As in the Unitarian Universalist search for truth and meaning, there are many pathways to generosity, many ways to strengthen hope and reason… many avenues in which to use our financial resources to bend the world closer to the principles of freedom, tolerance, justice, love and respect. We UU’s want to be effective trustees and stewards of our great liberal religious heritage. We want future generations to inherit and enjoy this free faith. Financial support is vital to this hope. Each of us finds our own ways to make this a reality.

Primary to our financial support of local Unitarian Universalism is our annual congregational stewardship pledge to UUCP. We are also called on periodically to support capital campaigns which seek to support the growth and long term maintenance of our campus, so essential to sustaining our religious community, programs, adult and children’s religious education, and fellowship. UUF asks members to support a third avenue for giving—that of providing a long term legacy or “planned gift” for sustaining and growing our Unitarian Universalist presence both locally and in the world.

Individuals usually give bequests and planned gifts to what has mattered most to them in their lives – family, friends, and institutions that share their core values. The level of commitment and interest shown by a planned gift is deep and for the long-term. We want to evaluate our fundamental values and priorities and apply these core values to a plan for how we want the assets in our accumulated life estate to be distributed and used after we die.

A gift to UUF is intended to provide long-term or perpetual support to UUCP. A planned gift can be the ultimate gift of a lifetime for both UUCP and the donor. Planned gifts are typically not made from disposable annual income or from digging a little deeper for a “stretch” gift as in a capital campaign. Instead, a planned gift is usually a donation made from the assets accumulated over a person’s lifetime, to an endowment like UUF.

There are multiple pathways for legacy giving. In the area of planned giving, it is easy to get bogged down in legal, tax and financial technicalities. This website is intended to direct you to some resources both locally and within the Unitarian Universalist Association that can assist you in your planning. Although UUF Board members are not equipped to provide individual consultation for legacy planning, we are happy to point you to resources that might assist you.