Giving First

Home/Justice & Inclusion/Social Justice/Giving First

Giving First:  Living our faith by sharing our Sunday Plate Offering

Each Sunday, the offering collected during worship is split between the support of First Parish and a charitable organization consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. Near the end of each calendar year, we offer members of the congregation an opportunity to nominate a charitable organization for consideration for the upcoming year. The Giving First Task Group, which is a part of the Social Justice Committee, reviews nominations and selects the charities that will receive 50% of the plate.

We take the selection process very seriously and we want the congregation to know that these are not easy decisions for us to make. Because we get more nominations than we have months, we are unable to fund every nominee. Our inability to fund should not be taken as a statement about the value of the work of that organization: we may have received several nominations for similarly-profiled organizations and sometimes we have to say no. We do appreciate your participation in this process.

Giving First is an important way of enhancing our relationship with the broader community. It helps show the community who we are, what principles we embrace, and allows us to live out our principles through giving. The program also furthers our education by providing the congregation with heightened awareness of each recipient.

The program began in November 2009. Over the last eleven years, First Parish has donated over $225,000 to more than 120 organizations.

Giving First Nomination and Selection Process

  • Most selected charities are assigned to one month. However, because attendance and plate donations are lower in the summer months, we select two recipients that share half the plate for the months of June, July, and August.
  • Most recipients receive somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000.
  • We seek to ensure our donations are impactful and well managed, and to fund a diverse range of missions consistent with our values. A summary of our major selection criteria is shown below.
  • We typically receive one and a half to two or more times as many nominations as we have months to fill.
  • We ask for nominations on a yearly basis to keep the program fresh and to give everyone a chance to participate.
  • We take the selection process very seriously and we want the congregation to know that these are not easy decisions for us to make. Because we get more nominations than we have months, we are unable to fund every nominee. Our inability to fund should not be taken as a statement about the value of the work of that organization: we may have received several nominations for similarly-profiled organizations and sometimes we have to say no. We do appreciate your participation in this process.
  • If you nominate an organization that is chosen for the program, the Giving First Task Force will ask you to provide further information for the e-bulletin, order of service, News Item and Sunday announcement as well as the organization’s tax ID.
  • In the past, nominators have found ways to promote relationship-building between First Parish and the recipient organization, such as inviting a representative of the organization to socialize at coffee hour, requesting in advance that the organization might speak at a worship service, bringing materials to distribute after worship, running letter-writing or signature drives, and making known specific non-monetary needs of the organization.

Giving First Selection Criteria

The criteria include:

  • Nonprofit status – IRS recognized 501(c)(3) status is required
  • Organizational mission – We review the mission itself, and ensure selected organizations cover a diversity of missions which are consistent with UU Values and relevant to our congregation’s social justice concerns
  • Potential impact – We assess the impact our funds would have on the organization and its mission. This criteria favors smaller organizations with lean budgets.
  • Ties with First Parish Arlington – We explore ties to our community and potential ways for the congregation and youth to become involved
  • Financial review – We review the organization’s financial statements/IRS Form 990 reporting to make sure they are solid stewards of donated funds
  • Variety – The same organization can not be selected in consecutive years
  • Community engagement – No more than one nomination per person will be considered

Giving First Nomination

To nominate an organization, use the form below. For more information, contact givingfirst@firstparish.info

Your Name(Required)
Your Email(Required)
What does the organization do. What is its mission?
Please briefly address the ways that First Parish already engages, or could possibly engage, with this organization.
Please provide the URL for this organization’s annual report and/or provide Guidestar or other non-profit rating if available. If there is no annual report, please give some indication of the organization’s budget or financial status. (Nomination forms that do not provide this information will not be considered)