Finance Committee
A standing committee of UUFG's Governance Program, the Finance Committee makes recommendations to the Governing Board and congregation concerning generation, custody, and management of Fellowship funds. The Finance Committee actively monitors both income and expenses with the goal of maintaining a sound financial condition.
Committee membership includes a chairperson, the Treasurer, the Membership Clerk, the Vice President, the Pledge Canvass Chairs, and other interested UUFG members.
The primary sources of income for UUFG are member pledges, fundraising events, and building rental. The first two of these fall under the purview of the Finance Committee, which recruits members to chair the pledge canvass and special fundraising events, typically a yard sale, a time and talent auction, and a musical performance.
When pledge canvass results are known, the Finance Committee prepares one or more draft budgets for presentation to the Governing Board. After Board review and adjustments, the budget is presented to the congregation for review and approval. An assistant treasurer records pledges, tracks pledge payments, and provides quarterly statements.
The Finance Committee drafts new policies related to finance for presentation to the Governing Board and conducts an annual review of existing finance-related policies. The Committee makes recommendations concerning internal and external reviews of UUFG accounts. Throughout the year, the Finance Committee and Treasurer provide other committees with information about their expenditures relative to their budget allocation. The Committee and Treasurer conduct finance workshops for the Governing Board, Executive Council, and members of the congregation.
Canvass Committee
A subcommittee of the Finance Committee, the Canvass Committee plans and carries out an annual pledge canvass in early spring. The Canvass Committee consists of the chairperson and, typically, a communications chair, a kickoff event chair, and a pledge tracking chair, as well as approximately 30 canvassers and other volunteers.
Usually, the pledge canvass is carried out through an Advanced Gifts pre-canvass of major contributors, which raises nearly half the pledge total, and through a team of canvassers visiting individual families in their homes to receive their pledges. Occasionally, the canvass is conducted by mail. A kickoff event, such as a coffee house, begins the canvass, and it concludes with a written report to the Governing Board.
In 1998, when the congregation moved to its new facility, the Canvass Committee took on the daunting task of raising funds to support an operating budget that included a new mortgage. That canvass succeeded in increasing the pledge total by 38%. This past year pledges were increased by 24% over the previous year.
Letter from former Chair:
As Chair of the Finance Committee, I am pleased to welcome you to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville (UUFG). We are an active community of interesting and energetic people; being part of this community can be a rich and rewarding experience. The wonderful music our choirs and performers produce, the engaging and challenging sermons delivered by our Ministers, the nurturing environment of our Covenant Groups, and the common fellowship we share after services and on many special occasions are the foundation of the many benefits participation in UUFG provides.
The UUFG is able to provide such activities and benefits in our uplifting sanctuary and other facilities due to the many types of contributions that our Members and Associates make to the Fellowship each year. As you become more familiar with UUFG and more active in our community’s pursuits, we encourage you to consider how you will contribute to helping UUFG fulfill its mission.
The annual operating budget of the Fellowship is approximately $200,000. UUFG’s income consists of annual pledges of support from its Members, the weekly collection during services, special fundraising activities such as concerts and a service auction, and rental of our facilities when they are not being used for Fellowship activities. In 2001—2002, UUFG Members pledged an average of $734 per pledging unit. In comparison, the average pledge per pledging unit to UU congregations in the United States is $1,100.
The annual operations of the Fellowship are carried out through the dedication and hard work of the Ministers, the Directors of our Music and Children & Youth Programs, our Office Administrator, and many Members who participate on the Governing Board, as members of the Fellowship’s Standing Committees, and as volunteers for regular projects (such as grounds keeping) and special task forces. Without these substantial commitments of time, energy, and enthusiasm, UUFG could not provide the many benefits it does.
Every spring, UUFG holds its annual Pledge Canvass, during which the Fellowship asks its members to pledge their ongoing support for the following fiscal year (the fiscal year is July to June). The Pledge Canvass is a familiar process in UU congregations all over the country, not just in Gainesville. After several weeks of events and activities devoted to the Canvass and the kind of Fellowship we hope to achieve through our support, every member (or family) is asked to fill out and sign a pledge card for the coming fiscal year. (New members who join after the annual Pledge Canvass will be asked to make an interim pledge covering the time from when they joined until the next fiscal year.)
Pledges are paid throughout the fiscal year (July 1-June 30) at the frequency the member chooses. This can be every two weeks, monthly, or whatever schedule works best for the member. Pledge checks may be mailed to the treasurer or put in the Sunday collection basket (cash put in the collection must be in a labeled envelope to be credited to your pledge). It is also possible to arrange to make regular pledge payments with a credit card. You will be sent a quarterly statement to acknowledge your contributions and to mark your progress in fulfillment of your pledge.
We understand that each of our Members has different financial priorities and different demands upon his or her time. Before you fill out your pledge card and sign on with us as a member, I encourage you to talk with our Minister or with me about what level of financial and non-financial support for UUFG is right for you. We will be more than happy to answer your questions about the Fellowship’s budget, its fundraising strategy, and the opportunities that exist for contributing to the success of the Fellowship.
Again, welcome. I look forward to talking with you and learning more about you as you become part of our community.
Finance Program Members:
- Vic Harrell
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