Share The Plate

Welcome to the home of the Northwoods Share the Plate program.  Northwoods is a caring and blessed community, and we seek to share our blessings with our local area and the world at large.  Here you will find more information on what we do.

What Is Share the Plate?
Share the Plate is an opportunity to expand our giving beyond the boundaries of our beloved church community.  The 2nd Sunday of each month has been designated as Share the Plate Sunday.  On those Sundays, proceeds from the offertory plate will be given to a designated recipient organization or cause.

Donors may specify -- via written note on their check or with a special envelope that will be made available -- that all of their funds be given to the chosen recipient.  Cash and undesignated checks will be halved between the Share the Plate recipient and Northwoods.

Share the Plate is a new program for Northwoods, but other UU churches have used the program to contribute tens of thousands of dollars to charities and community needs.  We are confident that this new way of giving will be warmly received by Northwoods UU members and friends, giving us all a richly meaningful way to put our principles into practice.

Here are some links for more information:
UUWiki - First UU Church of Austin ProgramA model program with information that covers all the basic elements.
Sharing the Plate Increases GivingArticle by Donald Skinner describing Share the Plate programs at several churches.
Share the Plate at First UU-San AntonioAn established program with lots of good info on their pages.

Northwoods Share the Plate Policies and Forms
Any member (or friend) of Northwoods UU Church may nominate an organization or cause to be a Share the Plate recipient.  A nomination form maybe downloaded here.
        Nomination for Recipient Organization Form

The form should be completed and submitted to the Share the Plate Committee for approval.  Completed forms may be left on the desk of the Office Administrator (Sheryl Shuster) or given to an individual Committee member.  To nominate an organization or cause you must provide identifying contact information and be able to describe:

Share the Plate Committee meetings will be held monthly at which time future recipients will be designated.  Chosen recipient organizations/causes will receive the assigned offertory proceeds for two (2) consecutive months.  If you need additional information contact the Committee by email.

Charities Gallery

July & August 2008, Honduras Clinic