We continue to make great progress on our building and courtyard plans that will realize our vision and themes of renewal, accessibility, and enhancement for ourselves, the broader community, and future generations. Check out our high-level architectural drawings for the hallway expansion and new restrooms and the completely renovated courtyard. Groundbreaking scheduled for July 1. Please give generously to help make this happen.
| Floor plan with new part shaded | New enlarged restrooms | New addition and courtyard | Plans and Pictures |
On January 14, 2024, about 50 members attended a Workshop to receive an update on the Capital Project including the timeline (groundbreaking on July 1) and financial report. All were encouraged to make their pledge if they have not yet done so or to raise their pledge by 10%. We are almost at $2M! The presentation includes slides showing the new planned hallway and restrooms as well as a detailed new courtyard design with native plants, a Memorial Garden, Gallery Plaza, and Outdoor Performance space. Attendees voted on their top 3 Fellowship Hall priorities in addition to sanding and refinishing the floor. We are getting closer!
Please view the 9/21/23 recorded Zoom meeting of the building/grounds update for the capital campaign. The passcode is +43Xn7.3
Building & Grounds Project Underway!
Renewal, accessibility, and enhancement remain at the core of the Building and Grounds Project scope that the Board of Trustees, including Rev. Cory, approved in August. As detailed at the June congregational meeting, our successful capital campaign garnered over $1.8M in financial commitments for the project.
We dreamed big, and the great news is that most of the improvements originally envisioned, based on member input and feed-back last year, will be included even though we have yet to reach our stretch goal of $2.5M. Core elements include the redesigned spacious hallway, modern ADA-compliant restrooms, new accessible parking spots, new entryway flooring, a redesigned courtyard with amenities and stage for the congregation and community, and deferred maintenance items including curing the Wright Room’s persistent water problem.
Progress is well underway. If you look up, you may catch a glimpse of the 42 new solar panels on our roof, which are already generating energy savings and reducing our carbon impact. Half of the roof is now sealed, with the rest to come later. We have retained and received various reports from our architect, general contractor, structural engineer, civil engineer, and surveyor. Next up – replacing our old and tired sewer line! More excitement and details will follow.
There will be a Zoom meeting on Thursday, Sept. 21st from 7 to 8 pm to provide additional information and answer questions. Please mark your calendar.
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82894039784
The Board is seeking to raise at least $150,000 more to finish the “core” project and begin to plan a phase 2 that will include more for the lower level including a daycare center. It’s not too late to give (or give more) and forever be remembered as being a contributor to this enduring legacy for UU Marin.
Many thanks to the Building Task Force members Christopher Gilkerson, Linda Haumann, Rich Cohen, John Eller, Margy Eller, Jim Harrison, Jim Finn, and Susan Mathews for their ongoing work.
On June 4, 2023, the Capital Campaign task force along with Rev. Liefert and the entire congregation, celebrated the milestone of having close to $1.9 M in commitments! We will continue to work towards our goal of $2.5M. We marked the occasion with a special cake and had Rev. Liefert take a “ceremonial first dig” with a toy shovel. Cake was enjoyed by all!
Please visit our donate page and choose the “Capital Campaign fund” from the dropdown menu or contact:
Linda Haumann at linda.a.haumann@gmail.com
Check out some testimonials on this page.
Combined Annual/Capital Campaign:
We keep getting closer!
23-24 Annual Pledge: $334,251 (we passed our goal of $330,000)
Capital Campaign: $1,846,333: We can add another leaf! (goal is $2.5M)
As of 7/11/23
Greetings UU Marin members and friends,
The capital campaign is a once in a generation investment in our building, grounds, and community. To reach our $2.5 million goal and do most of what members collectively have envisioned, will require a commitment of approximately 8 times your annual pledge.
No pledge/commitment is too small and it will take all of us to reach our goals!
Please return completed pledge forms to UU Marin.
(Materials including pledge form are below and extra pledge forms are available at UUMarin’s office).
UU Marin
240 Channing Way
San Rafael, CA 94903
Thank you for your generosity and dedication to UU Marin!
On behalf of the stewardship team,
Linda Haumann, Co-chair, Capital Campaign
Marin Brochure
Marin Handout
Pledge Form 2023
We’re on a roll! We can add another leaf to our logo measuring tool!
Thirty households, representing all income levels have already committed $1,674,987.00 to the Capital Campaign and $208,000.00 to the annual pledge.
Approximately 60 households have yet to submit their pledge forms. Our fellow member stewards have been enjoying their visits with all of you and please set up your visit if you haven’t already done so. No pledge/commitment is too small and it will take all of us to reach our annual/capital goals. We’d truly appreciate your completed pledge forms no later than March 31st. Please look for Linda Haumann this Sunday if you need a form.
Capital Campaign: $1,674,987.00
Annual Pledge: $208,000.00
Our community is truly showing up for our turn to renew, enhance and make accessible the building and grounds of UU Marin!
