Tag: budget

Can we penetrate the darkness?

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The featured image for this posting is the detail of a drawing titled “Many suns cannot penetrate the darkness” created in 1989 by the late long time Vancouver Unitarian member Daphne Naegele. Now, 30 years after Daphne created this image and posed this question, we are still faced with it — can Unitarian Universalism help penetrate the darkness? Part of the answer to this question resides in our capacity to sustain ourselves financially. To examine our options, the UCV board has created a task force to examine the many facets of this question over the summer and fall. Get in touch with Sheila Resels or Keith WIlkinson if you’d like to be part of this discussion.

The UCV Board established a Financial Sustainability Task Force (FSTF) in July 2019. The purpose of the Task Force is to review and strengthen the financial sustainability of the Vancouver Unitarian congregation in the face of reduced levels of pledging, possibly static membership growth, and the general decline of religious community across North America over recent decades.

The Task Force includes the following working groups and teams:

  1. Membership Growth Team
  2. Member Generosity Team (which includes the Canvass Committee)
  3. Legacy Team
  4. Space Use Team
  5. Transition Team
  6. Site Development Team
  7. Investments Committee
  8. Fundraising Events Team
  9. Risk Review Team
  10. Marketing/Fundraiser Initiative Team
  11. UCV Internal Funds Review Initiative
  12. UCV (ad hoc) Budget Committee
  13. Other working groups/teams approved by the Board.

These groups and teams are relatively self-directed and are guided by the recent working document UCV Financial Sustainability Matrix. The working groups and teams are expected to prepare reports in time for the board and the congregation to discuss them well in advance of the 2019 AGM scheduled for late fall 2019 when a vote of the membership regarding possible site redevelopment is anticipated.

For further information, or to provide support to some of these working groups, please contact one of the co-chairs of the Financial Sustainability Task Force (FSTF):

Highlights of the Extraordinary General Meeting (aka budget meeting) June 23, 2019

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We had a great turn out for the June 23rd budget meeting – 88 members held voting cards, and interested UCV friends filled Hewett Centre Hall.

Business items

Lay Chaplains

Our three lay chaplains were renewed. Laureen Stokes, Cheryl Amundsen and Louise Bunn are trained to conduct weddings, celebrations of life, and other rituals of life transitions on behalf of UCV.

Love Soup

Our dedicated team of volunteers who warm our hearts and stomachs with monthly “Love Soup” offerings from September – June were acknowledged for their combined contribution of $3,756. Of course, a special thanks to Amy Megumi Anderson, the bundle of energy that keeps Love Soup organized.

Budget

The budget of $607,436 was approved (with one abstention). At present, we have identified $537,390 in revenue, so additional fund raising will be required to meet the expenses to run all of the wonderful programs at UCV.

Possible Site Development

Michael Clague, Gordon Gram, and Marg Fletcher reported on the progress of Phase 2 of the redevelopment plans. The full report is expected in time for the AGM which will be held in November 2019, at which time members will vote whether or not to proceed to a Phase 3 business plan. Phase 2 is to provide more accurate financial forecasts and to assess zoning requirements, and explore possibilities of grants which might be available Federally, Provincially, or through the City. In order to forecast costs and feasibility, more detailed plans were required and were on view for the meeting.

Related documents:

Circle of Concern

Rob Dainow reported on conversations held at meetings that have come to be called the Circle of Concern. The top identified concerns were around issues such as timing (during ministerial transition), existential threats (includes keeping the community together during construction) and vision. Click here for details.

A series of congregational meetings are planned starting in September that will alternate between progress reports on Phase 2 and the Circle of Concern group, so UCV members and friends will have ample opportunity to receive information and have their voices heard leading up to the November AGM.

Refugee Sponsorship

Huguette Sansonnet Hayden reported on our plans for sponsoring new refugee families, and shared some success stories of our settled sponsored families.

Ministerial Transition

Léonie Armstrong reported on updates to the plans for the period of ministerial transition. The Board will apply for a two-year interim minister, and during that time, a search committee will be formed to find our next settled minister.