A Note from the President and Treasurer
Dear Congregation Shaarei Shamayim Members,
CSS prides itself on being inclusive and welcoming, including the fierce belief that congregants should always be welcomed, regardless of their ability to pay. We are committed to holding High Holidays services that are free and open to the community. We are fully invested in the belief that no member should be given special honors or access due to the size of their financial support. An egalitarian approach to money is one of the values we hold most dear.
As we look towards 5785, it is vital that we share that we are facing a deficit of approximately $45,000 this coming year, which we will cover through reserve funds and past donations. Although a deficit is never great news, this deficit is actually the result of a lot of positives for our community. We have grown to have over 200 households – including 15 new families – resulting in our adding two amazing and absolutely necessary staff members, Ryan and Sean. We are growing at a time when other faith communities are shrinking. While we have always been financially responsible and have more than enough reserves to cover any short-term shortfalls, it is critical for us to now raise funds to halt future deficits, as our expenses will only continue to grow in future years.
Congregational leadership, with your support, has adopted a two-pronged plan for ensuring CSS’s financial health:
First, you will find our 2024-25 dues schedule when you renew your membership on our website. We ask members to contribute your fair share in dues based on your household income – a lower percentage for lower-income households and a higher percentage for higher-income households. After consulting the dues schedule, please also consider contributing beyond this minimum by $50, $100, or even more if you have the capacity. Through your honest self-appraisal, we will make significant headway against our projected deficits.
Second, with this letter, we are launching the second phase of our Sustaining Our Future Fund (SOFF) campaign. Phase one, launched in 2019, demonstrated how valuable CSS is to our members: we now have over $600,000 in the SOFF, which reduced our deficit for the coming year and provides roughly $24,000 in earnings to our congregation annually. We are confident that upon reaching our goal of $1,000,000 the investment income will offset the projected budget deficits and help sustain our congregation in the coming years.
As we approach 5785, we ask you to reflect on how you can best contribute to the financial health of our community, both by paying your fair share of dues AND by giving a meaningful donation to our SOFF – whether a one-time gift today, a pledge to be paid over some years, or through planned giving.
As is said in Proverbs 11:25, “A generous person enjoys prosperity; one who satisfies others will be satisfied as well.” While we can’t promise your generosity will lead to your own financial prosperity, our hope is it will lead to many more years of open and welcoming community.
L’ Shalom,
Stormy-Kito Justice, President
Adam Streiffer, Treasurer