Adopted November 21, 2006

Downloadable copies of this process: Word  PDF

Downloadable copies of the nomination form: Word  PDF

Purpose

The purpose of the VUU Charity Selection Process is to describe a fair and objective method for selecting the charity that VUU uses each year as the focus of its percentage giving and outreach efforts.

Charity Requirements

The charity shall be a government-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The charity shall have local operations that directly affect the community and shall provide opportunities for the congregation to give of its time and skills in volunteer roles. A nominated charity must represent the values of the congregation and not operate in violation of UUA Principles and Purposes. No member or representative of the congregation shall have any financial or personal affiliation in any proposed charity that may be perceived as a conflict of interest. It is acceptable for a member or representative of the congregation to be affiliated with a charity as long as the member derives no financial benefit from the affiliation.

Nomination Procedures

Any member or friend of VUU may nominate a charity for consideration. Only one nomination per person can be made each year. Nomination forms must be submitted to the church office by March 1 for consideration as the focus charity for the next church year. Incomplete forms or late forms may prevent an application from being considered. If an application is not accepted, it must be resubmitted in order to be considered some other time.

Selection Procedures

The Social Action Ministry shall review and adjudicate all applications by April 1 of each year and make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees for approval. The Board shall review and approve the recommended charity(ies) by May 1 in order to include information about the charity(ies) in the announcement for the annual congregational meeting. The Social Action Ministry shall provide information describing the selected charity(ies) to be included in the mailing for the annual congregational meeting.

If there are no acceptable nominations to be submitted to the congregation for a vote, the congregation shall vote on whether to continue using the charity from the previous year. If no charity is accepted and the previous charity is not re-approved, there shall be no focus charity for that year.

Voting Procedures

The congregational vote shall be conducted at the annual congregational meeting before the beginning of the next church year. A voting quorum per the church bylaws must be present for a valid vote to occur. Voting can be by ballot, voice vote, or show of hands.

If multiple charities are proposed, it must be done by written ballot and tallied by the Nominating Committee. The charity with the most votes is the winner, regardless of whether a majority is achieved.

Restrictions

A charity cannot be renominated for three years after it has been a focus charity. If a focus charity is continued for a second year because no acceptable alternatives were nominated, it cannot be continued for a third year and cannot be renominated for three years.

Termination of a Focus Charity

If a focus charity has been found to be conducting business in an unlawful or fraudulent manner or has been operating contrary to the spirit of VUU or in violation of UUA Principles and Purposes, the Board of Trustees may vote to terminate VUU’s relationship with them. A proposal to terminate a relationship shall be brought directly to the Board, but the Board shall not act on the proposal until it is satisfied that clear evidence of such activity has been shown. A majority of the Board members must approve termination.

Amendments

The policies and procedures listed above have been adopted by the Social Action Committee and the Board of Trustees of the Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, and can be changed only by subsequent action of those bodies.