Good Works Committee Invites Your Thoughts and Concerns

Good Works Committee Invites Your Thoughts and Concerns

October 2009

Do we regard our time, talents, energy, money, material possessions, and other resources as gifts from God, to be held in trust and shared according to the Light we are given? How do we witness to this conviction in our lives? Do we investigate the companies in which our money is invested, avoiding investing in those whose practice undermine our Quaker testimonies and values?

(Faith and Practice, 2009: 139)

Our Questions for Meeting:

1. Should we continue to budget the same amount for Good Works as we spend to operate the Meeting?

2. Are we donating to the right organizations?

3. Would friends be willing to rethink the manner in which they make their donations to Meeting?

Some Background to these Questions:

1. Despite a shortfall in the general fund of $3000 at the end of 2008, Meeting re-committed to funding Good Works to the same level in 2009 that we fund expenses of the Meeting. (The is the concept of parity.)We feel it would helpful for Friends to weigh in with thoughts to guide us for planning for 2010. Can we afford to continue this commitment to parity, individually and collectively?

2. It would be helpful to have Friends weigh in on how they feel about the organizations we are currently supporting. Are there any we should re-think or remove? Are there others in our community we should be supporting? Are there some that clearly need our support to a greater extent than currently supported? (A list of the organizations and concerns we are supporting in the Good Works portion of the 2009 budget follows below this message.)

3. Per Faith and Practice (2009: 78), “Membership involves a willingness to attend meetings regularly, both those for membership and those for business; to give service through committees and otherwise as the way opens; and to share in financial responsibilities.”

We invite attenders and members to join us in this consideration of our budget. It may be helpful to re-consider how we give to the Meeting. Our bills come monthly and the Meeting has the discretion to try to match our donations to the Good Works’ organizations as best meets their needs. It would be useful as the year progresses for Meeting to be able to assess how closely our received donations are matching our commitment to donate to those in need in our local community.

To this goal, it would be helpful if Friends might donate quarterly, or even monthly, to Meeting. Giving may be easier for many if done via electronic bank transfer – a form for the Treasurer with a description of how this may be done can be found at http://sf.imym.org/.

In closing, members of the Good Works Committee will be available by e-mail and telephone, as well as the rise of Meeting on 11 October at which time we will offer a brief presentation on these issues and consider Meetings’ concerns and suggestions.

Members are: Rebecca Allahyari  | Peggy Giltrow  | Alan Rogers  |

Wyn Lewis (see the Meeting directory for contact information)

2009 Good Works Budget

IMYM Assessment (Each Meeting in Intermountain Yearly Meeting is assessed $45 per member.) $4230

Our Own Quaker Community

Emergencies $400

Scholarships $1500

Sufferings $100

Subtotal $2000

Broader Quaker Concerns

AFSC – American Friends Service Committee, $750

FCNL – Friends Committee on National Legislation, $600

FWCC – Friends World Committee for Consultation $150

Friends Peace Teams $500

Pendle Hill $100

QEW – Quaker Earthcare Witness $150

QUNO – Quaker United Nations Office $100

RSWR – Right Sharing of World Resources $150

Subtotal $2500

Local Community Needs

As Needs Arise $600

Adelante-SF Public Schools (new) $300

AVP – Alternatives to Violence $400

Bienvenidos Outreach (new) $300

Community Farm $300

Esperanza $400

Faith at Work (new) $500

Food Depot $400

Interfaith Community Shelter Group (new) $500

Interfaith Leadership Alliance (new) $125

La Familia $100

New Mexico Repeal the Death Penalty (completed) $500

Open Hands $500

St. Elizabeth Shelter $500

Santa Fe Rape Crisis $300

Somos Un Pueblo Unido $500

Villa Therese Clinic $400

Youth Shelter $300

Subtotal $6925

Total Good Works Budget (Including IMYM) $15655