Together We Rise AGAIN!

We all are stewards of our First Unitarian Society of Ithaca and we need
your help. If you are inspired by Sunday Services; If you believe in growing
our UU Values; If you or your children benefit from RE Programs; If you join
Groups or Actions organized here— All depend on your financial support.
No one else will sustain a living wage for our excellent staff or maintain our
historic spiritual home and vital community resource.

Our spring pledge campaign was very successful. We—FUSIT’s members
and friends—pledged $334,000. This is $14,000 more than achieved the
previous year! We are deeply grateful for the generosity of so
many. Unfortunately, the budget gap that remains for this church year, as
explained by Treasurer Don Barber in his Wednesday Announce finance
series, is $37,000.

Together, We Can Rise to this challenge! This month, Stewardship
seeks $20,000 to help fill this gap and is offering a sweetener. Several
members have offered funds to be used to match your gifts, doubling your
impact (up to $10,000). These match funds only become available if you
give a gift this month. Your gift of $20 or $200 or $2000 will bring FUSIT
$40 or $400 or $4000 to help close the budget gap.

Additional funds for this year’s operating expenses are also being sought
by developing other revenue streams like the Live Auction (Oct. 25) and
increased office rentals.

This ask is distinct from the spring pledge campaign. If you already pledged
for this church year (the spring campaign), please consider an additional
gift to take advantage of this match offer. Your October gift will not change
your pledge baseline amount for annual giving.

Every gift counts, even if it is small. 42% of FUSIT households do not have
a recent history of pledging financial support to FUSIT. Of course, many
are supporting FUSIT in other ways, but communal stewardship does not
work on an either/or model. Consider starting your financial support for
FUSIT now by earning a match that doubles your gift!

Click here to make your October donation and trigger a Matching Gift (or send a check to FUSIT PO Box 6, Ithaca, NY 14851 with “Matching Gift” in the memo line.

Please don’t wait – act now!
 
Thank you for your generosity and support of FUSIT!
 
-Stewardship Team, stewardship@uuithaca.org