The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee advances human rights through grassroots collaborations.
FAQ about Members and Supporters List
- How do I contact Volunteer Services?
- What do I do if it seems that there are people missing from my list?
- What do I do if someone’s membership status seems incorrect?
- What do I do if people on my list are no longer members of my church or have passed away?
- How do people get on this list?
- Do you want the correct addresses of people who are listed as nonmembers, or just those listed as members?
- How do you remind members to renew?
- How current is this membership list?
- I notice congregants’ spouses not on this list. Can I have them added?
- Can I receive the list in a format other than PDF?
- How can I keep track of this information?
- How are gifts matched by the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock?
- What do the column headers on my Excel members and supporters mean?
How do I contact Volunteer Services?
UUSC Volunteer Services is the primary point of contact with UUSC’s headquarters for members of the National Volunteer Network (local reps, regional coordinators, and national co-chairs). Volunteer Services is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern) to provide information and assistance to you in administering your duties as a UUSC local representative.
You may contact UUSC Volunteer Services by e-mailing volunteerservices @ uusc.org or calling 800-388-3920 (press 1 and listen for options).
Corrspondence by mail should be addressed to:
UUSC Volunteer Services
689 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
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What do I do if it seems that there are people missing from my list?
Send their names to UUSC Volunteer Services. It is possible that they are listed in UUSC’s records with a different church affiliation or without an affiliation.
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What do I do if someone’s membership status seems incorrect?
Send your question to UUSC Volunteer Services. We will be happy to research the person’s membership status and gift history, and make any necessary corrections.
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What do I do if people on my list are no longer members of my church or have passed away?
Send their names to UUSC Volunteer Services. Be sure to note whether each person is no longer with the church or has passed away so that we can update our records correctly.
UUSC wants to know the names of all of the people on your list who are no longer members of your congregation, including the nonmembers. UUSC welcomes receiving updated information about all of our members and supporters, including updated mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, and church affiliation. Our information is only as good as the information we receive.
Your congregation’s UUSC award depend on this information. UUSC calculates the percentage of congregational members* who are also UUSC members for the congregational awards. So you’ll want to be sure that all of the people on your list are indeed members of your congregation, and that all of the UUSC members in your congregation are indeed appearing on your list.
*The number of congregational members is the number reported by the congregation to the UUA for that year.
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How do people get on this list?
People end up in UUSC’s database by giving to UUSC or signing up to receive mailings or e-mail from us. They are listed on your membership list only if they indicated that they are affiliated with your congregation.
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Do you want the correct addresses of people who are listed as nonmembers or just those listed as members?
Correct mailing and e-mail addresses for all members and supporters are vital. Before sharing contact information with UUSC, please be sure that you have the members’ and supporters’ permission to do so.
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How do you remind members to renew?
- Upon becoming a member, individuals receive a membership card that indicate an expiration date.
- UUSC includes membership information in our newsletter, Rights Now, which is mailed twice per year.
- Direct mail appeals are sent to members and nonmembers up to six times per year, and usually include a reminder about membership status and expiration.*
- Two to three telemarketing campaigns per year remind supporters of lapsed membership and encourage monthly sustainer giving.
- UUSC also sends membership reminders by e-mail.
* UUSC is very thorough in its creation of each direct mail appeal list. We try to eliminate people who gave recently so as not to offend or harass our supporters. Supporters who gave within a short time before a direct mail appeal is sent and those who give regularly (even as regularly as every six months) will not receive such appeals or reminders.
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How current is this membership list?
The list reflects gifts acknowledged two weeks prior to the date of the list and possibly more recent gifts, except during exceptionally busy times.
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I notice congregants’ spouses not on this list. Can I have them added?
UUSC’s policy is to add spouses per the donor or spouse’s request, and when the gift is in both names. Before requesting that UUSC add the spouse, you must confirm with the spouse that they would like to be added to our records.
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Can I receive the list in a format other than PDF?
Because PDF is the only universal format, UUSC must send out the monthly lists in PDF format. If you are having trouble opening the PDF, make certain that you’ve got the most updated version of the free Adobe Reader.
You are welcome to contact UUSC Volunteer Services (volunteerservices @ uusc.org) once or twice each congregational year to request this data be sent to you in Excel format. Receiving the data in Excel format will allow you to sort the data however you like and easily track your membership changes.
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How can I keep track of this information?
Many local reps keep track of the UUSC members and supporters in their congregation by creating spreadsheets in programs like Microsoft Excel or simple databases in programs like Microsoft Access.
You can get started by requesting that UUSC send you the information about your congregation’s UUSC members and supporters in an Excel file. Then set up your spreadsheet or database however you like.
When you receive updated PDF reports from UUSC (monthly during the congregational year), you can update your file. The file will also come in handy when you are ready to fill in your Guest at Your Table tally sheet, which can be done electronically.
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How are gifts matched by the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock?
Any individual’s unrestricted gift of $150 or more is eligible to be matched dollar for dollar by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, N.Y. A donor’s cumulative payroll deduction or other automatic monthly gift is eligible for the match. The match is not reflected in a donor’s record, on the members and supporters list, or on the church’s giving history.
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What do the column headers on my Excel members and supporters mean?
We can imagine that the format our database uses to organize information can be confusing when seen in your Excel listing of members and supporters. As we cannot change the format of field names in the database, we are happy to provide an English translation of the terms here.
| Member List Column header | Translation into English |
|---|---|
| ChurchCode | Church code |
| ChurchName | Church name |
| _Constituents.ChurchCode.ALIAS::Pri_CityState | Church city and state |
| _Constituents.IDCON::AddInformalSpouse | Constituents’ names |
| _Constituents.IDCON::Pri_Phone | Constituents’ primary phone number |
| IDCON | UUSC ID number |
| _Membership.IDCon [s Date d]::Type | Membership Type |
| Ca_email | Primary spouse’s e-mail address |
| _Constituents.IDCON::Pri_Address | Primary mailing address |
| MembershipStatus | UUSC membership status |
| Cb_email | Secondary spouse’s e-mail address |
| _Membership.IDCon [s Date d]::DateEnd | Date UUSC membership ends |
| _Constituents.IDCON::zz_RcntTransDate | Date of last gift |
| _Transactions.IDCon [s Date d]::FundCategory | Type of last gift (unrestricted/restricted/sales) |
