Giving to USNH
Giving is one way we live our values, care for one another, and sustain this beloved community.
Giving is a spiritual practice—an opportunity to reflect on the personal and communal commitments that hold us here. Our shared generosity nurtures spiritual growth, sustains our congregation, and brings Unitarian Universalist values to life within our community and beyond.
Donate via Check
Checks made out to USNH may be sent to:
700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden CT 06517
Please note the purpose of your donation on the memo line.
Donate via Text
Text (203) 769-9299
“$amt pledge” for your pledge
“$amt plate” for the offering
Thank you for your generosity!
Our generosity sustains this beloved community—
today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.
Stewardship
Annual Pledging: Sustaining Our Shared Life
Pledging is a shared spiritual practice that sustains our community year after year.
Together, our values, commitments, and actions create this beloved community. Each year, we are invited to express our gratitude and commitment by making a pledge for the upcoming operating budget. Making a pledge is more than a financial commitment; it is an act of faith and an investment in the future of this beloved community.
Why Pledge to USNH?
People pledge because this community nourishes, challenges, and sustains them. Each pledge is an expression of gratitude, trust, and shared responsibility.
WE are the stewards of this vibrant community and the keepers of its values.
WE pay it forward—our pledges help protect the legacy we pass on to future generations.
WE decide how to budget our resources and we determine our programs and priorities.
WE are solely responsible for funding USNH – its building, staff, and programs.
“In a world rife with facades and appearances, USNH not only accepts us as we truly are, but welcomes and celebrates our authenticity and differences.”
- Sandra S.
FAQ's
These questions help explain how pledging supports our shared life together.
A pledge is a promise to contribute a specific amount of money to USNH over the course of a congregational (fiscal) year, which runs from July 1 through the following June 30. Pledges of financial support provide approximately 70% of the congregation’s annual budget, making it possible to provide worship, music, religious exploration, social justice programs, pastoral care, and much more. We seek pledges in the spring for the fiscal year that begins in July so we can craft a realistic budget.
Yes. Members are expected to contribute to USNH’s financial health, according to their ability. If you are unable to make a pledge of any amount, simply check the box on the pledge form for a waiver and enter a pledge of $0.
No! Anyone can make a pledge of financial support for USNH.
No. Pledging is a personal decision and finances should never be an obstacle to membership. Pledges to USNH range from $10 to more than $20,000 a year. Your financial support, at any level, is gratefully received. You may find our Giving Guide helpful in deciding the pledge amount that is right for you.
Most people make payments regularly throughout the fiscal year (July through June), however you may fulfill your pledge whenever is most convenient for you.
If your financial circumstances change and you wish to increase or decrease your pledge, please contact Jamie Ross (office@usnh.org) to make the desired change.
No. Only identified pledge payments count toward a pledge commitment. Payments towards your pledge should always specify “pledge.” Donations to USNH without a clear indication of their purpose are considered unrestricted gifts.
Legacy Giving and the USNH Endowment
By giving to our Endowment, we ensure that our values continue to be lived and shared into the future.
Your legacy, your impact on those you care about most and the values that you stand for, is how you will be remembered. Legacy is at the intersection of dreaming and doing, imagining a better world and taking steps to create that world.
Growing the USNH Endowment is one way we care for this community across generations. The Endowment is a permanent fund that supports the long-term future of USNH. Gifts to the Endowment are invested so the principal is preserved, while a portion of the earnings may be used—by congregational vote—to support our shared ministry.
Through Endowment and legacy gifts, we express gratitude for a spiritual home that has shaped our lives and help ensure that Unitarian Universalist values—love, justice, and compassion—continue to be lived and shared far into the future.
A Legacy of Love and Commitment
Gifts to the Endowment can be made during your lifetime or as part of your estate plans, and may be given in honor or in memory of someone who has touched your life. Endowment gifts help ensure that the Unitarian Society of New Haven continues to offer spiritual nourishment, compassion, and justice long after we are gone.
To permanently direct a gift to the Endowment, please indicate in writing, on the check or in the document accompanying your gift, that it is for “USNH Endowment.”
We recognize that estate planning is deeply personal and often unfolds over time. If you are considering including USNH in your plans, we are grateful and will welcome a confidential, no obligation conversation whenever it feels right for you.
We want the USNH values of compassion, spiritual growth, and justice to inspire and challenge future generations. By including the USNH Endowment in our estate plans, we help ensure those values are sustained long after we are gone. We encourage others who feel similarly to consider making a gift to the Endowment.
- Bob and Mary Beth C.
The Legacy Society for USNH
An expression of gratitude and long-term commitment
The Legacy Society for USNH honors more than 100 members and friends who make a commitment to the future of this congregation with a bequest or other legacy gift of any size, and those who make outright gifts to the Endowment totaling $10,000 or more.
Learn More
For details about the USNH Endowment and ways to give, please download our Legacy Giving and Endowment brochure or contact the Endowment & Legacies Committee at endowment@usnh.org.
FAQ's
You can contribute cash, securities, real estate, or marketable personal property such as a vehicle, antiques, jewelry, or collectibles. In addition, a gift in your will, trust, or retirement account, as well as any other type of legacy gift, can be specified for the Endowment.
Options for making legacy gifts that will benefit USNH in the future include:
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Providing a bequest in your will
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Designating a portion of a trust
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Naming USNH as the beneficiary of a retirement account or a life insurance policy
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Establishing a charitable gift annuity with the Unitarian Universalist Association that will pay a fixed lifetime income to one or two individuals whom you name, with the remainder coming to USNH.
We suggest that you specify a percentage of your estate rather than a specific amount, so that your intentions to benefit your heirs, including USNH, will remain proportional as the value of your assets changes over time. Legacy gifts can be designated for Endowment, or made unrestricted to be used as needed by USNH.
If you are considering a gift to USNH in your estate plans with a restricted purpose other than USNH Endowment, we ask that you discuss your intention with a member of the Endowment and Legacies Committee so that we can be sure that USNH can honor your intention when your gift is received.
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No. We are grateful for gifts of any size.
No. Your plans can be revised over time as circumstances change.
No. Giving is always a personal choice, offered freely and without obligation.
A member of the Endowment & Legacies Committee will be glad to have a confidential conversation whenever you feel ready.
Email us at endowment@usnh.org.