From Endowment Committee: Sept 10, 2021

This Sunday, we may return to our UCE building to begin our church programming year. This is will be an especially busy and challenging year for me as Chair of the Endowment Fund Committee and a member of the Endowment Fund Task Force. 

The Endowment Fund Task Force has been meeting for a few months and some of the questions and comments that frequently come up concern communication with the congregation. Members have stated that they do not know much about the Endowment Fund, including basics of how to donate, how the funds are invested, how applications are written, submitted, and approved and What does the Endowment Committee do, anyway? 

Although it may seem like the Endowment Committee is a behind the scenes operation, it’s actually front and center as stipulated by the Endowment Agreement. As designated by the Agreement, there are three Endowment Fund Trustees, one elected every year at the annual meeting in May. Candidates are proposed by the Nominating and Recruiting Committee. Trustees serve for three years and as chair in their third year.  

The three Trustees are the voting members of the committee who recommend whether a grant proposal should be forwarded to the Board of Trustees for its approval.  The Board of Trustees makes the final decision on the funding of every grant application.  

The 2021-22 Trustees are Tom Hempfling, Bill Hartgering and me, Margaret Schatz. Other members of the committee are former trustees, Jane Kenamore, Barb Butz, Jim Clark and Will Van Dyke. Our Board Liaisons are Tom Ticknor and Joe Romeo.  

The Committee meets monthly and spends the bulk of its time analyzing grant applications and the application process. It reviews the financial status of the Fund with the essential aid of monthly reports, detailing income and expenses, compiled by a professional accounting firm.  All members serve as liaisons to specific grant recipients. They also actively seek donations and follow up on those that involve estate planning.  

There’s much more to learn and the FAQs  on the Endowment web page is particularly helpful.   

The Fall deadline for grant applications is October 31. Questions or comments? Contact Margaret Schatz, mesharbor@gmail.com, Tom Hempfling, thempfling45@gmail.com, or Bill Hartgering, BHartgering@gmail.com.