What criteria are used to identify organizations worthy of receiving money?

1st Unitarian Church of Chicago

  • The Social Mission Task Force collects info. on possible worthy candidates for the Third Sunday collections, then votes which will be the featured organization for the next calendar quarter.
  • Social Justice Council special collections, which would not be on the Third Sunday, might be for natural disaster relief efforts or other special events

2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
Second Unitarian Church selects an organization to receive collection plate revenue based on a set of criteria. The church prioritizes organizations that:

  • live out the UU principles of purpose;
  • do work that is consistent with the focus of Second Unitarian's social justice work
  • involve members of Second Unitarian Church
  • impact the geographic community of Second Unitarian Church and its members

Beverly Unitarian Church

  • organizations with whom church has volunteer connections
  • the UUSC

Countryside Church UU

  • Local organizations (PADS, Palatine Food Pantry, etc. are given preference).
  • Organizations are determined by a vote at the SAC meeting.
  • The Green Sanctuary committee requests a local environmental organization in which church members are actively involved.

Unitarian Church of Evanston

  • Submissions come from members of the congregation mainly. Either these are organizations that the individual members belong to or are in support of their work. They are then vetted by the minister and others. I don't know the precise criteria utilized, but they are clearly organizations doing good work that promotes some social good and that represents some of our UU values.

Northshore Unitarian Church

  • We check with the state of Illinois to be sure they are registered as not for profit

UU Church of Elgin

  • Our executive team decides where the money will go

UU Society of Geneva

  • From Charity Navigator: rating and percent of income allocated for programs rather than administration and publicity
  • From the Better Business Bureau: Number of criteria met
  • We also consider the geographic area served - trying to balance local, national, and international
  • We consider whether the mission of the organization fits with UU principles
  • We look at how long ago we supported them previously,