From the Office of UCC General Counsel:
Local Churches who need a letter to prove their tax-exempt status now have a self-service tool they can use to obtain a letter immediately. Previously, churches contacted the Office of General Counsel and they were provided with a signed letter indicating membership in the group exemption and a copy of the denomination’s determination letter from the IRS.
Now, if a Local Church has UCC Standing (Schedule 0) and is Active in the Database and Directories, they can go to the UCC.org website, and under Resources, there is a heading “Request 501(c)(3) Group Exemption Letter.” This link is directed to the Office of General Counsel webpage and a button, which allows churches to search for their church and download a letter with the church’s name and address on it. This is also useful for donors who are attempting to verify a church’s 501(c)(3) status. Churches do not have to log in to Database and Directories to download a letter.
Churches who ARE LOGGED IN to the Database and Directories can also download a letter from that page. Churches who are logged in will also be given the option to claim their church’s profile on Candid (formerly Guidestar) by providing some additional information. This can be very useful for churches as many donors and grant-making organizations use Candid to check the 501(c)(3) status of organizations. The information the church provides is sent directly to Candid.
This feature is not available for Schedule 4 churches (New Church Starts/Churches in Discernment) because we have a policy of verifying the church’s progress toward standing with the Conference Minister prior to issuing the letter. It is also not available for Conferences and Associations, though that may be a future upgrade.
We understand that occasionally a church will still need our help with a letter, and we will assist as we have done in the past.
Churches, make sure your church name and address is up to date in the Database and Directories.
For more information, read this article by UCC General Counsel Heather Kimmel: