Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

We have much to celebrate!

Nurture Our Spirits

• New roof above our heads• Stained Glass Window• Successful Auction• Piano Repaired• Our Generosity Fund Growing

We have much to celebrate!

Help Heal the World

• Over $13,900 raised for the community (FYTD May - Third Sunday Offerings & Food Bank)

• Thursday Winter Shelter with Temple Emek Shalom

• Rev. Leslie – Grand Marshal for SOPride• And the list goes on…

RVUUF’sTwo-Part Budget

Challenge

We have issues to address!

Impetus/Reason Why

• FinCom and CoM worked for three months trying to develop balanced Budget for next year

• Best they could do was $15,000 out-of-balance

What Action Was Taken By Our Board

• Requested grant from Endowment Trust for $5,300

• Applied $1,300 toward shortfall in support of Medford UU's and $4,000 toward depleted Reserve Account

• Appointed Three Task Forces to study core programs: Music, RE and Administrative Services

• Engaged PNWD Compensation Consultant for Advice and Recommendations

Being generous employers of our talented

staff

The challenge:How to balance

Being responsible stewards of generous

donations from committed members

Specifically - How can we be...

Responsible• Offer high quality, affordable, core RE and

Music programs with fewer hours?

Generous• Continue to pay within UUA Fair Compensation

Guidelines?

• Continue to offer health insurance support to employees?

• Find ways to support our beloved staff while reducing their hours?

Why are we talking about this?The Board and Finance identified an unfortunate

pattern:

In recent years RVUUF’s spending outpaced income.

This year is no exception.

income

expenses

Recently We’ve Balanced Budgets by:• Cutting most RVUUF program committee budgets

• Being overly optimistic in our estimates of income from pledges, rentals, donations, & fundraising

• Then realizing income would not meet expenses

• Then asking committees to give back money

• Then dipping into reserve accounts to pay the bills

• Creating a culture of scarcity

Reserves

Emergency funds for extraordinary, unplanned, unbudgeted expenses

• Capital (Roof) Reserve

• Designated Reserves• i.e. building or instrument maintenance,

technology, equipment, (things that break)

• General Reserve• Board policy:“General Operational Reserve

Funding to be 10%-of-anticipated-annual-operating-expense-level, if possible”

Even after committees turned money back, still overspent at the end of the year

RVUUF reserves depleted due to deficit spending 2009-2010: ($4,232) 2010-2011: ($3,213) 2011-2012: ($3,507)

2012-2013 ($?,???)

Our job now is to restore reserves and make realistic budgets

The Ongoing Problem

How did this happen?

1. “Staffed for growth” but not growing

• Membership is consistently approximately 175

• We have to staff for reality rather than staff for growth

2. The number of pledging households have declined

3. In general, long-time members who die or move away are “above average pledgers” while new and younger members tend to pledge less than the average pledge amount

The Difficult Solution

• Make realistic estimates of income from pledges, rentals, and fundraisers

• Replenish the General Reserve that has been depleted

• Look at what we really need and what we can really afford in terms of staffing our programs

The Board Believes

1. It’s time to be realistic and live within our means

2. RVUUF-ians need high quality, staffed core programs that we can afford

• Music and Religious Exploration Programs and Administrative Services

• Professional Expenses for Minister, Music Director, and Director of Religious Exploration

Note: Staffing hours for minister and custodian not included

With guidance from:

• Three Board Task Forces

• Peter Henrickson, UUA PNWD’s Compensation Consultant

Reviewed Programs & Staffing Hours

Board Task Forces Formed in March

AdministrationJanet Dolan (Former RVUUF Administrator)Joan Dean (Office Volunteer and Former Finance Chair)Mary Jo Owens (FinCom Member and RVUUF Bookkeeping expert)John Limb (Personnel Committee Chair)Deborah Rothschild (Board Member)

