YEARS OF125
COURAGEOUS LOVE ACTIVISM
Join us in Courageous Love Activism by making a 2023 pledge of support.
Foothills Unitarian Church, Est. 1898
Dearest Foothills Community,
As we emerge from the disorienting time of these past few pandemic years, we are all re-evaluating our priorities. We invite you to thoughtfully place Foothills Unitarian at the top of your list of affirmed priorities. We need your help to sustain our important work in 2023 and beyond.
In these difficult days in our world, many of us often return to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:
While we know there is so much good work to be done, it will not be accomplished in a few months, a few years, or even within our lifetimes. We invest in this congregation and our mission because we believe the arc is important and because we want to show up and be counted as being part of the bend toward justice. Foothills Unitarian is a community committed to creating space for that long arc.
Foothills is a foundational gathering place for belonging, building community, rooting in our shared values, and working toward progressive change. The key word is gathering because this work is not yours alone. This is shared work. Sometimes our individual lives demand other priorities, and that's okay. The beauty and strength of shared work is that when you can't make a particular event, service, or program, Foothills is still there, showing up and holding space. When we come together and pool our resources, we can accomplish more than we ever could alone
When you pledge to Foothills, you are investing in this shared work so that even when you are pulled elsewhere, you can trust the work toward liberation for all is continuing. For 125 years, we've stayed vigilant and engaged, answering the call to dream and build something better in ourselves, in our community, and in our world. By pledging, you help us to sustain this effort. You help us to care for others committed to sustaining this effort. You ensure the legacy of progressive activism and courageous love.
We've remained steady through the difficult years of the pandemic, and we now need your help to stabilize our financial foundation and ensure our important work, our caring community, and our courageous love continues into 2023 and beyond.
...the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
Rev. Gretchen Haley & The Board of Trustees
24 new members officially joined our congregation on August 28, 2022
WORSHIP & SPIRITUAL DEEPENING
So far in 2022:
1,375 unique people joined us for worship in person and online.
222 children and youth participated in Sunday morning worship.
474 newcomers attended worship.
33 newcomers attended in-person BaseCamp and learned more about Unitarian Universalism and how to get involved in our mission of unleashing courageous love.
50 members are Grand Canyon-bound in November for our first-ever community spiritual retreat.
The Foothills choir rehearses
Rev. Sean is pelted by marshmallow
peeps
on Easter
Outdoor worship at Buckhorn Retreat Center
JUSTICE
Over 30 kids and parents engaged with True You, our group for gender-expansive, trans, nonbinary kids and their families, and are receiving support, resources, connection, and affirmation.
Under the leadership of our Climate Justice Ministry, we have committed to Green Sanctuary 2030, a multi-year program that will engage the Foothills congregation in personal and community actions that focus on climate justice, resilience, and mitigation strategies honoring the interconnected web of life.Foothills marches for voting rights on MLK Jr. Day
Our newly formed Reproductive Justice Team of 30 Foothills members has already launched a wide variety of initiatives, including expanding OWL, our comprehensive sexual education program, forming an interfaith spiritual care program to companion people seeking services at Planned Parenthood, and directly supporting the efforts of UU congregations in more conservative areas, such as Grand Junction, Colorado, and Casper and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
80 people gathered with our Global Peace and Justice Ministry and Music Ministry for "Singing Revolution: Music and Movie Night" to learn how the Estonian people liberated themselves from Soviet occupation through the power of song.
We continue our support for immigrants through our partnership with ISAAC and our Sanctuary Everywhere Program, which accompanies asylum seekers as they build a new life in Northern Colorado.
We continue our commitment to housing justice through our service with Faith Family Hospitality and Habitat for Humanity and our commitment to food security through our twice-monthly mobile Food Pantry.
We are working closely with our fiscal sponsoree, The BIPOC Alliance, to create spaces of belonging and connection for the LGBT+ / two-spirit BIPOC community in Fort Collins.
The Youth Group learns about food security and volunteers at our mobile Food Bank
Foothills Co-Sponsors Fort Collins 2022 Pride in the Park
CONNECTION & CARE
So far in 2022:
654 people participated in small groups.
230 children and youth have participated in Family Ministry programming.
Over 200 people received care through our Caring Network, from meal trains to dog walking to hospital visits to rides to a listening ear.
131 adults and kids attended our 2022 Buckhorn Family Retreat over Labor Day Weekend.
Two new groups for parents started: True You for families of trans, nonbinary and gender-expansive kids and The Gift of Different Abilities for parents of disabled and neurodiverse youth and children.
Birding and Bagels with Climate Justice Ministry
Blessing of the Animals at June 2022 Summer Camp
The Slightly Senior Sisterhood lunches in the Social Hall
Group leaders gather for lunch
2023 FUNDING GOALS
$800,000 in Operating Pledges
If it's your first time, get on a path to giving 5% If you're returning and not yet at 5%, consider an increase of at least $25/mo over your 2022 pledge.
If you are already giving 5%, thank you!
Maybeyou'venoticedwearebuildingsomething...
Additional $1,000,000 for Expansion
We've been saving a seat for you in our new 400 person sanctuary - who can you help us save a seat for? We are raising additional funds to offset increased finance costs due to borrowing rates and the effect of inflation on the project.
PLEDGING 101
What is pledging?
Pledging is the mechanism we use to fund our work and budget responsibly. A pledge is a commitment to provide support anytime during the fiscal year (January to December). Pledges help us know what funds to anticipate, so we can plan for the year ahead and make important investments in the values we share as a community.
What is pledging not?
Pledging is a commitment, but it is not binding. We know things come up and circumstances change. We always want you to do what is best for you and your family. So pledge what you think is possible, and know we'll understand if something changes.
Pledging is not the same as giving to our offering plate, which is split each week with another nonprofit organization or church doing important justice work that we value as a community.
How do I make a pledge?
1) Take some time to check out the information in this packet or online at www.foothillsuu.org/courageouslove.
2) Talk with the other financial decision-makers in your household and determine your ability to contribute to sustaining our work. We suggest getting on a path to giving 5% of your income.
3) Submit your pledge card in person or online at www.foothillsuu.org/pledge or use the QR code.
4) Make a plan for payment. We highly recommend considering a monthly ACH draft, which comes out automatically each month to keep you on track. Learn more about giving options at www.foothillsuu.org/give.
$500 (monthly)
$150 $50 $80,000 $667 $333 $200 $67 $100,000 $833 $417 $250 $83 $150,000 $1,250 $625 $375 $125 $200,000 $1,667 $833 $500 $167 $250,000 $2,083 $1,042 $625 $208 $500,000 $4,167 $2,083 $1,250 $417 $1,000,000 $8,333 $4,167 $2,500 $833
to
katie@foothillsuu.org.
Calculate 5% of your household income Scantosubmita digitalpledge card If you have questions - reach out
Katie, our Director of Finance and Operations. 970-493-5906 ext. 101 or
Pick up your Courageous Love Activist Sticker, and ask your friends if they have pledged yet! BECOME A COURAGEOUS LOVE ACTIVIST 10% 5% 3% 1% $60,000
$250
If you have questions or need help with pledging, pledge payments, or donations of any kind, reach out to Katie Watkins, Director of Finance and Operations.
katie@foothillsuu.org 970-493-5906
