Dear St. John’s,

Remember how we were going to hold house parties during our spring pledge campaign?

We still want to talk, but we’re doing it differently – keeping us all safe.

Pledges still will build our budget for 2020-2021 and that budget will reflect what we love and want to support at St. John’s. Giving still matters, and to continue that conversation, you’ll be receiving a letter (actual paper!) with more details and a request to pledge what you can for next year.

For now, please see this heartfelt message from Rev. Mitra, Board President Matt Cowperthwait, Generosity Team Chair Joetta Prost, and member Kate Elliott.  After viewing it, please come back to this letter.

Pledges are for next year, but what about now?

We have positive points to share:

1. Similar to how the coordinated effort by all of us to stay home helps keep each other healthy, a coordinated effort by church leaders and members to use our combined resources will help St. John’s be alive and thrive through this period and after.
2. We also recognize that responsible use of resources includes funding our commitments.
3. Good news!  We are maintaining our generous support of several community organizations.
4. Abundance is possible! In a time of reduced pledging and plate collections, we have   ways to access needed funds.
5. We believe that those who can, will give more.

Details on those points:

1. With board members, staff and congregants committing to care for each other and for St. John’s, we are keeping connected as best we can, offering online services, virtual coffee hour, classes and more – at little to no cost beyond salaries. We hope you still feel strongly connected to St. John’s. If you have a particular need during this pandemic please let us know, at minister@stjohnsuu.org.
2. We don’t want to be the only entity surviving and thriving, so we intend to continue supporting the social justice agencies that we commit to during the year.  It may not be via in-person volunteering for now, but there are other ways.
3. We already gave the Outreach grants that we allotted for this year. Soon we’ll be able to host virtual split-the-plate offerings. (see #4.) With existing funds and more than $100 from fall soup sales, we can pay the $200 we committed to support the immigrant sanctuary program at Clifton United Methodist Church.
4. We are missing about $1,000/month when we can’t pass a plate during service. And we know that closed businesses mean some folks may not be able to make their 2019-2020 pledge payments for a period of time.  But guess what?
5. Those who are able can add up the dollars they would normally place in the plate (and maybe some of the money you’re saving on gasoline) by giving with our new Give+ app. Soon we’ll be able to do a “split-the-plate” with this app.
6. We have reserves (our “savings account” from which the Board can draw to cover expenses as needed) to help replace pledge funds that are no longer possible from members and friends who are dealing with unemployment during this pandemic.

The available reserves are approximately $125,000 today and our policy allows us to use up to 25% of those available reserves in any one year to make up a deficit.  The policy can be changed by the board.  

• We also have a well-funded Legacy Endowment Fund from which the board can allocate funds (in appropriate, charter-controlled ways) to maintain our commitment to the congregation and the broader community. Leaders are exploring best use of such resources to assist with immediate needs in the Cincinnati area.
• We can supplement the funding for our employee salaries with the federal Paycheck Protection Program, for which we qualify. (This is the topic of the April 19 congregational meeting.)
• The impact of COVID-19 is significant. But, we appreciate and know that those who remain able to maintain or increase their pledges to St. John’s will do so. We are in this together, and we will come out of this together.

St. John’s has been here for more than 200 years and intends to be here for every day and every year that people need it. Please let us know if you need support, at minister@stjohnsuu.org.

Rev. Mitra Jafarzadeh

Minister

St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church                

Matthew Cowperthwait 

Board President

St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church