UUA Annual Program Fund
Welcome and thank you for inquiring about your UUA Annual Program Fund and Fair Share Giving.
The Congregations of the Mountain Desert District have a proud tradition of financially supporting our UUA and continue to serve as a model for promoting a culture of stewardship and prosperity. On behalf of the UUA and the entire APF Committee, I thank you for your congregation's support of our UUA. Because you give, we are all stronger and more empowered to offer better service and support for congregations, ministers, lay leadership, and Lifespan Religious Education, as well as to further promote denominational awareness and growth on a national level. Through your individual contributions, we continue to prove how collectively we can do so much more.
If I can help you in any way with APF, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Stan Kidder
Mountain Desert District APF Representative
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
970.407.1514
Funding Our Faith
Congregational contributions to the UUA Annual Program Fund support the operating budget of the UUA, just as the MDD District Assessments support the operating budget of the MDD and pledges support the operating budget of your congregation. Your congregation's contributions to the Annual Program Fund support services and programs that benefit and strengthen all congregations and Unitarian Universalism as a whole. Contributions to the Annual Program Fund provide over 45% of the Association's annual unrestricted income.
Annual "Fair Share" Contributions
Member congregations are asked to make a minimum contribution ("Fair Share") each fiscal year, July 1 to June 30. The UUA Administration sets the amount. Currently:
- Congregations with fewer than 550 members are asked to contribute at least $56 per certified member for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 fiscal years. (But it's okay to contribute more than this. Indeed in these troubled times many congregations are struggling. Exceeding your Fair Share would help everyone.)
- Congregations with 550 or more members may use the per-member rate above or 4.2% of budgeted total expenses. (Again, exceeding Fair Share would be most appreciated.)
Note: Membership and Total Expenses are as reported to the UUA on February 1 of the previous fiscal year. (Don't remember what you reported? Go to the Data Services page of the UUA Website and find out! Or just contact me.)
A few suggestions for your APF contributions
- Mail contributions to:
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Annual Program Fund
P.O. Box 843153
Boston, MA 02284-3153 -
Make at least quarterly contributions. Congregations which plan to make a single contribution frequently run out of money before their contribution is made.
-
I strongly suggest the 10-month plan: make 10 equal monthly contributions (to both the Annual Progam Fund and the MDD District Assessment) beginning in August and ending in May. (This plan works for the next point, and it gives you a break in June and July, which can be slow financial months.)
- Make your last contribution in May, not in June, which is a hectic month for most of us. Many times a June contribution is simply forgotten in the rush toward summer. (And if you want to wear your Full Fair Share ribbon at General Assembly, your last contribution must reach Boston by the first week of June.)
- Make a pledge for the amount you intend to contribute to the Annual Program Fund. Just as congregations ask members to make a pledge so they can plan for the year, so the UUA asks its members—individual congregations—to pledge an amount to the Annual Program Fund. A form has been sent directly to you from the UUA. Please fill it out and return it. (Can't find your pledge form? Call/email me; I will email you a copy of your form.)
- If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to call (970.407.1514) or email me ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
Mountain Desert District
APF Annual Report
Fiscal Year 2009
Contributions to the Annual Program Fund (APF) of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) from its member congregations support over half of the core operating budget of the UUA. Without these funds, the UUA could not function. On behalf of Unitarian Universalists everywhere, I thank you for the contributions that your congregation makes to the Annual Program Fund.
But there is more to the story. One of the things that the UUA does to support its Districts is give each of them a grant each year. This grant is based entirely on the contributions that Unitarian Universalist congregations from that District make to the UUA Annual Program Fund. In the case of the Mountain Desert District (MDD), the grant covers about 10% of the MDD's operating budget.
The following table summarizes the MDD contributions and grants for the last few years.
APF Summary
| Mountain Desert District | FY 2009 | FY 2008 | FY 2007 | FY 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fair Share | $341,057 | $314,914 | $301,426 | $298,104 |
| Total Contributed | $284,389 83.4% |
$264,258 83.9% |
$274,276 91.0% |
$245,116 82.2% |
| Congregations Contributing Fair Share (of 45) |
35 77.8% |
36 80.0% |
37 82.2% |
32 71.1% |
| District Grant (for the following fiscal year) |
$27,085 | $25,393 | $30,453 | $22,670 |
| Possible District Grant (if all 45 congregations had contributed Fair Share) |
$45,016 | $42,141 | $40,657 | $40,291 |
| Percent of Possible | 60.2% | 60.3% | 74.9% | 56.3% |
The good news is that in spite of the recession, The MDD's contributions to the Annual PRogram Fund increased about 8.5% over last year, and as a result, the MDD grant earned in FY 2009 (and paid in FY 2010) increased $1,692, or 6.7%, from FY 2008. It is interesting to note that the recession, which I understand started in December 2007, may have hit the MDD early. In FY 2008 (which ended June 30, 2008), the MDD grant was down 16.6% from FY 2007, but it is up 6.7% this year. Hopefully the upward trend will continue.
The bad news is that the increase in the MDD grant was entirely due to growth in congregation size and congregation budgets. Our "performance," as measured by the percent of the maximum possible grant, was unchanged in FY 2009 from FY 2008, and was well down from FY 2007. This year, the highest performing district (Joseph Priestley) achieved 82% of the maximum possible grant. In the past, some districts have exceeded 90% of the possible grant. My goal is that the MDD should be among these high-performing districts. For that to happen, we would have to have 40 congregations contributing Fair Share, whereas this year we had 35.
Finally, I wish to to say "Thank You!" to the MDD congregations which contributed their Full Fair Share to the Annual Program Fund in fiscal year 2009. They are:
- Billings Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Billings, MT
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bozeman, Bozeman, MT
- Big Sky Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Helena, MT
- Glacier Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Kalispell, MT
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Missoula, Missoula, MT
- Idaho Falls Unitarian Universalist Church, Idaho Falls, ID
- Pocatello Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Pocatello, ID
- Cache Valley Unitarian Universalists, Logan, UT
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden, Ogden, UT
- First Unitarian Church, Salt Lake City, UT
- Unitarian Universalist Community of El Paso, El Paso, TX
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Otero County, Alamogordo, NM
- First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM
- San Juan Unitarian Fellowship, Farmington, NM
- Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, Los Alamos, NM
- Unitarian Universalists of Casper, Casper, WY
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne, Cheyenne, WY
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laramie, Laramie, WY
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sheridan, Sheridan, WY
- Open Circle Unitarian Universalist, Boulder, CO
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Boulder, CO
- All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, Colorado Springs, CO
- High Plains Church, Unitarian Universalist, Colorado Springs, CO
- First Universalist Church of Denver, Denver, CO
- High Country Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Dillon, CO
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango, Durango, CO
- Foothills Unitarian Church, Fort Collins, CO
- Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Glenwood Springs, Glenwood Springs, CO
- Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley, Grand Junction, CO
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Greeley, Greeley, CO
- Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Lafayette, CO
- Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church, Littleton, CO
- Namaqua Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Loveland, CO
- Pagosah Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Pagosa Springs, CO
- Prairie Unitarian Universalist Church, Parker, CO
Respectfully submitted,
Stan Kidder
Annual Program Fund Representative for the Mountain Desert District
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
970.407.1514
Posted March 04, 2010 Written by Jess Cullinan