Dear Fellowship Members and Friends,
Here at the Fellowship, we know that values aren’t just ideas – they are commitments to how we show up in the world as individuals and as a congregation.
As we see cynicism and greed making headlines nearly every day, our Fellowship leaders are helping us forge a different path grounded in our values of generosity and interdependence. We know a brighter future is possible when we all shine together, and we know that our Fellowship has an important role in making that possibility a reality.
At our annual meeting in June, we shared that the Fellowship is getting solar panels!
We need your support to help us reach our goal of raising $200,000 for the panels and other important building needs. CLICK HERE TO DONATE.
We are so excited for this important leap forward in ensuring that our building reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship and the interdependence of all life on our planet. We have been talking about the possibility of solar energy for a while now, but when we learned there would be serious increases in cost after July of 2026, representatives from our Green Sanctuary Team asked our Governing Board whether they would be ready to act NOW to get the best value possible for this important project.
After careful discernment, our Governing Board gave a unanimous “YES!” to solar panels for the Fellowship, and they knew that the up-front cost would be about $65,000 (see Financial Implications below). However, they wanted to ensure that other key building improvement needs were also accounted for in our short- and medium-term financial outlook. After looking at our building maintenance plan, they determined that in the next couple of years, we will need about $200,000 to install solar panels and ensure that other crucial maintenance doesn’t get deferred – there’s no sense installing solar panels on a roof that might leak! Eventually, we will need a large-scale capital campaign that will allow us to ensure our building is here for many decades to come. For now, we need your help to make sure we’re taking good care of our Fellowship home.
Over the past few months, over coffee and lunch, folks from our Generosity Hub have raised just over $150,000 of the $200,000 we need to install solar panels (including a partial roof replacement), maintain our heating and cooling systems, and ensure that our critical building infrastructure stays up to date. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far—we are overjoyed and deeply grateful for your generosity!
Now we need YOUR support to take us the final stretch towards truly shining together as a Fellowship! Help us raise the final $50,000 of this campaign by November 1. Our goal is to welcome Rev. Hannah back from her sabbatical in mid-November with a completed campaign and new solar panels ready for a blessing and celebration!
CLICK HERE TO DONATE to the Mini Capital Campaign, or you can send in a personal check, payable to FVUUF with “Mini Capital Campaign” in the memo line. A gift of stock can also be a form of payment as well as a charitable gift from a Donor Advised Fund or IRA. Please ensure that you have it labeled for the “Mini Capital Campaign”. If you would like to make a pledged gift but cannot pay all at once, Mini Capital Campaign giving intention forms are available in the office. If you have questions about how you can donate, please call Laura Kallio, Finance Manager, at 920-731-0849 or email laura@fvuuf.org.
Your generosity matters – We look forward to shining together!
