“How much should I give?”
Anyone involved with congregational stewardship has had to answer this question. For many years, the UUA’s Fair Sharing Giving Guide provided a grid, based on income, to help pledging households decide on their pledge. Over time, however, we understood that an income-based guide didn’t fully reflect the realities of people’s financial situations. So, we listened. And responded. Through open forums, personal conversations, and dedicated working group meetings, Stewardship for Us gathered your insights to better understand how we can support our beloved community in faithful and meaningful congregational giving.
The result is our New Giving Guide! Coupled with a strong vision for why your congregation matters, this giving guide will help people better align their resources with their values.
It comes in three, easy to understand parts:
- Page 1 (JPG) is a “how to use this guide” mixed with a bit of how we made this guide.
- Page 2 (JPG) uses a ‘cup metaphor’ to invite pledgers or pledging households into a conversation about their financial picture. Please allow this page to bring you into deeper conversation about your financial abundance!
- Page 3 (JPG), you are asked to reflect upon your congregational commitment — are you a ‘core’ member — engaged with top leadership now or a thought leader after years of engagement? Or are you an ‘active’ member, involved in programs and activities, maybe leading a task force or small group? Are you a ‘casual’ member — attending every once in a while, maybe engaged in one thing from time to time? Or, are you ‘resting’ — after years of leadership, or because of a personal situation that limits your engagement after a period of higher engagement? Wherever you land, use the grid to find a recommended giving percentage of net income (after taxes).
Remembering that people’s financial picture often changes, use the new giving guide every year to give yourself a generosity check-up!
| What’s in Your Cup? | Core | Active | Casual | Resting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 1 — 2% | 1 — 2% | 1 — 2% | 1 — 2% |
| Adequate | 8 — 10% | 5 — 8% | 3 — 5% | 1 — 3% |
| Full | 13 — 15% | 10 — 13% | 7 — 10% | 5 — 7% |
| Runneth Over | 15% or more | 13% or more | 10% or more | 7% or more |
Download the Entire Giving Guide (PDF) to use Stewardship for Us’s recommended percentages.
Download the Editable Giving Guide (editable PDF) to use your own recommended percentages.
Remember that Generosity is one of our new shared values because it matters! It matters spiritually, and it matters for the health of our congregations. This new Giving Guide is a powerful way to invite people into conversation about how they live the UU Value of generosity.