Giving at First Parish

Below are the many ways to make your pledge. Use whatever is easiest for you! Your gift will be received with great gratitude.

• Pledge online at uuneedham.org by doing the following:
  • Click on “Sign In” to enter your Realm account.
  • Click on the “Giving” tab.
  •  Click on “+ Pledge” and select “Annual Budget Drive 2026-27”.
  • Enter your total annual pledge. (Please select the “as can” option, regardless of frequency on paying your pledge. You can pay using any frequency that you want).
• If you received a pledge form in the mail, you can do one of the following:
  • Put it in the mail.
  • Drop it off at the church office (if the building is closed, put it in the mail slot to the right of the Lincoln Street entrance).
  • Give it to a member of the Budget Drive team at coffee hour.
• Email the church office (office@uuneedham.org), or email any of the Budget Drive members
  • David Manard dminard@dminard.com
  • Robert DeNoble radenoble@gmail.com
  • Kevin McCormick kevinmcsail@gmail.com
• Call and leave a message for Susanna at the church office 781-444-0823.

We are asking each household to reflect on how First Parish can Grow Our Circle Wider, and
to give generously with that in mind. The average household gave about $2,700 last year, and pledges ranged from under $50 to over $15,000.  As we often say, “give until it feels good!” The science of happiness shows that generous giving increases our overall “happiness quotient,” especially to organizations to which we have a personal relationship and deeply believe in its mission.

Our national denomination, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Fair Share Giving Guide suggests an annual giving range of 2-10% of household income. As a starting point, we invite each First Parish household to consider giving at a level of 2.5% to 3.0%, or whatever percentage feels right to you.  We know and celebrate that many First Parishioners give generously to First Parish and many other worthy non-profits. We’re aiming for a congregation-wide average increase of 6% over last year to meet our Budget Drive goal.

You can use any of the following methods:

• Send a check to the office by using either of the following:
• Note: please put “Pledge 26-27” in the memo line!
  • The US Mail; or
  • Drop it off at the church office (If the building is closed, put it in the mail slot to the right of the Lincoln St. entrance).
• Pay online using Realm by doing the following:
  • Click on the “Sign In” to enter your Realm account.
  • Click on the “Giving” tab.
  • Click on the “+Give” tab.
  • Enter the amount you wish to give at this time.
  • Select the Fund as “Annual Budget Drive 2026-27.
  • Click on “continue” and follow the prompts to pay from your bank account or a credit card. Set up an electronic fund transfer (EFT) from your bank account directly to First Parish.
• Set up electronic fund transfers (EFTs) from your bank directly to the First Parish bank account.
• Pay by donating Stock or other securities (with potential tax advantage).  Note: To arrange successful EFT or Stock transfer, please contact Susanna Whitman in the church office 0ffice@uuneedham.org or (781) 444-0823.
• Pay directly from a 401k or IRA, if you are receiving a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). (with potential tax advantage). Please contact Kevin McCormick kevinmcsail@gmail.com for more information.

You can pay anytime from the time that you make your pledge until the end of the 2026-2027 congregational year on June 30, 2027.

You can pay using:

• One lump sum
• Quarterly
• Monthly 
• Or any schedule that works for you.

There are various options for making legacy gifts to the parish. We encourage you to work with your attorney and/or financial advisor to select the approach that is right for you.

Four basic options are outlined below:

• bequests;
• retirement plan beneficiary designations;
• life insurance beneficiary designations; and
• charitable gift annuities.

There are additional options you may wish to consider under certain circumstances, including pooled income funds, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable lead trusts, that will not be discussed further here. Pooled income funds are more attractive in a higher interest rate environment. Charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts are more complex and individualized vehicles better discussed with your professional advisors.

A bequest is a provision in your will or revocable trust designating a fixed dollar amount, a percentage of your assets, or the remainder of your estate will be given to First Parish in Needham, upon settlement of your estate. Most bequests are fully revocable while you are alive.

Language for Wills

You may add a simple codicil to your will to create a bequest for First Parish. You can make a specific bequest by identifying a block of stock or bonds, a specific parcel of real estate, or other clearly identified marketable asset. Or, you can make a cash bequest in a specific amount or as a percentage of your estate. You can also make a residual bequest from the remaining assets in your estate after all other specific bequests and settlement costs are satisfied.

Most bequests are undesignated which makes them available for general use as part of the General Endowment Fund. This fund exists in perpetuity and generates annual income for First Parish. If you wish to designate a bequest for a particular program or other purpose at First Parish, please contact the parish administrator to ensure your bequest can be accepted.

The following sample language can be used to fulfill your charitable objectives:

Specific Amount: I give, devise, and bequeath $ ______________ to First Parish in Needham.

