A pledge is your commitment of financial support for First Unitarian Society of Madison in the upcoming fiscal year. A pledge is your families’ future contributions to the mission of this important institution.

FUS belongs to all of us. We pledge to provide the financial means for its daily operations and to ensure that the Society and its resources are available to us, and others, now and in the future. Just like other families, FUS needs to know how much income to expect in order to successfully prepare our budget for the upcoming year. Making your pledge commitment now allows us to plan for our fiscal year, which runs July 1 through June 30. Remember, over 67% of the FUS operating budget is comprised of our annual pledge payments.

This year’s annual campaign is setting its sights on increasing staff wages. The UUA believes fair wages align with our values of equity and justice and is essential for the long-term retention of qualified and experienced staff. We estimate if 400 of our members increase their monthly pledge by $20 a month or more, we could raise all staff compensation to meet the UUA salary recommendations.

Pledges vary based on income, expenses, and personal circumstance. We encourage you to look at our giving guidelines, which provide tried and true recommendations for levels of giving, and take into account the needs of our Society. Each year our FUS expenses naturally increase and therefore we strongly encourage you to contemplate a notable increase from your last year’s pledge. Your annual campaign packet includes your pledge amounts from the last three years.

We expect that those who benefit from this community and participate in its activities will share in its financial upkeep. Some members and affiliates can afford to pledge more, some less, but we believe that everyone is capable of making a meaningful contribution.

Most pledgers use our online form. Please note we have invested in new pledge software, and we hope you’ll find that it far exceeds our previous online capabilities. You can also fill out a pledge form and drop it off at FUS, or mail it to the First Unitarian Society by Monday, March 5, 2018. We will add your pledge to our expected income for the next year.

The pledged amount is for the upcoming fiscal period, July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019.  When pledging online or on the paper pledge form, you will be asked to select if you intend to pay one time, weekly, or monthly. You will also select if you prefer to pay by credit card, EFT, stock, mutual fund, bond transfer, or with a check(s). We ask that you please provide your payment information at the time of pledging. You can pay your pledge here.