Twenty-five households, representing all income levels have already committed $1,506,988! And our Annual Pledge drive has reached $186,720. These numbers demonstrates the deep love, care and respect we have for each other, the commitment to our values and the desire to help our congregation continue to thrive long into the future.
Please read how one member sees the value of investing in UU Marin’s future:
Dave Hudson: Give until It Feels Good
Our UU communities have been central to Kate and my lives for forty plus years. When we moved here from South Carolina, it was important for us to find another. Imagine our delight to find our hopes realized. To experience as warm a welcome as we have ever known. To be invited into the life and workings of the UU Marin congregation—not left as bystanders! We were encouraged to dive in. And we did. Already we have experienced the kind of growth and transformation that true religious community offers. That’s what we were looking for, and that’s why we will stay and promise to contribute our time, talent, and treasure to the extent that our mental, physical, and financial resources allow.
I have had a fair amount of guilt around giving. Guilt that sprang from a seed planted in my family of origin. When I was a boy, I heard my mother talking, about her and my father tithing to the church—his church. They took ten percent off the top and budgeted with what was left over. I don’t know how they did that with four children and a minister’s salary!
That explains in part why I have always wanted to pledge more than I could afford. Early in my UU life, it meant giving until it hurts—so as not to feel guilty. But what kind of giver does that mentality produce? Not always a happy one. Perhaps, even one resenting the institution receiving the gift.
We ask donors to reflect on the importance of the institution—in our case, the congregation—in their lives. And then to connect their gifts to that importance. Now, when I reflect on the history of Kate’s and my giving to our UU congregations, I can see that it began to change naturally when our congregation became central to our lives. One year, a stewardship chair in that congregation in the Atlanta suburbs suggested to us visiting stewards to ask members not to give until it hurts, but rather, to “give until it feels good”. A lovely thought—cheerful givers!
Why wouldn’t we want to give to something that enriches our lives? To stretch, in the process. What each of us can afford is different. There are many factors, and they are different for each of us. I’m not asking you to step over that line. We all must decide for ourselves what that means. And whether it’s wise.
But Kate and I will tell you that already—in little more than a year—UU Marin is becoming central to our lives. Kate and I have grown to love you. And your dreams for this congregation are becoming ours. We believe in the building renewal project before us, and the capital campaign that supports it. The old adage “if you’re not growing, you’re dying” applies to our aging facility. Without nourishment and care, it will, by the forces of nature, crumble. And, if we believe in growing our presence in and impact on the community, think of how our renewed building, so artfully and lovingly envisioned by our campaign leaders, will promote that!
Kate and I are still in some degree of shock about the cost of living here. We worry about our nest egg. As you do. What happens if one of us gets sick? Requires extended care? But after careful deliberation, we will give to this campaign what we honestly think we can, digging as deep as we can—stretching as much as we can. And we will do so gladly. Feeling good about it. I encourage each of you to do the same.
Good News: Votes at the February 5th Congregational meeting reflected enthusiastic support to move forward on the Capital Campaign – the first in the life of UU Marin.
The next step is to reach out personally to each member to ask for a pledge both to our Annual Fund Drive + the Capital Campaign. Our focus will be to explore what we each love about UU Marin: Here are some views members expressed so far:
- Marcus’s inspired sermons to expand our minds and hearts
- Underlying philosophy of looking out into the world
- Being embraced and sustained and pastoral care
- Collective wisdom of our community and the wisdom of the elders
- Remarkable people I’ve come to know and the warmth of the community
- Commitment to UU values and particularly social justice and connection to UUA
- Collective aspiration and level of dedication and genuineness
- Continuing search for religious truths
- Children in the service
- Generosity of people and the choir
- Welcoming sweetness
- Friendliness of group as acquaintances become friends and individuals move into leadership
- Time after service is over to connect with others
What do you love about UU Marin?
Kay Crider, “Stewardship for Us” consultant, has now completed her interviews for the Financial Feasibility Study.
We look forward to hearing back from her, over the next couple of weeks, regarding her results and recommendations.
Please see the proposed potential building project here.
We are excited about Collin Russell’s upcoming presentation on December 11th at noon in Fellowship Hall!
Come see and hear about his plans for the renewal of our UU home.
Timeless Design for the Modern Age
Architect COLIN RUSSELL is the managing and design principal with Russell Architects and has over 40 years of experience in Architecture, Planning, and Interior Design. This includes single and multi-family/affordable housing, commercial, industrial and institutional projects. “Being based in Northern California has honed our sensitivity to natural elements, our awareness of environmental issues, and our ability to navigate difficult review and permitting processes.” (C.R.)
One good example of the firm’s work is the renovation of an outdated 1970’s style shopping center in Larkspur. From a drab and outmoded shopping center, Russell Architects transformed the Larkspur Landing, now Marin Country Mart, into a vibrant, hip, and lively destination. Notable features include a gazebo and a working fountain situated around the plaza. The firm also designed the shell for Andy’s Market as well as the interior for a state of the art market and deli which includes views of the marina.
