More than 85% of Albany UU’s annual funding comes from the generosity of members and friends. Your financial support sustains our worship, programs, justice work, pastoral care, community partnerships, and the many ways we nurture connection and belonging.

Every gift helps support a vibrant and compassionate Unitarian Universalist community.

We are grateful for every contribution, regardless of how it is given. Many members choose to give by cash, check, or bank transfer to help reduce processing fees and maximize the impact of their support.

Rows of colorful peony, rose, and carnation bouquets in glass vases on a table

Types of Giving

Pledge

The primary way members and friends support Albany UU is through an annual financial pledge. Pledges help the congregation plan responsibly and sustain our ministries throughout the year.

Current members and friends are invited to pledge each spring during our annual Stewardship Drive. New members and friends are welcome to begin pledging at any time.

Complete Online Pledge Form

Donate

One-time gifts are always welcome and may be made at any time by cash, check, online payment, stock transfer, or other methods listed below.

Donate Online Today

Sunday Offering

An offering is collected during each Sunday service. Unless otherwise designated, contributions are shared equally between Albany UU and a nonprofit organization selected through our Share the Plate program.

Each month’s Share the Plate partner reflects our Unitarian Universalist values and supports meaningful work in the local community and beyond.

Learn More About Share the Plate

Endowment Giving, John Cross Legacy Society

The John Cross Legacy Society recognizes members and friends of Albany UU who choose to include the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany in their estate plans or other planned gifts.

A planned gift can be a meaningful way to support the congregation you care about while helping shape its future for generations to come.

Learn More About John Cross Legacy Society

Ways to Send Your Gift

Online

Make a one-time gift or set up recurring payments through your bank account or credit card.

Bank account transfers generally result in lower processing fees than credit card transactions.

Text

Text your contribution to
(844) 976-2618.

You can designate a fund by adding it after the amount such as “20 pledge” or “20 offering”

Check / Cash

Mail checks to

Albany UU
405 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12206

Checks and cash may also be placed in the Sunday collection plate.

Please note the purpose of your contribution on the memo line.

If you wish to make a gift through a stock transfer, please contact the Albany UU office at (518) 463-7135.

Your Legacy Matters!

John Cross Legacy Society

The John Cross Legacy Society recognizes members and friends of Albany UU who include the congregation in their estate plans or other planned gifts.

The Society honors John Cross, a visionary Albany UU member and president in the 1980s. John cared deeply about the congregation and its future. When he died unexpectedly, he left a substantial bequest to Albany UU. At the time, the congregation had no endowment. His gift provided the foundation for what became our Endowment Trust.

Since then, generations of members and friends have built on that foundation. Today, the endowment provides thousands of dollars each year to fund projects that strengthen and enrich our congregation, as well as supplement our annual budget.

The John Cross Legacy Society carries this tradition forward, helping ensure that Albany UU remains a thriving community for generations to come.

Ways to Make a Planned Gift

  • Leave a gift in your will or trust, either as a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or a portion of what remains after other gifts.

  • Name Albany UU as a beneficiary of an IRA, retirement plan, life insurance policy, or other account.

  • Explore other planned giving options with your attorney or financial advisor.

You may designate your gift to the Special Projects Endowment Trust, the Operations Endowment Trust, or both. If you do not specify a trust, your gift will be divided equally between the two. The instruction sheet includes sample bequest language and additional information about ways to make a planned gift.

Please consult your attorney or financial advisor before creating or changing your estate plan. The sample language above is provided for informational purposes and should be reviewed for your individual circumstances.

If you have already included Albany UU in your estate plan, you are a member of the John Cross Legacy Society. Please let the Endowment Trustees know so we can recognize your generosity and welcome you into the Society.

Each year, we gather for a special reception to celebrate and thank members of the John Cross Legacy Society for the lasting legacy they are creating for Albany UU.

Group photo of the 2024 John Cross Award recipients posing together indoors

The First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
405 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
Federal Tax ID: 14-1509821

Ready to Give?

However you choose to give, your support keeps Albany UU going.