Tucsonitarian Page 2

Finance Committee Report

by Margot Garcia, VP Finance

In March, the church deposited $36,734.76 in the checking account and expended $47,075.66, resulting in $10,340.90 being spent in excess of deposits. Fortunately, the bank balance continues to be positive, with March’s ending balance being $15,708.64. This means we can handle one lower-income month and still stay in the black. The higher-than-usual expenditures were the result of paying off several maintenance projects (fixing the beam, painting the RE rooms). We have the full $15,000 available in credit reserve. We have $5,317.21 in Savings (Capital Campaign funds) and $46,300.64 in a Money Market Account which holds the restricted funds. We withdrew $2,780 from the Reah Barrows Fund to pay for installing a new electrical panel, fixing the Goddard plumbing leak, and installing a shower. The Endowment Fund contains $49,330.42.

The Finance Committee started with the asking budget and worked line-by-line seeing where we could prune in order to bring the budget into balance. For instance, we decreased the amount of shortfall for pledges from the 5% we were using to 3% because the congregation has been very faithful in fulfilling its pledges. We also reduced the “Fair Share” amount to the UUA and PSWD to $1500 a year for each. This is more than the $1200 we are now paying. We increased the administrative fee that NMD pays us from $250 to $300 a month. We were still off by about $7,500. Fortunately, since that meeting we received another $7,770. That allowed us to allocate 24 hours a week for the RE director and add $2,000 for a Congregational Development Workshop on Healthy Congregations. All committees have been allocated the full amount they requested. However, we were not able to give staff raises.

The final number we have for pledges is $242,351. Hurrah for us! This is up from last year’s $234,965. The 129 pledging units for this year is also up from last year’s 127 and the average pledge of $1,878.69 is up from last year’s $1,850.12.

Hopefully the balanced budget will have been adopted at the April 29, 2018 Annual Meeting.

We are making progress in setting up a QR code that can be put on the order of service so folks can use their smart phones to make a donation or pledge. The code would send you to the webpage and you can go from there.

Keep those monthly pledges rolling in. We couldn’t do this without you.

SAZCUUPS UPDATES

by Julie Olson

SAZCUUPS held its first annual membership meeting on April 14. We discussed our annual report, received feedback from members, and announced our logo contest. You can find information about the logo contest and our complete annual report on our webpage (click here). The deadline for logo submissions is May 26, 2018 and 12 noon MST.

On May 1st, we will hold our Beltane ritual on the patio. Beltane is the time when light is waxing towards fullness. Join us as we welcome the beginning of summer. Julie Olson will lead us in a celebration of the union of fertility and creativity, the joining of Yin and Yang, Solar and Lunar and the marriage of our own opposites like intuition and intellect, heart and head.

We'll start gathering at 6 pm; the ritual will begin no later than 6:30 pm. Free admission, but offerings are gratefully accepted. All ages welcome; email Mary at mwiese@uuctucson.org to request childcare. Bring a snack to share and whatever non-alcoholic beverage you want to drink.

On May 12th, author Mo Omar will discuss his book Transcending the Maya Matrix, showing us the simplicity of following our innate guide that leads to co-creation and self-realization. We were not born to be left alone to figure out how to become and live. We were born with an innate knowing and guidance that helps us navigate toward health, love, abundance and our full potential. The same Source that guides the Universe to be the way it is, is inside you. It is waiting for you to stop listening to the outside chatter and start listening from within. We’ll meet at 2:00pmin the Servetus Room. Email Mary at mwiese@uuctucson.org to request childcare.

Interested in What's Happening

in UUA's Pacific Western Region?

UUA's Pacific Western Region Newsletter is now published monthly. You can find out what's happening around the region which extends all the way to Colorado and Washington state. Here's one piece of news about changes on how congregations' dues are assessed. Click on the link below for other news.

The 2018/19 fiscal year will bring a change to how congregations fulfill their pledges to their districts and to the UUA Annual Program Fund.

Contributions will no longer be made separately to both the district and the UUA. Single payments will be sent directly to the UUA, and the UUA will disburse each district’s share at the close of each month.

Per-member assessments remain unchanged for MDD ($26), PNWD ($27) and PSWD ($28). PCD has proposed lowering their rate by $2, to $27. (Pending vote on April 28 at the PCD annual meeting.) The UUA APF level remains at $60 per member again this year. Pledge forms mailed to congregations in early spring will reflect the combined district/UUA total. These pledge forms need to be returned to the UUA by May 31.

When congregations affiliate with the UUA, they pledge their support to the Association. Each congregation’s gifts to their district and to the UUA Annual Program Fund are the fulfillment of a promise that has already been made. The 2018/19 combined pledge is designed to help make clear the fact that we are all one Unitarian Universalist Association – bound together in a network of mutual support as an Association of Congregations.

Click here to read other news from the Pacific Western Region.

Update from the Regional Conference in Portland, April 26-28: New Board of Trustees elected: