The Unitarian Universalist Westside Congregation’s goal is to engage with the community to offer programs of enrichment and religious education.  In order to do this requires continual funding.  Below is the UUA Fair Share Contribution Guide.

How Does the Guide Work?

The financial commitment levels in the Guide are suggestions, with a start point of 2% of adjusted income for congregants earning up to $1,000 per month and at the other end of the spectrum, the guide suggests a full 10% commitment of adjusted income, regardless of a congregant’s income level. Each of us has to make our own decisions about the right level of financial commitment to make; the Guide is an excellent first step in making that decision, every time we make it.

Even small adjustments can make a big difference. For example:

Suppose that every day you collected the loose change you had; it probably comes to about a dollar on most days. If you were to add that loose change to your pledge, it would add up to a very welcome $365 annual increase. If everyone did that, the congregation would find itself with over $12,000 in new resources. Our congregation could use a gift of that size. That is the power of working together and of making the best use of even small amounts.

The question is sometimes asked, “How do we know this is actually a Fair Share level of contribution?” The short answer is that this is an honor system. Some people may find it necessary to first make a commitment to move toward their suggested financial Fair Share goal over time. It might be a three-year process or even a five-year process for some of us, but we can start the journey today.

Moving toward a Fair Share financial commitment, whether quickly or in a steady, intentional way is a welcome process that builds community, instills a spirit of personal stewardship.

It reminds us all that this is our congregation and our UU movement – this is what we make it, this accomplishes what we resource it to do.