creating an ever evolving and deepening community based in Love requires each of us sharing our skills, passions, and resources to strengthen this community. During the last 2 ½ strange and difficult years we’ve done this, continuously creating new ways of building community, finding spiritual sustenance and growth, and living our values. Each week it’s inspiring to meet new people at UUS or in the wider community and find that during the pandemic they’ve been connecting with UUS through our multiplatform worship services, programs, or outreach – and now are seeking to get more engaged.
Now, as this year begins, I’m excited that by working together we’re once again expanding our ways to connect. We’re “Coming back, together!” through small group ministries and religious education for all ages, multi-platform worship services, vibrant justice and service work, compassionate connections, and much more. What’s more, this year we’re building on UUS’ past accessibility, preemptive radical inclusion, and racial justice work by further developing our culture and practices of radical welcoming so that we can be an even brighter beacon of love for each other and our community.
This exciting and inspiring work requires all of us, together. As you engage with this year’s stewardship campaign, I encourage you to reflect and act on how you can share yourself – your skills and passions – and your resources to build this congregation and help us live Love ever more fully and fiercely into the world.
Blessed be,
Rev. Diana
Community Pride
I remember the first few times that I attended services at UUSIC more than 10 years ago. I didn’t know a single person and yet almost immediately I felt a genuine connection that called me back and before long I became a member. I met more people as I attended services and programs and helped out on different teams and committees and I made so many new friends along the way.
There have been big changes since then, but the feeling of being connected has never gone away. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the effect of the COVID pandemic on our everyday lives and I worried that I would feel less connected as we moved to being exclusively remote. Those first few services on Zoom were a “learning experience” for us all but I still felt that connection as we all fumbled our way through.
Committee meetings and my covenant group all adjusted to the brave new online world and we learned how to make it work over a flat screen. I was excited but cautious when we eased back into in-person services.
When I did return, I immediately felt that connection that comes from being physically together, even if we were masked and keeping a safe distance. It felt awkward at first but so exciting at the same time–seeing my old friends in person!
When I did contract a mild case of COVID in the Spring, I was so happy that I could still be a part of the service from home, but I wanted to get back as soon as it was safe for me to do that.
For me, there’s nothing like being together. I’m looking forward to seeing more old friends and meeting some new ones!
Pete Brokaw
