By the Finance and Archives Committee
Thank you for supporting UTO in 2024! Although we don’t know the full extent of gifts to UTO in 2024 quite yet, we do know that each month checks, online donations, and more were given to support the important work of UTO. We know that our UTO leaders worked creatively and diligently to inspire members of congregations and dioceses to consider developing a personal spiritual discipline of gratitude. We also know that we saw a 40% increase in materials ordered in 2024 over 2023, and our Lenten text message group doubled in 2024. UTO is growing, and we’re growing thanks to the hard work and dedication of all of you. Our committee is busily working on our 2024 annual report which will have more information about the way UTO is growing and changing, but we didn’t want the year to begin without saying thank you to all of you who helped make that happen.
New Acknowledgment Process for 2025
One of the things our committee and Board continues to think about are ways to decrease costs so we can continue to increase the resources that we are able to offer all of you. One area that comes at a fairly high cost is the process of acknowledging donations. We are a gratitude ministry, so we want to be sure to say thank you to each person who gives, but we also want to make sure we’re doing it in a way that is cost effective and useful.
With that said, in 2025 we’re switching from the cards we’ve been using for six years to a postcard. This will decrease printing, postage, and personnel costs for the acknowledgment cards. These cards will feature images and stories from our recent grant recipients on one side and a note of thanks on the other side. We’re also including a QR code and web address where donors can request an itemized receipt at the end of the year via email to use for tax purposes. It’s our hope that the card is more informational and that our amazing members don’t have to try to keep track of a bunch of cards for tax season. (Just a reminder that the IRS says you do not need a donation receipt for any cash gift below $250; and for those who give online, you will continue to receive an email confirming your donation with a receipt for tax purposes.) This change will cut our printing costs in half, get rid of our supply costs (envelopes), and decrease our postage costs. We hope you’ll share feedback with us about the new cards and help us continue to improve this process. Thank you for your help and support while we try out a new system of saying thank you.