August 31, 2008 Update

Friends --

The September issue of the newsletter was full of news, and when some important pieces ran over, I suggested to Abbe Forman, our newsletter editor, that she put a brief summary in, with a link to more information. One such piece was the Campaign Committee report; the Campaign Committee in its meeting this evening was fearful that people might not bother to follow that link, and so asked that I send out the report in full. It runs to one printed page, so rather than add it as an attachment or give you yet another link to it, I'm pasting it below in the body of this message.

Phil Jones, clerk

8/31 Campaign Committee Report

The Campaign Committee has been hard at work during the summer months, meeting every two weeks. Following the recommendations of the Feasibility Study, we have recruited campaign leadership Jon Landau and Signe Wilkinson are the CoClerks of the committee, and Diane Dunning the Campaign Manager; and we have gathered a wonderful committed group of volunteer committee members who take their fund raising responsibilities very seriouslyChristie DuncanTessmer, Phil Jones, Theresa McCooe, Christine Oliger, Charlie and Shirley Philips, Carolyn Schodt, Jean Warrington, Liz Williams and Warren Witte.

We have established campaign policies governing issues like donor recognition and have clarified the sources and uses of the funds in hand and those to be raised; we are creating a Case Statement and Fact Sheets so that solicitors will be able to address questions which may arise and discuss 'the facts' of our project accurately and with passion. All of the committee members have undergone solicitor training guided by our fund raising consultants, Ted Swenson and Jennifer Shropshire; and each member has a considerable amount of homework to complete in preparation for solicitation visits and follow up tasks afterward.

Our fund raising goal is $3,000,000. The first phase of the campaign solicitation began quietly in July with campaign committee members, in teams of two, visiting the homes of Meeting members / attenders who sit on building planning committees to ask for a 'stretch' pledge to the campaign. We will continue into the fall visiting folks in the Meeting and will report back to you with results.

This goal does not include gifts received prior to June 1, 2008 and the start of the Fund Raising Campaign. The Meeting had received gifts from early donors, those members and attenders who wished to demonstrate early on their commitment to the new meetinghouse project. These early gifts are comprised of $315,164 in donations from 19 individual meeting members and attenders, as well as the $150,000 bequest from Hertha Reineman and $325,000 transfer of Yarnall funds with which we purchased the land ($475,000).

Combined with the proceeds from the proposed sale of the current meetinghouse of $400,000 and a second transfer of Yarnall funds of $180,000 (already approved), Meeting resources for the new meetinghouse total $1,370,164. These funds, however, are not part of the find raising goal or process, that is to say they are not included in the money we have yet to raise.

We welcome your interest and questions. Please take us aside in meeting, call us at home or send an email. We want everyone in the meeting to be aware of what we are doing and comfortable with it. Periodically we will be sending an enewsletter and adding a link to the web page in the not too distant future.

Campaign Committee