Generosity Campaign 2027
In Christ We are One: Woven Together by Love
Each year, our church comes together to dream, plan, and build a budget that carries our ministry into the year ahead. Together we decide what we can offer the world — our youth, our neighbors, our music, our care for one another — and at what level. That’s why every gift, every pledge, matters so deeply. It’s how we turn our shared hopes into transformative ministry.
What is a pledge?
A pledge is simply your best, prayerful estimate of what you plan to give over the coming year. Each fall, we send out pledge cards and materials to help in discerning what feels right for your family. Then our trustees and church leadership build the following year’s budget, trusting in the generosity you’ve shared with us.
The 2027 Generosity Campaign is part of this season of discernment. A time when we pause together to imagine what’s possible for the year ahead, and to say yes to it.
Why your pledge matters
As a congregational church, we rely entirely on the generosity of our own members and friends and receive no funding from the denomination. 95% of our annual budget comes directly from the generosity of United Church families and friends, with additional support from building rental income, bequests, and our endowment.
Your giving is what allows this church to be so alive with joyful youth programming, music that lifts our spirits, outreach and justice work that lives out our faith in the world, a beautiful building that welcomes all, and a staff we are so grateful to call our own.
As we look toward 2027, we’re grateful for you, and we hope you’ll walk this journey of generosity with us.
Give to United Church
At United Church of Chapel Hill, giving is an act of love and a declaration of who we are. We are a welcoming, spirited community, united by a shared vision of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. We are stewards of our beautiful church home, a place devoted to justice and to the community we belong to. We are proud to be an Open and Affirming congregation, and we celebrate the richness of our multicultural ministry.
Your financial gifts ensure that we are building a community where everyone is welcomed, children and youth are nurtured in faith, neighbors are cared for with compassion, and hope is put into action.
Other Ways to Give
Give by Check – Make checks payable to United Church of Chapel Hill and send to:
United Church of Chapel Hill
1321 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Appreciated Securities (Stock) – Gifts of securities, such as stocks and mutual funds, entitle you to an income tax charitable deduction for their full market value.
Electronic Funds – If you would like your gifts to be automatically drafted from your bank account, please contact Duane Gilbert,
Donor Advised Fund (DAF) – Please consider directing grants from your DAF to United Church of Chapel Hill.
IRA Distribution – Those who have reached age 70.5 can take advantage of charitable IRA distributions each year. A direct transfer from an individual retirement account to UCCH can be counted toward an individual’s Required Minimum Distribution each year.
Questions? Contact
Duane Gilbert, Business Manager
Email: dgilbert@unitedchurch.org
Phone: 919-338-7920
Access My Giving (Realm)
Log in to Realm to view your giving history, update your pledge, or manage recurring gifts.
Planned Giving
What is Your Legacy?
For over a century, United Church has served Chapel Hill with unwavering conviction and deep devotion to our Christian faith. Through beautiful and inspiring music and worship, bold social justice ministries, and steadfast leadership at pivotal moments in history, we have stood as both a refuge for the weary and a beacon for justice.
Every time we walk through our doors, gather for worship, or take part in the programs and community we cherish, we stand on the foundation built by beneficiaries that came before us. By including the United Church in your estate plan, you become part of that legacy, and you are sharing your faith with those who come after us.
- Bequest through your will or trust
- Retirement assets (i.e., pension plans, IRAs)
- Life income through a trust
- Privately held securities
- Charitable gift annuities
- Naming United Church of Chapel Hill as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy
Consultation with a financial advisor and/or a tax professional is recommended when considering planned giving options.
Made possible by the UCC Pension Boards, United Church of Chapel Hill has partnered with FreeWill to offer a secure, free online tool for creating or updating your will. This service is available to everyone at no cost, whether or not you choose to include a charitable gift to the church.
Opportunities for Giving
Bequests made from our members created the first endowment fund of our congregation, chartered in 1982. Since that time, generous bequests and compounded growth have extended our reach into the Chapel Hill community and contributed to the care of our building and property as a shared community resource. Our Deacons and Church Council oversee the management and distribution of funds from these endowments:
- Mission and Outreach Fund – This fund makes grants for benevolences and social justice in response to proposals generated by our community.
- Peacemaking Scholarship Fund – Our congregation awards scholarships each May to graduating high school students who show evidence of vocational interest in peacemaking and conflict transformation.
- United Church Preschool Fund – This fund supports the long-term stewardship of our ministry with children.
In 2011, members of our congregation engaged the North Carolina Community Foundation to create endowments for the benefit of our congregation. The benefit of giving toward funds managed by NCCF is that a trusted community organization stewards these funds and monitors the congregation’s compliance with any restrictions on the funds. The United Church receives a distribution each year from NCCF representing 5% of the principal value.
- Building and Grounds Endowment Fund – This fund is restricted to the maintenance of our physical plant. Annual distributions are received by our Maintenance Reserve Fund and deployed by the Board of Trustees for the upkeep of our building and property.
- UCCH Endowment Fund – This fund provides unrestricted income to the congregation.
Give Now
Give easily and securely online. Give a single gift or schedule recurring donations.