Saturday, December 6, 2014

2015 Finances, Including Summer Camp Funding

Dear Bishops,

We are pleased to report that the summer camp funding plan, instituted in our stake in 2012, has successfully completed its first full-year. Thank you for helping parents appreciate the benefit of having to pay only $100 per child regardless of gender.

In short, we provided this year a summer camp experience for 215 young people in our stake. Here’s how the camps were funded without having to resort to fundraising:
                  $21,500 raised by families (215 summer camp attendees @ $100)
                  $11,800 the Church’s “extra” allocation for youth activities in our stake
                  $33,300 total revenue earmarked for summer camps
                  - 34,400 total cost of all summer camps in 2014
                  <$ 1,100> deficit  

The 2014 stake budget was adjusted to cover the deficit in summer camp funding. The stake also plans to cover the anticipated shortfall in 2015.

This means the family obligation for summer camps in 2015 will remain $100 per child, even though we anticipate a significant increase—from 215 to 265—in the number attending summer camps next year. Will you please notify families as soon as possible so they can anticipate this obligation by spring 2015 when you begin collecting fees?

Also we are pleased to announce that your ward budget allocation for 2015 will remain based on your sacrament meeting attendance.  It appears nearly every ward will have a substantial carry-over from 2014 into their 2015 budget, which raises two matters:

·   We continue to receive requests from ward Scout leaders asking to reinstate fundraising because of a lack of funds, they say, to adequately conduct their programs. We encourage you to be more transparent with leaders about your ward’s financial status and to establish reasonable, even generous, budgets, with all your organizations.

·   Earlier this year we asked each ward to pay $500 per year for the next six years to help fund the Stake Trek in 2019 (a $3,000 per ward obligation). Because we also expect a carry-over from the stake budget this year, we have decided to waive the $500 per ward payment for 2014 reducing the overall six-year obligation to $2,500 per ward. Because some wards expect a sizable carry-over this year, you are permitted to pre-pay in a lump sum as much as you want toward your ward’s $2,500 trek obligation.

Thank you again for using the Lord’s funds wisely in blessing the members of your ward.

The Stake Presidency

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