First Sunday Giveback Guidelines

All of the non-pledge offerings received on the First Sunday of each month, plus half of the offerings received for the rest of the month, are donated to an area non-profit nominated by one of our congregants. Any First Unitarian Church of Dallas congregant may nominate a nonprofit for consideration to be a recipient of our monthly First Sunday Giveback program.

First Sunday Givebacks are intended to:

• Support the nonprofit in carrying out its mission,
• Provide opportunities for congregational involvement,

Nominee organizations must meet the following requirements:

• Be aligned with the values and mission of First Unitarian Church of Dallas as reflected by the
  church’s Mission, Ends Statements and UU principles.
• Be DFW/North Texas based. State, national or international organizations may also be
  considered provided they have a committed and active presence in the DFW/North Texas
  area.
• Provide specific opportunities for active participation by congregants of First Unitarian Church
• Not violate any legal constraints prohibiting the church from providing financial support (such
  as political campaigns and organizations)
• Be designated a 501(c)(3) organization and provide a confirming letter from the IRS
• Be financially responsible and appropriately managed.

The First Sunday Giveback Committee needs your help to ensure that each nominated organization receives a fair, thorough and informed review. Before submitting a nomination, congregants should thoroughly review these First Sunday Collection Nomination Guidelines. If you believe an organization you support is eligible for consideration, please complete the Congregant Nomination Form and submit all other required documentation.

If your nominee is selected, you as the Nominator become the coordinator and liaison with the nonprofit throughout the entire process.

Nominator responsibilities include:

• Coordinate with the nonprofit to collect all documentation needed for the application
• Manage the submission of the nomination throughout the entire selection process
• If your organization is selected, prior to their First Sunday provide written copy and other
  marketing tools for the church’s website, newsletter, informational table and/or other ways to
  promote the organization to our members
• Ensure a representative from the organization is available for both services on the Sunday
  designated for the collection, and host that representative at church on the day.
• Provide feedback to the Committee Chair about how the collection funds were used within 6
  months of funds distribution.

Application Deadlines:

• May 31 (for the following July-December recipients)
• October 31 (for the following January-June recipients)

Required Documentation

• A. Congregant Nomination Form, completed and signed by Nominator
• B. Signed certification by the nonprofit’s CEO/Executive Director that all information submitted is true and accurate
• C. Copy of the organization’s most recent IRS 501(c)(3) designation letter
• D. Financial Statements: Balance Sheet and Income/Operating Statement. Audited statements are required if available.
  • i. Both: Most recent completed fiscal year noting its 12-month performance, plus
    • a. Balance Sheet – Most recent monthly statement/report
    • b. Income/Operating Statement – Reports for period since end of most recent fiscal year and for 12 months ending with most recent month of information provided
  • NOTE: Exceptions may be made regarding required financial information based on a nonprofit’s particular circumstances. Prospective/pro-forma financial information may be considered for relatively new nonprofits at the discretion of the First Sunday Giveback Committee.
• E. Copies of executed IRS Form 990s for the organization’s most recent two tax year OR, if the organization is not required to file an IRS Form 990:
  • i. A detailed description of the exemption from the IRS 990 filing requirement.
  • ii. List of the Board of Directors.
• F. A list of institutional financial supporters
• G. Provide a list of current coalitions and alliances with other nonprofits and groups and the specific actions of those coalitions and alliances

Submissions are made through this online form. You should receive an acknowledgement your application was received within one week of submission.

Please be sure your submission is complete (Nomination Form and all documentation). Partial submissions may not be accepted.

Please label each attachment with the name of the organization and the concurrent letter from the Required Documentation list above (“A” for Congregant Nomination Form, “B” for CEO Certification, etc.) for each required document.

We strive to distribute funds approximately 2 months after the First Sunday where the monies are collected.

We look forward to working with Nominators and Organizations. Good luck!

-The First Sunday Giveback Committee
First Unitarian Church of Dallas