Board of Finance
The Board of Finance is proposing a 2020 budget which includes giving our five key professional employees a 1.6 percent cost of living raise in support of their continued good service. We are also increasing salaries for our music professionals to bring them in line with salaries for musicians of their caliber in neighboring churches. The budget does not include the funding of any capital improvements or major maintenance projects. The costs of these cannot be accommodated by the normal operating budget funded by pledges, special events, etc. As an example, the $7,000 for the spire repairs in the summer of 2019 was paid for out of the Firm Foundation Fund. A new signboard to replace the current, rotting one out front, will be paid for out of that same fund.
The proposed 2020 budget carries a deficit of $19,559 which is accounted for by increases in expenses while pledging remain flat. In order to balance the budget we will need to transfer funds from the endowment fund to the operating account. Reaching into our endowment is not a new concept. The finance committee completed a historical review of our income over the past 30 years. The record shows that in that time fewer pledges have yielded nearly 3 times more money to support this church. Very generous! However, almost every year we have had to balance the budget drawing from gains in the Endowment Fund. Even with those withdrawals, our endowment fund has increased by at least $500,000 in the past decade . It is the Finance Committee’s recommendation that we include an $20,000 contribution from the endowment fund if needed to balance our 2020 budget. Unless a significant increase in membership occurs, we may need to balance our budget with endowment money each year.
The church held three major fundraisers in 2019, raising a total net of about $10,000. The Finance Committee expects to hold the same major fundraisers: Strawberry Supper, Silent Auction and the Tag Sale for 2020 with a goal to raise $10,000. These events not only raise money and serve to bring fellowship to our members, but give us another chance to shine in this community. If you have suggestions for a new fundraiser, please contact us.
All offerings from the church Christmas Services were donated to the Good Neighbor Fund. This is yet another way the church impacts our community.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles Grenier