This year, UUCL is combining the annual pledge drive – the funds raised each year to run the church – with a capital campaign – a separate fundraiser for a new physical space for UUCL. In this Combined Campaign, Love Leads the Way.
The Annual Pledge Drive is the annual support that members and friends pledge to UUCL with a monetary donation. We estimate cost of living increases for our staff, rising costs, and the overdue hiring of a part-time bookkeeper will necessitate an increase in pledges of $20,000. After our Combined Campaign wraps, our Board Treasurer will finalize the budget for next year with precise numbers and the congregation will vote on the budget at our annual meeting in May. Your annual pledge is vital to UUCL’s mission.
The Capital Campaign is a separate fundraiser with donations to be made over three years – 2026-2029. We have set a goal of $1.1 million. Money received for the Capital Campaign will be placed in a dedicated account for the purchase of a new space for UUCL’s growing community. The Board and Space Force are hard at work looking for a new property. This capital campaign will give us the resources to move quickly when the right opportunity becomes available. Capital Campaign donations drive UUCL’s future.
You’re invited to be part of this campaign, with however much you can give. Participation is important because you will want to say that you were part of it… in whatever large or small way that you can be.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are asking our community to consider a transformational gift that will make it possible for our spiritual home to meet its vision for the future. A transformational gift can happen at all levels of giving and relates to your own financial circumstances. There are a range of gifts needed – see the Essential Gifts Chart for the Capital Campaign. Please make a gift that will be a legacy to what our congregation means to us and what we hope it will mean for future generations.
Yes! Our first priority is continuing support for the operations and programs of the church. Capital gifts are in addition to the annual budget. Our annual pledge drive is what will allow our programs to fully blossom and to keep ours a welcoming congregation. Please prioritize your annual giving if you cannot give more than your annual pledge. Any gift for our future church home is appreciated, and your commitment to the Capital Campaign can be paid in installments over three years.
You may donate in whatever timeline you like: monthly, quarterly, yearly, or one time. We will be happy to work with you to coordinate timing that is most convenient for you.
Your financial situation should determine your donation timing and amount. Please consult with your financial advisor to plan the best way to give and with what frequency. While many people will make their donation in a single transaction, many others will fulfill their pledge over one to three years.
Giving online incurs the following fees:
- Credit/Debit Cards: 2.9% + $0.30/transaction
- American Express Charge/Credit/Debit Cards: 3.5% + $0.00/transaction
- Bank Transfers (ACH): 1% + $0.25/transaction
As soon as possible and reasonable! Our hope is that the sooner donations begin, the sooner we can purchase a new space. But everyone’s circumstances are different and that’s okay – just indicate on your pledge card when you plan to start.
Visiting Stewards have paper cards for you to make a pledge on – there is no online pledge form. If you need a paper pledge card, please reach out to the Capital Campaign Committee.
If your circumstances change and you are not able to donate what you had planned, that’s okay, you can always adjust your pledge by sending a note to the capital campaign committee.
The capital campaign goal is a stretch goal, and no matter how much we raise, we will celebrate, invest it, and strive to use it wisely for our future spiritual home! Whatever amount we raise will aid us in our long-term goal of serving our mission more deeply with more space to welcome more people, and for advancing Unitarian Universalism in Loudoun County. All capital campaign funds will be placed in a designated Capital Campaign account to be used for our future spiritual home, with the understanding that, while we hope to be able to find a new space for UUCL in the near future, we cannot control when that may happen. This is a leap of faith for all of us, and one we feel confident we can manage together.
For anything not covered here, please contact the Capital Campaign Committee using the Contact Form.
Ways to Donate
Traditional checks can be made out to UUCL and mailed to the church: 20460 Gleedsville Rd. Leesburg, VA 20175 or handed to the Board Treasurer. Please write “Capital Campaign” in the memo line.
E-Checks
Like paper checks, E-checks can be made out to UUCL and sent to the address above. Please note, however, that Breeze Church Management charges a fee of 1% of the amount donated, plus $0.25 per transaction. For large donations, a paper check is preferred. You may instruct your bank to send regular check payments to UUCL.
Donations can be made on-line at the bottom of this page. First, enter the amount being donated, then complete the remaining drop down menus. Note that Breeze Church Management charges a fee equal to 2.9% of the amount donated plus $0.30 per transaction for credit and debit card donations (Amex fees are 3.5% with no transaction charge). ACH transfers incur a charge of $1% plus $0.25 per transaction.
Cash can be donated to our Capital Campaign Money Market account via wire transfer. For security, please contact the Board Treasurer prior to the wire transfer.
Donation of Stocks, Bonds or Mutual Funds can have significant tax benefits. Speak with your investment advisor or fund manager to initiate the stock transfer. Please note: the shares must be sent to the church rather than the proceeds from the stock sale for you to avoid capital gains taxes. The stock is transferred to our Vanguard Investment account, gets liquidated, and then the funds are transferred to the Capital Campaign Money Market account. Contact the Board Treasurer to receive transfer instructions. Once initiated, notify the Treasurer so that they can monitor the account for the transfer and send you a receipt.
Anyone older than age 70 ½ can make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) up to $108,000 for 2025 and $115,000 as of 2026, per individual, per year from their traditional pre-tax IRA directly to a charity and avoid paying income taxes on the QCD. If you are age 73 or older, you may be able to direct your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) to the church and not have it count toward your income; it must come directly from your account rather than from you after you have received your RMD. Contact your investment advisor to initiate a donation and review the tax benefits. Roth IRAs cannot make a QCD but charitable donations directly from your Roth IRA may allow for a tax deduction. Your tax advisor can review this benefit with you.
You can donate to charities through a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), a charitable fund where you contribute cash and assets, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then donate to charities over time. Please contact the representative at your fund for assistance with this donation. Even if your DAF does not allow you to call your donation a “pledge,” you can direct a gift from your DAF to UUCL for the capital campaign or your annual gift.
Many companies offer matching gift programs where they will donate money to a charity based on their employees’ donation. Typically you would make your donation to a charity, provide your H.R. department with a copy of your donation receipt, and then complete the internal paperwork to request a match. Please contact your employer’s H.R. department for the specifics.
Please note that giving online incurs transaction fees (see FAQ section above). We recommend writing a check as the easiest way to make your capital contribution.