Percentage Bequest: I give, devise, and bequeath __________ % of my gross estate to First Parish in Needham.

Residuary Bequest: I give, devise and bequeath the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to First Parish in Needham.

Language for Trusts

You may amend your revocable trust to create a bequest for First Parish in Needham. This can be done at any time or as part of a review and updating of your trust, which is recommended every 5-10 years as the relevant laws change. You can make a specific bequest by identifying a block of stock or bonds, a specific parcel of real estate, or other clearly identified item. Or, you can make a cash bequest in a specific amount or as a percentage of your estate. You can also make a residual bequest from the remaining assets in your estate after all other specific bequests and settlement costs are satisfied.

Most bequests are undesignated which makes them available for general use as part of the General Endowment Fund. This fund exists in perpetuity and generates annual income for First Parish. If you wish to designate a bequest for a particular program or other purpose at First Parish, please contact the parish administrator to ensure your bequest can be accepted.

The following sample language can be used to fulfill your charitable objectives:

Specific Amount: The Trustee shall distribute $ ______________ to First Parish in Needham.

Percentage Bequest: The Trustee shall distribute __________ % of my gross estate to First Parish in Needham.

Residuary Bequest: The Trustee shall distribute the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to First Parish in Needham.

You can designate First Parish as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), or 403(b) plan, for a specific amount or a percentage of total assets. Such gifts can save on income and estate taxes.

Leaving a portion of your retirement plan account to First Parish in Needham can help you get the most value from your estate and protect your heirs from taxes. These retirement assets are subject to income taxes when paid out to a taxable entity (i.e., most people, even your spouse or children), even when the estate is too small to owe estate taxes. These taxes can reduce the amount received by your heirs by up to 35 percent.

In contrast, nonprofit organizations such as First Parish are eligible to receive the full amount at your death without facing any income tax liability. Income taxes can be avoided or reduced through a carefully planned charitable gift. There are three common approaches:

• Designate First Parish in Needham as a primary beneficiary for a percentage (1 to 100 percent) of your retirement plan account.
• Designate a specific amount to be paid to First Parish in Needham before the remainder is directed to family or other individuals.
• Make First Parish in Needham the contingent beneficiary to receive the balance only if a loved one, as primary beneficiary, doesn’t survive you.

To implement your wishes, please contact your plan administrator, then complete and sign whatever forms are required. This can often be done on-line. You may wish to contact your attorney to be sure you are using the correct language.

You can designate First Parish in Needham as a beneficiary of all or a portion of your life insurance benefits.

A traditional life insurance policy (with an accumulated cash value) can be a valuable asset. If the original purpose for the protection no longer applies—such as to educate children now grown or to provide financial security for a spouse now deceased—a life insurance policy can be redirected to help support a worthwhile cause such as First Parish in Needham.

To implement your wishes, please contact your life insurance agent or company and obtain and complete the needed change of beneficiary form. You may wish to contact your attorney to be sure you are using the correct language.

First Parish’s Charitable Gift Annuity program is professionally managed and administered by the Office of Legacy Gifts at the Unitarian Universalist Association and State Street Global Advisors. First Parish’s parish administrator can help connect you to the UUA to establish a charitable gift annuity.

A charitable gift annuity is a good arrangement for someone looking to augment their retirement income because it generates a fixed dollar income for the rest of your life. In exchange for your irrevocable gift of at least $10,000 in cash or publicly traded securities, the UUA will pay you a lifetime income based on your age (minimum 65) at the time of your gift. At the end of your life, money remaining in the annuity (the ultimate gift) is distributed to First Parish (and/or the UUA) as you specify. The gift annuity can be for one or two people, so a spouse or other loved one can also receive payments for life.

A portion of the initial gift is income tax–deductible based on IRS rules about the expected value of the ultimate gift. Charitable gift annuity payments are partially income tax–free throughout your estimated life expectancy. If you use appreciated stock to make a gift, you can usually eliminate capital gains tax on a portion of the gift and spread the rest of the gain over your life expectancy.

Thank you for your interest in making a Legacy Gift to First Parish in Needham.

To notify us of a legacy gift/record a bequest, complete our Legacy Giving Form  and return it to the church office.

For more information, download our Legacy Giving Guide.

UUA Planned Giving Information:

• UUA Planned Giving Website;
• Laura Randall, Office of Legacy Gifts at the Unitarian Universalist Association, 617-948-6511, giftplans@uua.org

• First Parish in Needham is an IRS-qualified tax-exempt organization.
• We are a member in good standing of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
• First Parish’s federal identification number (FEIN) is 04-2347461.
• A completed IRS Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification is available upon request.
• For tax purposes, bequests, legacies, devises, or transfers to the Church are deductible as they accord with the provision of the Internal Revenue Code.