1. Building Budgets for
Small Congregations
A Midwest UU Leadership webinar
***THE WEBINAR WILL BEGIN SHORTLY***

2. Midwest UU Leadership
Brought to you by Central Midwest,
Heartland, and Prairie Star Districts -- the
MidAmerica Region of the UUA

3. Introductions

4. This webinar is being
recorded.

5. Building Budgets for
Small Congregations
A Midwest UU Leadership webinar

6.  1. Why budgets are necessary
 2. How to get started
 3. Add on $ for extras
 4. Add on $ to set aside for later
 5. Compare total to previous years
 6. Look at anticipated income
 7. Compare income and expense
 8. Accounting systems for small UU groups
 9. Making the case for generosity
 10. How to start if budgeting is new to you
10 Ideas in this Webinar

7.  Allows planning for  Gets members
one year, and from involved
year to year  Builds commitment to
 Is a basis for control generosity
 Allows opportunity to  Assures donations
assess church are being used
programming as you responsibly
plan  Financial reporting
 Helps in may be required by
communication and bylaws
coordination
Why budgets are necessary

8.  Add up all potential  Typical categories:
expenses  Staff
 Use records from  Meeting place
previous years  Fair Share to UUA
 If there are none, and PSD
ask people to  Sunday program
estimate their  Religious Education
expenses on behalf  Publicity/Internet
of the congregation
 Administrative
How to get started

9.  Contributions may  Add in $$ for ideas
not come in as you that may come up
had hoped, so plan between budget
for some shrinkage. cycles, so your
 Add in $$ for Board can say “yes”
contingencies – to new ideas that
higher heat/AC people are
expense; or some enthusiastic about
equipment breaks
down
Add on $$ for extras

10.  Does the  Do you dream of
congregation dream having some
of having a Contract financial reserves
Minister part time? for a “rainy day
 Do you dream of fund?”
having your own
building?  By setting aside
 If you have a some money each
building, do you year, you’ll have a
dream of making it head start on your
more accessible? project.
Add on $$ for the Big Dream

11.  Add up all the anticipated expenses you
have
 Compare the total to the current year and
to previous years
 [If you’re new to budgeting and don’t
have a previous track record, hold on.
We’ll get to that.]
Compare Total to previous years

12.  Member contributions
 Sunday collections
 Potential fundraisers
 Other?
Compare anticipated income to current
year and previous years
Look at anticipated income

13.  Are anticipated expenses greater than
income? If so, time to talk with others. No
Treasurer should make decisions alone.
 Consider contributions – is there a way to
increase members’ gifts?
 Consider possible fundraisers – ways to
bring in money from people outside the
congregation
 Will you have to cut expenses? Where?
Compare income and expense

14.  Often, the Board recommends a budget to
the congregation, and the congregation
votes to accept the budget
 The Treasurer sometimes recommends
the budget to the Board
 Getting buy-in from members begins with
conversations about the needs for
programming and the need for generosity
Congregational vote

15.  For the smallest  For more advanced
congregation, use a bookkeeping, go to a
check book to record general ledger
income and expense system, using non-
 When that is no profit business
longer sufficient, software
move to personal
money mgmt
software such as
Quicken; some are
free online
Accounting systems

16.  Area goal: “We intend our building to be
safe, accessible, welcoming, attractive.”
 Last year: “We repaved the parking lot,
did landscaping, put up a new sign that’s
lit at night.”
 Next year: “We want to purchase a new
refrigerator for the kitchen, paint the
restrooms, add glass windows in the
classroom doors to assure child safety.”
Making the case for generosity –
again, not alone

17.  Ask all who have donated goods, services
in the past year to tell you those costs
 Let everyone know what you find about
true costs of operations
 Add in costs of affiliation with UUA &
District Fair Share
 Ask your District Office for contact info for
other small congregations of your size;
check with them for their budget info
How to start if all this is new

18. Please fill out our
survey on this webinar.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QSCGKSP