First Unitarian Church 
of Wilmington Delaware 
What does it take to run our church for a year?
We experience each week what this congregation offers to us, to newcomers, and to the broader community. We provide:
  • Worship services in our building and online engage us in a deeper reflection of our lives and our concerns for our world. Each service allows us to feel supported and inspired by preaching, music, meditative prayer, and fellowship with one another.
  • Soul Matters small groups and hybrid adult programming (LifeStream programs) to support our ongoing growth, learning, and relationships with one another.
  • Religious exploration programs for our children and youth and their families include learning, worship, social justice projects, and a community to nurture them in their unfolding lives and faith.
  • Music, choirs and concert programs such as the Diamond State Concert Band Holiday Concert.
As a congregation, we support others in the broader community through direct service and advocacy as we endeavor to live out our UU Principles in tangible and impactful ways.

Our church community, friends, and neighbors rely on our services. To maintain and build upon what we currently do, we want to ensure that all of us know what it takes financially to support what we are doing now and what it will take to sustain what our congregation does into the future.

Do you know what the financial outlook is for our church? Well, here is a recap of the expected results for the current year (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023) and the proposal for budget year 2023-2024.
To be financially sustainable, we need to increase our income by $100,000 per year!
Our policies require us to submit a balanced budget for the next year to the congregation. To do that this year, we had to take 3 actions:
  1. Increase our annual pledge drive goal by $50,000.
  2. Take 5% out of the Heritage Fund earnings (increase of $9,000)
  3. Take $40,000 out of our "rainy day fund" (general reserves.) Our rainy day fund will be down to about $20,000 after this budget year, so that reserve fund money is almost gone.
The Board has formed a Financial Sustainability Task Force to find ways to increase our funds by $100,000 per year. The Strategic Planning team also has an action planning group focused on financial sustainability. The congregation will be asked to vote on some plans from these groups at upcoming annual meetings. We may not have all the answers this year, but we have to find solutions!  Our church community and our friends and neighbors rely on the services we provide. We can all be part of the solution, so please stay involved and look for more communications on our plans. 
Linda Sanders and the Stewardship Team
Publications Office | First Unitarian Church | 302-478-2384 | Email | Website