UUCC’s Budget and Ends

Dear Friends,

A year ago, we held our first congregation-wide budget meeting to establish short-term and long-range goals to guide the Board of Trustees and Executive Team in developing our budget.  We applied the goals and ideas that came out of that meeting to last year’s budget, and it’s time to think again about what we learned from each other and how we might use it in this year’s budgeting process.

To keep our eye on the long-range goals, we matched the attached list of budget priorities to our congregational Ends (the difference UUCC wants to make in the world)—not surprisingly, the notion of paying staff adequately addresses ALL of the ends.  Most of our other budget goals focused on expanding the size of the congregation and the impact we have on the community (Ends 6, 7, and 8).  Two additional ideas came up in different areas repeatedly enough to be notable: (1) increase publicity/PR and hire communications director (livestream worship, network with other UU groups for publicity, and offer classes to the community like Religious Education and Our Whole Lives (OWL – sexuality education), possibly for a fee); and (2) increase pledging.

In preparation for our congregational budget and visioning meeting on January 21, please take a few minutes to review last year’s budget priorities and how they achieve our Ends, and maybe even think about what YOU want to see in next year’s UUCC budget.  Thanks for your engagement in this important process!

Jen Hayashi
1st Vice President, Board of Trustees

Congregational Ends:

1.      UUCC exists to provide a connected community of people where members experience a sense of home and family.

2.     UUCC exists to provide members with opportunities to grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually throughout their lives

3.     UUCC exists to prepare our children to enter the adult world as independent thinkers with strong moral compasses grounded in the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition.

4.     UUCC exists to provide stimulating, challenging, and inspirational worship.

5.     UUCC exists to minister to members in times of need and times of joy.

6.     UUCC exists to welcome anyone who shares our Unitarian Universalist principles.

7.     UUCC exists to promote justice, equality, and social responsibility, with special attention to racial justice which intersects with all other justice issues.

8.     UUCC exists to extend the reach of Unitarian Universalism.

Budget priorities from 2017 congregational meeting

Compensate staff — Ends 1-8

• Compensate staff at mid-level of denominational guidelines and above
• Hire Anthony Jenkins (Intern Minister at the time) full-time
• Give staff options on wages vs benefits
  • Pay them more—wages or benefits
  • Individualize base pay vs benefits
  • Make health insurance a priority
• Pay FICA for all staff
• Aim to increase pledge income 30% annually
• Pay music directors at maximum level
• Pay mid-level by cutting total number of staff until we can afford it

Increase our impact in Howard County and beyond — Ends 3, 6, 7

• Livestream worship
• Hire a communications director to increase publicity and PR
• Support Black Lives Matter
• Fund Cradlerock Children’s Center (CCC) scholarships (Second Sunday Outreach Offering (SSOO) and/or budget line)
• Community Our Whole Lives (OWL) class (for a fee)
• After-school mentoring or tutoring for neighborhood schools
• Fundraisers that include the community
• Basketball hoop in parking lot
• Financial support for Sanctuary movement in Howard County

Increase the impact of the UU movement — Ends 6, 7, 8

• Move to Fair Share dues to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)  within 3 years
• Long-range budgeting
• Host national speakers to attract the community
• Host youth cons and other regional/national activities
• Network with other UUs to advertise
• Communicate benefits of UUA to UUCC members
• Scholarships for denominational offerings to increase number/variety of UUCC participants
• Use Second Sunday Outreach Offering (SSOO) for People Acting Together (PATH), CCC, UUA
• Livestream worship
• Pay UUA assessment
• Encourage members to contribute their work
• Bring your neighbor to worship

Better serve our current members and attract new ones — Ends 1, 2, 6, 8

• Hire a communications director
• Year-long media campaign
• Increase Owen Brown Interfaith Center revenue
• Classes for community
• Better publicity for music and coffeehouse programs
• Support youth programs
• Collaborate with other UU congregations in the region (marketing, advertising)
• Interfaith programs
• More potlucks and open them to the community
• Communicate our success in local media
• Increase pledge units
• Make Religious Education at least 30% of operating budget (not including salaries or building costs)
• Better web presence
• Family-friendly programming
• Choir promo video
• Outreach by youth
• Encourage clergy to go on local speaking tour
• Invite neighbors to services