Letter from Tom Carlstrom, Congregational President
Annual Pledge Drive 2023-2024 (FY2024)
Annual Pledge Drive 2023-2024 (FY2024)
March 15, 2023
Dear Fellow Congregants,
It is that time of year when we ask for your annual financial pledge to keep Chalice and all its services and programs thriving. This next year, we are facing some challenging decisions on funding our operating budget or possibly reducing our minister to half-time.
Approximately 77% of Chalice’s annual operating budget of $390,000 is provided by our pledges. This past year’s budget, which was voted on and approved at the annual congregational meeting in June 2022, shows that pledges are not enough to meet our expenses, and we expect that we will dip into our reserves for $50,000 in order to make ends meet by the close of this fiscal year in June 2023. Clearly, this is something we cannot continue to do, so we must either increase our income or cut our expenses.
Our primary expense is our wonderful staff. We support a full-time minister, and half-time office administrator, music director, and family ministry director. After years of building our staff and programs to this point, it would be very painful and seemingly the wrong direction to cut a position or reduce our minister to half-time. The primary reason for building the HUB was to provide classrooms and space for our family ministries and religious education.
Several options are being studied to help increase our income. Expanding membership, renting out space in the Chapel and the HUB, and holding more fundraisers are all things that are being investigated. But each requires substantial amounts of knowhow and volunteer work.
The quickest and perhaps most effective way to increase our income is to increase our pledge amount. For the past few pandemic years we have not been very visible or persuasive during our pledge drive. The number of pledge units has dropped from 109 to 89, but the pledge amount has remained relative constant, indicating a slight rise in the average pledge amount. However, a substantial amount of the pledges are paid by a relatively few of our congregants; 17% of the congregation supplies 60% of the pledges. A simple analysis of how to make up our $50,000 short fall this year is to divide $50,000 by the number of pledging units, leading to an increase of about $562 per pledge.
We understand there is a large variation in the amount congregants can afford to pledge. We are asking that you consider if what you pledge is a matter of what is affordable, what you think Chalice is worth to you, or what Chalice as a charitable organization means to the community. To me, Chalice is worthy of my donation because of the good work that it does for our community, how well it aligns with my values, and how it promotes the kind of future world I would like to help create. I also donate to a number of other charities and from none of them do I receive any direct benefits like I do from Chalice. Unitarian Universalism is important in that it provides a moral compass and values that can lead to a better future for us all.
The mission of Chalice is to INSPIRE individual and communal spiritual growth, to CONNECT through worship, music, learning, and caring ministries, and to ACT in service of promoting UU principles in ourselves and in the wider world. To fulfill this mission, Chalice offers inspiring Sunday services and educational opportunities filled with music and sharing, both in-person at our beautiful facility and online. We also have many programs to enhance spiritual growth, connection, and support. AND there are several teams to support social justice, democratic values, and stewardship of our planet.
All these things provide a valuable resource to our community; not only to the individuals who participate, but also to those who may find us in the future or whose needs may change over time.
During the next few weeks, you will be receiving a pledge packet with detailed information of our operating budget, revenue resources, and what fair share pledging is about. In conjunction with the Coordinating Team, the Board will also be holding several Listening Sessions in-person and on Zoom. This is an opportunity where you can learn more about the current financial position, pledge information, and ask questions. As always, don’t hesitate to ask me or anyone on the Board or Coordinating Team if you have questions.
Thank you for making Chalice an important part of your life and our community.
Blessings,
Tom Carlstrom, Board president
Dear Fellow Congregants,
It is that time of year when we ask for your annual financial pledge to keep Chalice and all its services and programs thriving. This next year, we are facing some challenging decisions on funding our operating budget or possibly reducing our minister to half-time.
Approximately 77% of Chalice’s annual operating budget of $390,000 is provided by our pledges. This past year’s budget, which was voted on and approved at the annual congregational meeting in June 2022, shows that pledges are not enough to meet our expenses, and we expect that we will dip into our reserves for $50,000 in order to make ends meet by the close of this fiscal year in June 2023. Clearly, this is something we cannot continue to do, so we must either increase our income or cut our expenses.
Our primary expense is our wonderful staff. We support a full-time minister, and half-time office administrator, music director, and family ministry director. After years of building our staff and programs to this point, it would be very painful and seemingly the wrong direction to cut a position or reduce our minister to half-time. The primary reason for building the HUB was to provide classrooms and space for our family ministries and religious education.
Several options are being studied to help increase our income. Expanding membership, renting out space in the Chapel and the HUB, and holding more fundraisers are all things that are being investigated. But each requires substantial amounts of knowhow and volunteer work.
The quickest and perhaps most effective way to increase our income is to increase our pledge amount. For the past few pandemic years we have not been very visible or persuasive during our pledge drive. The number of pledge units has dropped from 109 to 89, but the pledge amount has remained relative constant, indicating a slight rise in the average pledge amount. However, a substantial amount of the pledges are paid by a relatively few of our congregants; 17% of the congregation supplies 60% of the pledges. A simple analysis of how to make up our $50,000 short fall this year is to divide $50,000 by the number of pledging units, leading to an increase of about $562 per pledge.
We understand there is a large variation in the amount congregants can afford to pledge. We are asking that you consider if what you pledge is a matter of what is affordable, what you think Chalice is worth to you, or what Chalice as a charitable organization means to the community. To me, Chalice is worthy of my donation because of the good work that it does for our community, how well it aligns with my values, and how it promotes the kind of future world I would like to help create. I also donate to a number of other charities and from none of them do I receive any direct benefits like I do from Chalice. Unitarian Universalism is important in that it provides a moral compass and values that can lead to a better future for us all.
The mission of Chalice is to INSPIRE individual and communal spiritual growth, to CONNECT through worship, music, learning, and caring ministries, and to ACT in service of promoting UU principles in ourselves and in the wider world. To fulfill this mission, Chalice offers inspiring Sunday services and educational opportunities filled with music and sharing, both in-person at our beautiful facility and online. We also have many programs to enhance spiritual growth, connection, and support. AND there are several teams to support social justice, democratic values, and stewardship of our planet.
All these things provide a valuable resource to our community; not only to the individuals who participate, but also to those who may find us in the future or whose needs may change over time.
During the next few weeks, you will be receiving a pledge packet with detailed information of our operating budget, revenue resources, and what fair share pledging is about. In conjunction with the Coordinating Team, the Board will also be holding several Listening Sessions in-person and on Zoom. This is an opportunity where you can learn more about the current financial position, pledge information, and ask questions. As always, don’t hesitate to ask me or anyone on the Board or Coordinating Team if you have questions.
Thank you for making Chalice an important part of your life and our community.
Blessings,
Tom Carlstrom, Board president