Colin has been an active participant in civic and business affairs. He was commended by the Marin County Board for his service and his innovative leadership ideas when he served as Board Chairman for the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce in 2005. He is also Chairman of the Advocates for Housing and Economic Development (AHED) Committee, Board Member of the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative (MEHC), a non-profit advocacy group, and Board Member of the Marin Economic Forum, a non-profit group dedicated to the attraction and retention of businesses in Marin County.
He is a Southern California native who graduated with honors from the Cornell University College of Architecture in 1970. He has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1980. Colin’s father was a noted Los Angeles architect. Colin believes that creativity is not about self-expression or ego. Creativity comes in finding a solution that works technically, economically, and aesthetically – an elegant, comprehensive response to a complex set of client preferences and circumstances.
Please Read Kay Crider’s Next Steps Weekend Report Here
Presentation, Information & Recommendations from September 23-25, 2022
by Kat Braeman, member, Our Legacy, Our Turn Capital Campaign Task Force
Kay Crider is a UU based in Eugene, OR and a consultant with Stewardship for Us, with expertise on stewardship issues and Capital Campaigns. On the weekend of September 23, she met with Rev. Marcus, the Board, the Capital Campaign Task Force, and leaders from various teams/committees. Here are her summary observations and recommendations regarding our campaign.
- Annual pledges: The average pledge of $3,270 is excellent; the median pledge is $2,000, also excellent. Your pledges range from $50 up to $22,000.
- Readiness for a Capital Campaign: UU Marin has a lovely space in a lovely location, but it needs some renewal, updating, and accessibility. The Capital Campaign Task Force is engaging the congregation in information gathering and listening sessions. Linda Haumann and Christopher Gilkerson head the team getting cost estimates for things that you want to accomplish as part of a campaign. You need to have a compelling vision and plan for what you want to do.
- Awareness and sense of urgency is critical in knowing the right time to do a capital campaign. Marcus just started his fifth and last year of his developmental ministry and is excited about working on the campaign.
- Timing: You need to do a capital campaign this church year or wait two or three years until after you call your new minister.
- Is a capital campaign doable this church year? You have an engaged congregation with low conflict – your congregation has a lot of love and a sense of well-being. You have very organized people willing to make it happen.
- Guidelines for capital campaigns: Typically, congregations raise from 3 to 5 times their annual giving. With about $310,000 in annual pledging, 3x is $930,000 up to 5x is $1.5 million.
- Feasibility Study: After costs are estimated, the next step is a feasibility study where Kay will talk to a segment of the congregation and make a financial projection about what she thinks our congregation is willing to give to make our project happen. Be realistic and practical, but ambitious.
- Anchor Gift: An anchor gift is essential.
- A supermajority consensus is essential. Once you know the scope of your project, you need to have 80% to 90% of your congregation, ”Yeah, we want to move forward.” We have to prioritize what we think the whole congregation really needs, and what the supermajority really feels is important.
- Continue to engage and discuss. Be transparent. You haven’t done a capital campaign in your history. You’re standing on the shoulders of the founders and enjoying the benefit of what folks before you did. So the Our Legacy, Our Turn is a theme to remind us.
- Plan a Combined Annual and Capital Campaign in the spring: Plan to meet personally with each person in the congregation.
- Some Concerns: There’s some scarcity mentality about a capital campaign, and that’s very normal. Some people fear, “No one here has the money to give an anchor gift, and we can’t do it.” Kay hasn’t worked with any congregations where that’s actually true. You know you can do it. Think about what would I give if it was just for me? What would I give if it was for my kids? What would I give for my great-grandchildren, or other people’s great-grandchildren?
“Make no little plans. If plans have no magic to stir the blood, they will probably not be realized. Make big plans, aim high in hope and work, remembering that long after we are gone our work will continue to be a living thing. Remember that our children and grandchildren are going to do things that would stagger us, so make no little plans.” — Daniel Burnham, American architect and urban designer
Video of the 9/25/2022 session
If you didn’t have a chance to attend the workshop but would like to give your input, please answer the questions by using the link here.
Summary report from the August 28, 2022 Workshop here.
Please view the preliminary vision of our capital project.
Good News: Votes at the February 5th Congregational meeting reflected enthusiastic support to move forward on the Capital Campaign – the first in the life of UU Marin.
The next step is to reach out personally to each member to ask for a pledge both to our Annual Fund Drive + the Capital Campaign. Our focus will be to explore what we each love about UU Marin: Here are some views members expressed so far:
- Marcus’s inspired sermons to expand our minds and hearts
- Underlying philosophy of looking out into the world
- Being embraced and sustained and pastoral care
- Collective wisdom of our community and the wisdom of the elders
- Remarkable people I’ve come to know and the warmth of the community
- Commitment to UU values and particularly social justice and connection to UUA
- Collective aspiration and level of dedication and genuineness
- Continuing search for religious truths
- Children in the service
- Generosity of people and the choir
- Welcoming sweetness
- Friendliness of group as acquaintances become friends and individuals move into leadership
- Time after service is over to connect with others
What do you love about UU Marin?