Your Finance Committee has been working hard to lay the groundwork for UUFE’s FY2025 budget building process.  Here are details about the steps and timeline we hope to follow, and how you can participate.

The UUFE bylaws stipulate:  “Based on the results of the canvass [Stewardship Campaign], the Finance Committee shall prepare and the Board shall approve a budget for adoption by the Congregation at the Annual Meeting.”   

During the past several weeks, the Committee met to discuss and define the budget process and timeline to meet this goal.  We also looked closely at the recommendations from consultant Mark Ewert for which the Finance Committee is responsible.  And we consulted UUA resources to help us estimate how minister search and contract minister annual costs will impact our budget this year and next.  We began early discussions with the Board about all of these budget factors. 

During December, we will gather narrative inputs from UUFE members about your ministry and program priorities.  We will meet on December 15 with all of the UUFE teams that work with funding (Stewardship, Planned Giving, Finance, and Board advisors) to discuss ways to maintain transparency and clear communication with each other and with UUFE members during the budget process.   

As the Stewardship Campaign launches after the holidays, we’ll begin meeting with committee leaders to discuss the budget process and analyze each committee’s past expenditures and its budget needs for the upcoming year.  We’ll also gather a focus group to translate the member survey narratives into stewardship and budget priorities. 

By early March, we’ll have a better idea of income projections from the Stewardship Campaign and cost projections based on congregation priorities.  We’ll begin budget building in earnest and in close communication with the Board.   Our goal is to provide a balanced budget to the Board in time for its April monthly meeting. It will include an addendum which describes options the Board may consider if it sees the need to fund some programs more robustly than what the balanced budget would allow. 

As we approach the time of the Annual Meeting, the Board will continue to communicate with the congregation about FY2025 budget options, so that each member can make an informed decision about the budget. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions or ideas about the budget building and approval process:  treasurer@uufeaston.org. 

Your Finance Committee: 
Don Barker, Chair 
Amanda Branham, Treasurer 
Judy Harrald, Income Secretary 
Peter Paul, Legal & Tax Advisor