By Karen Damato, Finance Chair

As the new chair of our Finance Committee, I’m pleased to introduce the members of our 2026-2027 team. Returning members include Denny Rodgers (UUCWC Treasurer and Board Member), Barbara Drew (Auction), David Schumann and Bonnie Gilbert (Endowment), and Sandee Steinberg (former Finance Chair, who, I’m delighted to report, is staying on as an at-large member). Rab Bell has joined as the new head of Stewardship, succeeding Jane Root. Steve Saddlemire has joined as the new Fundraising Coordinator, succeeding Donna Miller, who will continue to run our spring and holiday plant sales. Many thanks to Jane and Donna for their contributions!

The Finance Committee has begun work on the church budget for fiscal 2027-2028, which will begin on July 1, 2027. I am reaching out to church committees, ministries, and staff to collect initial budget requests and income estimates. Please check your personal, church, and committee email accounts for updates.

As in recent years, the budget process will involve two rounds: an initial estimate in the fall and finalization in the spring. Here’s the timeline for the next few months:

November: Finance asks for initial budget requests and income estimates.

December: The initial budget requests and income estimates are due December 7. The Finance Committee then creates an initial budget based on the information received.

January: The Finance Committee presents the initial budget estimate to the Board. The Board and Stewardship will use its numbers to set a goal for the annual pledge drive.

In addition to preparing the annual budget, the Finance Committee provides a forum for information sharing and discussion among the church’s finance-related teams. We are also working on several projects to implement the recommendations from the Financial Audit completed last spring.  

If you’re interested in joining the Finance Committee as an at-large member, or if you have any questions or concerns, contact me at finance@uucwc.org.