MusicHarriet Berman (Choir Member and Former Music Com Chair)John Limb (Personnel and Previous Choir Member)Rev. Leslie Becknell MarxJohn Tyler (Board Member and Choir Member)

Religious ExplorationNadine Kanim (RE Committee Member)Christine Norton-Cotts (RE Member)Lois Pettinger (RVUUF Member and RE Volunteer)Linden Crouch (Former Board Member)Rev. Leslie Becknell MarxJan Limb (Board Member and RVUUF Treasurer)

Peter Henrickson Visited RVUUFin April, 2013

This was Peter’s third trip to RVUUF in seven years and his message remains the

same…

We’re over staffed for a church our size!

Peter’s Suggestions

Focus on the core programs you need:• Design high quality core programs for RE and Music

• “Buy” only the hours you can afford to staff our core

programs

• Add to core programs only when you grow and can

afford to

Be as generous as you can with your staff:• When you reduce staff hours, be generous in

compensation

• Pay staff for 12 months, not 10 months• Find ways that the congregation can support the staff

outside the church budget.

Coming up next:

Core Program Definitions

Task Force Discoveries

Recommendations & Board Decisions

Office Administration

RVUUF’s CoreOffice Administration Needs

• Communications• General Administration• Bookkeeping• Human Relations/Personnel Administration• Welcoming Face to the Community

Office Administration Task Force Discoveries

Our current Congregational Administrator is leaving because:

• too much work for a 26 hr/wk job (due to an increase in desk top publishing and website responsibilities)

• too many interruptions• works from home after working 25 hrs/week at the

office• inequity in the amount of time she puts into her

26hr/week job and other staff members spend on their 20 hour jobs.

• only taken a little more than one week of vacation• burned out

Board Decision based on Admin Task Force’s and

Peter Henrickson’s Recommendations

Deconstruct Office Administration Job into 3 parts:

1. Administration/Communications - 20 hrs/wk

2. Bookkeeper/HR - 6 hrs/wk

3. Create RVUUF Builders- a new Volunteer Team to be welcoming face of RVUUF and handle some admin – 15 hrs/wk

Details

Office Administrator: Half time (20 hrs/wk) • Work mornings at RVUUF and at home• In new Admin office (current minister’s office)

Bookkeeper/HR: 6  hrs/wk • Work afternoons at RVUUF and at home• In new Admin office

RVUUF Builders: Volunteer Team• Staff “RVUUF Welcome Center” during office hours M-F• Manage Membership• Build our Caring Congregation with outreach to

members• Implement Public Relations and community connections• Recruit and co-ordinate RVUUF committee volunteers• Help with Administration• HAVE FUN

Music Program

RVUUF’s Core Music Program

• Music every Sunday 12 months a year• Gathering and offertory music• Congregational singing• One piece of presentation music (either a choral

anthem, instrumental piece, OR solo song)• Choir twice a month (Sept – Mid June)

• Weekly choir rehearsal (Mid Aug – Mid June)

Music Task Force DiscoveriesMusic Director

RVUUF’s Music Director is currently classified as 1/2 time (20 hrs/wk)

Comparisons with other UU congregations reveal:

Comparable positions are classified as 1/4 time (10 hrs/wk)

Notes:RVUUF Music Director:

• does less administration work (e.g. board reports, newsletter articles, music library management, etc.)

• does more presentation music (solo songs)

Music Task Force DiscoveriesPianist

RVUUF’s Pianist is currently classified as 1/2 time (20 hrs/wk).

