Tucsonitarian Page 2

UUCT Finance Report

by Margot Garcia, VP Finance

The new pledges since May total $6,510 toward the $9,000 goal shown in the budget.

The Financial report shows us on track, with pledge income at 10.6%, and donations at 21% over budgeted. The electrical bills are at 61% over budgeted amount, but the hot months should be over.

All the documents have been signed and accepted so that we can accept stock as donations or toward a pledge. Thank you, Jim Hannley, for getting this done with TD Ameritrade.

We looked at how we are meeting our five goals for the year;

1. The Legacy campaign brochure will be ready to be included with pledge drive materials.

2. The 5-year financial plan process has started with a meeting with the membership committee for 5-year projection of membership.

3. An improved financials report is being distributed.

4. Leadership Development: Cynthia Johnson has joined the committee and we have contacted the Leadership Development and Nominating Committee to ask to partner with this group to begin leadership training for next group of leaders.

5. Keep Transparency and Trust as Values: A financial policy book is to be in the office by January; we will continue to post minutes on website as well as monthly newsletter articles; we held dream budget forum with a report on the forum in the newsletter.

In January we start the budget process with a newsletter article and requests for budget amounts from staff and chairs of each committee/task force/council.

The next Finance Committee meeting is January 8, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in Servetus.

The Budgeting Process Begins in January

by Margot Garcia, VP Finance

The Finance Committee is responsible for assembling and recommending a budget to the Board of Trustees. They review and amend it as desired in order to have a budget to recommend to the Congregation for adoption at the Annual Meeting in May. Where do all those numbers in the budget come from?

In January, the Finance Committee sends an email to all the church staff members requesting input on their part of the budget for the church year July 2019-June 2020. A request is also sent to all committees, groups, and No More Deaths for their financial needs for the upcoming year. We ask for those numbers to be sent to the Finance Committee by February 12 so the committee can begin to assemble all the requests. That sets the baseline for the expenditures and results in a Dream or Asking Budget.

Member and Friend pledges are the primary source of income, and the Stewardship Campaign will be held this year from February 17 to March 3, with cleanup (calling all members who have not yet pledged) the following week. The March 12 Finance Committee meeting is where the negotiations begin as we work to bring requests in line with the money we have pledged plus reasonable estimates for rental income, donations, and plate collection on Sundays. The income from fund-raisers like the auction, yard sale, and UU trips are also estimated and included as income.

March is the time of the tough work -- doing research to find the changing costs for utilities, wages, etc., and working on what additional income could be anticipated so that we have a Draft Balanced Budget to present to the Board on April 17. There will probably be extra meetings as the Finance Committee goes line by line through each “ministry.” The Board needs to vote to recommend a budget, and a copy of the Final Budget will be included in the “Call to the Annual Meeting” sent out 2 weeks before the meeting. Most likely, the Annual Meeting will be May 5, but that has not been set.

We like to hold a Budget Forum before the Annual Meeting. It will probably be on Sunday April 28 after church. This is a time when we will present the Final Budget and people can ask all the questions they want. We stay as long as there are questions. In the past, we have taken some additional pledges to add funds to categories that were cut, but that is not the reason for the meeting. Rather, it is to make sure everyone is comfortable with what is being presented, and recognizing that not everyone likes to “get in the weeds” of the budget at the Annual Meeting.

The Congregation votes on the Final Budget at the Annual Meeting and that sets the spending guidelines for the staff, committees, and groups for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2019.

Any questions? Send me an email (mgarcia@vcu.edu) and I will try to find an answer for you.

Margot Garcia

VP for Finance

Membership Committee News

by Beth Britton

The Welcoming and Membership Team held a retreat on December 8 with Rev. Bethany facilitating. Seven Team members attended, along with staff Mary Wiese and Board Liaison Bryon Nikola. Margot Garcia spoke, representing the Finance Committee. The Team agreed upon tasks and overarching parameters for our work.

The Team helped coordinate the New Member Recognition Ceremony, held on December 9 during church services. Rev. Bethany officiated recognition of the 30 members who joined UUCT since April of 2018 and the eight people who reinstated their membership during that same period. Three of those members joined in early December. They were Mary Holly Allison, Aaron Brown and Catherine Byge, the latter two bringing with them their three children. Three others joined the church on December 16. They were Lisa Texeira as well as Timothy and Marilyn Gentry, along with their four children. With two families joining this month, bringing seven children into the congregation, UUCT is beginning to meet its goal of attracting families to our congregation.

Membership Team Meeting - January 9th

The next meeting of the Team will be January 9 at 4:00 pm in the church foyer. The next church new member signing will be January 20 . Betsy McMillan will facilitate the next UU Orientation on January 13.

Newcomers Orientation - January 13

Newcomers to UUCT Orientation - Learn more about UUCT and UUism!! Attend the Sunday, January 13th UU Orientation from 12:00 to 1:00, in the Servetus Room (Education Building). Contact Betsy at 612-384-9929 or betsymcmillan@comcast.net to reserve a space. Sign up at the same time to reserve childcare if needed.

Announcements

LGBTQA Group Meeting January 6

"Rainbow" in the New Year! The LGBTQA Group will be meeting in the Fuller Room (across from the kitchen in Goddard) on Sunday, January 2 from 12:15 to 1:15. We will continue the exploration and discussion of activities and fundraising events within the UUCT community and into greater Tucson. All UUCT attendees are welcome. If you're not able to attend but would like to know what we're up to for 2019, send an email to Eve Hady: eh.wordsmith@gmail.com to be added to our email list.

Social Justice Meet-up - January 6

Folks interested in Social Justice will meet up on Sunday, December 2 in the Blackwell Room at 12:15. Folks can share what they are working on and learn ways to support community social justice efforts, including work with churches hosting refugees. Childcare is available if requested in advance. Contact: Sonia Cota-Robles at sonia@cota-robles.us.

Migrant Lunch Fundraiser at UUCT - January 6

Lunch on Sunday Jan 6th will be a fundraiser for a local migrant shelter.

The menu will be Huevos de Guatamela (Egg Scramble), beans, rice, tortillas and fresh fruit.

Help us support those in our

community promoting the worth and dignity of all people.

In-kind donations of backpacks and cloth shopping bags will also be gratefully collected.

For more information or to sign up to serve or do dish duty, contact sammeyer13@gmail.co.

Talk on Balkan Music and the Mzekala Group

January 8 at the Arizona Inn