Sunday Offering
What is the role of the EUUC Sunday Offering committee?
Sunday Offering committee facilitates one of the many ways that EUUC extends the reach of our mission. We accept and vet nominations to support organizations from the membership. The committee arranges for a spokesperson from the organization to briefly introduce their organization’s work to the congregation. Due to COVID-19 protocol those introductions are now available via video.
When did EUUC begin the Sunday offering?
In 2006 Pat Garrity read an article in the UU magazine about a church that was donating their offering to another nonprofit once a month. Pat was chair at the time of the Services Committee (no longer in existence). She took that idea to Social Concerns and they thought it was a good idea so she took the idea to Ed Brock, our minister at the time, who thought it was a great idea and thought it would be even better to do it every week and that’s how it started. The rest is history.
Who receives the Sunday offering?
The recipients of our monthly donations are organizations engaged in environmental action, peace and justice education and advocacy, or social justice projects.
All the checks written to the EUUC with “cause” on the memo line and all online donations for “Sunday Offering” are given directly to the recipient organization.
How does one nominate an organization?
We invite you to fill out the online form to nominate an organization. Of course, not all of the nominations we receive will be selected.
Are you interested in joining the committee or learning more?
Here is a short FAQ:
~ How often and when does the Sunday Offering (SO) committee meet to review the submissions?
Ans: We meet around 4 times a year. Typically we meet in January, April, June and October. The dates are determined via consensus of the group members
~ What happens with the nominations?
Nomination arrives via the form >> located here. Someone from the SO reviews the nomination, does research and addresses questions, if any. We meet during one of our regularly scheduled meetings and do the final vetting. The list of fully vetted nominees are placed in a suggested place on the calendar (sometimes based on the nominator’s request but due to other things is not always). That list is then sent as a recommendation to the Social Justice Committee (SJC) for approval. The SJC meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
~ Do we hear if the organization we submitted is chosen or not, and if it is not chosen?
Yes. After the SJC meeting we inform all EUUC parties of the results. That includes nominators, ministers, TWAE, EUUC, website managers etc. The SO committee lead then reaches out to the approved nominee to let them know that they will be a beneficiary and to request that they prepare a video that will be used to introduce them to the congregation. At the end of the offering we have the check sent to the listed party.
~ Does the submission stay in an active capacity (if not selected the first time) for the next go-round or do we need to resubmit it?
Unless there is an issue with the submission then there should not be a need to roll over. With that said, if there is an issue with the nomination we will kick it back to the nominator ASAP for more information or other assistance.
~ Does it matter or is there a strategy on timing for submission of these or should we submit as soon as we decide as a group we support an organization for consideration?
We do not meet every month. We suggest that one get in as many nominations as soon as possible. Let the nominations come forth as quickly as you can get them. Also if you have a preferred month, please let us know. But there is no guarantee that order will be followed. The SJC is the one that makes the final call.
Contact: Sunday Offering
Sunday Offering News
- February Sunday Offering – Books to Prisoners January 30, 2023Books To Prisoners is a Seattle-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster a love of reading behind bars, encourage the pursuit of knowledge and self-empowerment, and break the cycle of recidivism. They believe that books are tools for learning and for opening minds to new ideas and possibilities, and engage incarcerated individuals with the ...Read more
- January Sunday Offering – International Convocation of UU Women December 27, 2022The International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women (IWC) is the cause of the month for January 2023! Your Sunday Offering committee requests that you support this gathering of UU women as they work to advance women’s empowerment around the world IWC is an NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, ...Read more
- December Sunday Offering – Cedar River Clinics November 30, 2022Advocates for Women asks the congregation to join them in celebrating and supporting Cedar River Clinics as the December Sunday cause of the month. Cedar River Clinics, run by the Feminist Women’s Health Center (FWHC), has provided compassionate reproductive health care, birth control, and abortions for over 40 years. FWHC was founded in Yakima in ...Read more
- November Sunday Offering – Worthy Now Prison Ministry Program October 30, 2022License Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed) The Worthy Now Ministry is the Cause of the month for November. The Worthy Now Prison Ministry is a special program of the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) which serves people in prison. This program now serves 1500 members of the 4,000 members of the CLF and is ...Read more
- October Sunday Offering – Ukrainian Association of Washington State September 28, 2022Neonatal Incubators For Ukraine Ukrainian Association of Washington State (UAWS) is the Cause of the month for October. UAWS is a not-for-profit independent entity, with no political, business, or religious affiliations operates as an all volunteer-run organization. The Board Members and Volunteers are all unpaid workers. Per their mission: “In the peaceful times, we promote Ukraine in ...Read more
- September Sunday Offering – Washington Kids in Transition August 30, 2022Washington Kids in Transition is the Cause of the month for September. Washington Kids in Transition is committed to providing basic needs to homeless children and their families so that they can live life without worrying about where they will sleep or what they will eat. They serve children who are in the Edmonds School ...Read more
- July and August Sunday Offering – Interfaith Family Shelter Capital Campaign June 28, 2022The Family Shelter has changed many lives. This is one story. Interfaith Family Shelter is the Cause of the month for July and August. Interfaith Family Shelter offers families non-discriminatory low-barrier access to shelter and resources. Their main emergency shelter is located in downtown Everett and can accommodate up to 11 families with children at any ...Read more
- June Sunday Offering – World Central Kitchen May 30, 2022Video used here by permission from World Central Kitchen World Central Kitchen (WCK) is the Cause of the Month for June. Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises while working to build resilient food systems with locally led ...Read more
- May Sunday Offering – Reclaim our Vote April 27, 2022Here is a report by one of the Center For Common Ground campaigns in Roanoke, Virgnina The Reclaim our Vote campaign is the Sunday Offering cause for May. The Reclaim Our Vote Campaigns are a project of the Center For Common Ground (CFCG). CFCG is a people of color founded and led non-profit and non-partisan organization. ...Read more
- April Sunday Offering – Puget Soundkeeper April 1, 2022Puget Soundkeeper is the Sunday Offering recipient for April. Their mission states, “Puget Soundkeeper’s mission is to protect and enhance the waters of Puget Sound for the health and restoration of our aquatic ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.” They accomplish this mission in many ways including monitoring Puget Sound water quality, helping ...Read more
- Sunday Offering – March NW Abortion Access Fund February 28, 2022This is an interview conducted by our very own Barbara Ford of the Advocates for Women Northwest Abortion Access Fund (NWAAF) is the Sunday Offering cause for March. This organization was nominated by our Advocates for Women (A4W). A4W believe that all people have the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have ...Read more
- Sunday Offering – February 2022 – Afghan Health Initiative February 2, 2022Afghan Health Initiative (AHI) is the Sunday Offering organization for February. Afghan Health Initiative, is a grass-roots non-profit organization in the State of Washington founded by current and former immigrants and refugees who were trying to navigate the complexities of their new lives. AHI was founded to help immigrant and refugee communities maximize their potential ...Read more