To develop scenarios that would enable UUCL to achieve a balanced operating budget, and present recommendations to the Board by January 2027. 

The team will explore possible strategies to:

·       Reduce or better align expenses

·       Increase congregational giving and other revenue

·       Identify additional or alternative revenue opportunities

·       Recommend areas for implementation or further study

The goal is to help UUCL move toward a sustainable budget while remaining grounded in our mission and values.

Our work will consider both sides of UUCL’s financial picture: how we generate the resources needed to support the congregation and how we use those resources.
Just as importantly, we don’t believe this is simply a question of “balancing the budget.” Before making recommendations about where UUCL should invest or reduce resources, we need to understand what matters most to this congregation and what we want UUCL to be in the future.
Throughout the fall and winter, you can expect opportunities to engage around three broad questions:

How does money work around here?
We’ll share information about UUCL’s finances including where our money comes from, where it goes, and the financial trends and challenges we need to address.

What matters most to us?
Through surveys and in-person gatherings, we’ll explore UUCL’s mission, values, priorities, and the work we believe is most important for our future.

What choices and trade-offs are we willing to make?
As potential paths forward become clearer, we’ll bring information back to the congregation to discuss opportunities, implications, and trade-offs before recommendations are finalized.

The team has been meeting regularly since mid-July and providing updates to the board.  Recommendations and/or areas for further study will be given to the Board by January 2027.

The Board tasked the UUCL Leadership Development/Nominating  Committee to recruit a handful of members with experience with the topic at hand.  This builds on the work started in January 2023 with the Next Steps Weekend hosted by UU consultant from Stewardship for Us.

Current members of the FST are:

Rilie Kafer
Marci Francisco
Bill Hagel
Susan Harper
Chris Mostek
Denise Perpich

Absolutely!  The team is not making decisions unilaterally.  We want to solicit as much input as possible, from understanding what individually and collectively our congregation values about UUCL and what is most important for our future.  These will be done through listening sessions, the soliciting of as much information and ideas as possible.

Responses are anonymous – no identifying information is collected on who fills out the forms and responses are only seen by members of the Financial Sustainability Team.  Responses will be aggregated and may be shared with the congregation. 

These surveys are only a beginning. This fall, we will also create opportunities to gather in person to learn together, ask questions, talk about our mission and priorities, and eventually engage with the choices and trade-offs facing UUCL.

We don’t expect to know today exactly where this process will lead. Our commitment is to approach it transparently, thoughtfully, and with the participation of the congregation whose future we are planning for together.