Comparisons with other UU congregations reveal:

• Most congregations pay their pianists on a per Sunday, per choir rehearsal, or per hour “on the piano bench”rate, not as salaried positions

• The rate tends to be $25-$30/hour

Notes:• Assumes skills are maintained on Pianist’s own time• Avoids debate about hours of practice/preparation• Some congregations use more than one musician in this

way for more musical variety

Board DecisionsMusic Director

Task Force Peter’s BoardRecommendation Suggestion Decision25% time 25% time 25% time30% time* *If continue as many solo pieces

• Plus professional development funding (10% of salary)• 4 weeks vacation to be taken in the summer• Year round position• Hours may vary during year for an average of 25% time

Board DecisionsPianist

Task Force Peter’sBoard

Recommendation SuggestionDecision$40-50/hr generous rate $50/hr

• Generous hourly rate ($50/hour) for time spent on the piano in worship and at choir rehearsals

• The rate acknowledges experience, talent, and

complexity of pieces. Practice/preparation time is accounted for in this hourly rate.

• This position is budgeted for 12 months/year so Pianist may work during the summer months.

Religious Exploration Program

RVUUF’s Core Religious Exploration Program

• Focus on high quality Sunday morning programming• Focus on younger children where we see the most growth and highest attendance

Core Curriculum during “Church Year” for 3 Age GroupsTaught by paid teacher and volunteer

• Nursery 0-3 year olds• 4 - 7 year olds• 8 - 12 year olds

Changes • Reduce one paid teacher - DRE teaches a class• Teens - Sunday morning in worship service or working with

younger children as a teacher assistant• No formal programming for teens on Sunday morning

2012/132011/12 2013/14

RVUUF’s Core Religious Exploration Program

DRE/Teachers

RE Task Force Discoveries

The Liberal Religious Educations Association (LREDA), the UUA’s professional organization for religious educators recommends:

30-38% time (12-15 hours/week) for the Director of Religious Education

for our size program

Notes:• Most other programs do not have paid teachers

Board DecisionsDirector of RE

Task Force Peter’sBoard

Recommendation SuggestionDecision

35% time 25% time 25% time

• Plus professional development funding (10% of salary)

• 4 weeks vacation to be taken in the summer• Year round position• Hours may vary during year for an average of

25% time

Professional Expenses

Reduce all professional expenses to10% of salary

Reduction for:• Minister ($1,000)• Director of Religious Exploration ($322)• Music Director ($695)

Board Decisions Summary• Restructure RE program and change RE

Director and Music Director from 1/2-time to 1/4-time

• Have employees employed 12 months, rather than 10 months each year 

• Change Musician position to compensation on a "bench-time" basis

• Divide Congregational Administrator Position into three parts:

1. Office Administrator2. Bookkeeper3. RVUUF Builders

Board Decisions• Total compensation savings achieved: =

$14,254

• $14,254 + $1,300 from Endowment = $15,554

• Continue to offer Professional Development and Health Insurance support + added 4 wks vacation

• Sensitively communicated changes individually with staff

• Inform congregation

• Have Finance Committee propose balanced Budget to Board and congregation

Moving Forward

• All changes effective July 1, 2013

• Focus next year on membership growth

• Hope to add core programs/staffing time when we see growth

Overall Impact

Good News:

• Savings of $14,250 in compensation and professional expenses

• Balanced budget with realistic sustainable income estimates

• Responsible stewardship of your generous donations

Overall Impact

• Savings is a reduction of $14,250 in compensation and professional expenses for our talented and beloved staff

• No reflection of any displeasure with the performance of our staff

• Responsible choices needed based on what we can afford

• Sorrow for the impact of these changes on their lives

New ways that RVUUF can “support” our staff

Offer staff the use of the Great Hall several times a year:

• Musicians can use it for concerts and community wide sing-alongs

• The DRE can use it for lectures and educational events

• Members of the congregation will be encouraged to help in organizing these events and to generously support them

• All proceeds go to the Music or RE staff

Summary

Current Spending(FY 2012-13)

$248,050

Proposed Spending(FY 2013-14)

$225,296

Projected total savings from all sources in proposed new Budget versus 2012-13 Budget = $22,754

Proposed new Budget includes:• Top-three priority expense items from RVUUF

Committees, as developed through the Council of Ministries

• High-quality, staffed core programs for Music, RE, and Office Administration as directed by the Board