Should congregations borrow money from their own members for capital improvement projects? It’s an option that some congregations have used, but it’s not without pitfalls. “There are all sorts of reasons why it’s not a good idea,” said Wayne Clark, the Unitarian Universalist...

Sample letter about stewardship to be given to prospective members at New Unitarian Universalist (UU) classes and to be sent immediately after joining, along with a pledge card and letter from the membership chair....

Should ministers know how much their parishioners contribute financially? It’s a question that can cause anxiety on both sides. InterConnections recently invited ministers to discuss this topic....

Q: We have a major financial donor in our small congregation. When she’s happy, her pledge is increased by a significant amount and the church receives special gifts. When she’s dissatisfied, her pledge is reduced and favors are withdrawn. Our benefactor has recently expressed her disapproval of...

When water began leaking onto the last two rows of pews at the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Society of Greater Springfield, MA (225 members), about eight years ago, it was seen as a sign: a sign that it was time to develop a plan for longterm maintenance....

We all know the purpose of the annual canvass is to fund the operating budget, and that if we do it right, we're set for another year. But the reality is that the canvass sometimes falls short. Consequently many congregations rely on smaller fundraisers to fill the hole. We also know these other...

Many congregations struggle to find volunteers to do their financial work. If that's your dilemma, consider hiring outside financial help....

It's been the big question behind the door: Would September 11 terrorism and economic downturn hurt contributions to congregations during 2001? Would congregants who gave generously to the Red Cross give less to their churches?...

Need a way to finance a special project? Do it one square foot or one piano key at a time. For instance: to buy a new piano, take the total cost and divide it by eighty-eight, then "sell" one key at a time....

When congregations set out to renovate their buildings, they're thinking primarily about the work to be done, how to pay for it, and how much better the building will be. They're generally not thinking about catastrophes that can happen while the work is taking place....

Q. We are developing a policy on accepting gifts to our congregation. We want to accept them, but many come with stringent conditions and restrictions. What should we do? A....

Music feeds our souls and many of us wouldn’t stay in our congregations without it, but to do it properly takes vision, time, and talent. Ten years ago, when Tom Benjamin, a choral director who had recently moved to the area, was asked to build a music program at the Unitarian Universalist (UU)...

The First Unitarian Church, Oakland, CA (284 members), used to have a cash flow problem in the summer. As Church Administrator, Jay Roller, explains it: "People would go away in the summer and forget to pay their pledges."Seasonal sag is a perennial church problem....

Q. Our small fellowship has moved from employing a minister half time to two-thirds time for next year. a) Does a minister, whether part-time or full-time, get the same amount of money for professional expenses like books, etc.? Does the expense allowance go up as his salary goes up? b) Also, how...

The annual budget drive. Done well it's a thing of beauty and a joy for at least nine months, until the next one rolls around. Done badly it causes massive volunteer burnout, drives the congregation into hiding, and forces budget cuts that set the tone for a parsimonious year....

Pennies and nickles from church school children, combined with larger donations from adult members, helped the endowment fund at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church in Bethesda, MD (917 members), grow past a million dollars last year.November is Endowment Month at Cedar Lane, and that's...

Q. We're concerned about all the ways that members are getting asked for money at church. There are the musicians that bring tapes, Girl/Boy Scouts/school fundraisers, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the collection plate, the service auction, regular/capital pledges, a church used book...

Q.My church has about 175 members. We have always had a fulltime minister and part-time secretary and custodian, but we began paying our half-time director of religious education about ten years ago and recently began paying a quarter-time music director....

At the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Congregation of Fairfax in Oakton, VA (664 members), the joke about the annual service auction is that if it weren't for the auction none of the members would have a social life. ...