Friends’ Generosity Grows in 2009

December 31, 2009 marked the end of the first full year of our Development program. In 2009, gifts from households and Monthly Meetings exceeded $195,000! As a comparison, in 2008, donations totalled over $116,000. This substantial increase was due, in large part, to the challenge program made possible through the generosity of donors who offered a challenge up to $50,000 – and to the many Friends who responded.

Where will the generosity of Friends take us in 2010? BYM must tend to its core mission while being flexible enough to change with the times. Our two camp-related committees are making plans for new programming and ambitious capital improvements. The entire office staff works on improving communication between the BYM office and our constituent Meetings, as well as to encourage exchange among Monthly Meetings, building fellowship among Friends in our region. Our Visioning process continues.

BYM now receives about $800 per month from about 30 auto-donors who make regular gifts to their Yearly Meeting. These totaled nearly $4,500 for 2009, and generated over $8,500 in matching funds. Our goal for 2010 is to receive at least $1,000 each month via automatic donation, with at least 50 households participating in the program.

When I wrote my first column a year ago, I recalled how conventional wisdom held that “Friends don’t like to talk about money”. Through my visits to Meetings, I’ve learned that many Friends DO like to talk about money – in fact after years of silence on the topic, some are eager to talk about it! Part of my work is to open up conversations about money, getting past the discomfort and fear that fuel a self-perpetuating taboo.

Personal philanthropy has always been a characteristic of Quaker life, and many contemporary Friends are gaining a fresh understanding of the role of giving in their lives. The recession invites us into conversations about money, values, and the choices we make. Gifts to Quaker organizations – local, regional, national or international – continue a tradition of community-building and sustain a Quaker “infrastructure” that sustains today’s Society and reaches out to those who may affiliate with Friends in the future.

Like a gift of time, energy, or expertise, your financial contribution is a valuable way of participating in the life of your Yearly Meeting. We are grateful to the many Friends who made personal gifts in calendar year 2009, which corresponds to BYM’s fiscal year.

It’s been just over a year since I joined the staff of the Yearly Meeting to run its first Development program. The Development Subcommittee (now a full committee) and I have worked to put policies and procedures in place, to improve communications between BYM and Monthly Meetings regarding financial matters, to build relationships, and to encourage regular, annual gifts to the Yearly Meeting.

Because there is often discomfort in speaking about money matters -- not only among Friends but throughout our society -- I continue encouraging us to speak about the "elephant in the room." During my visits, my intent is to gently teach about how important it is for Friends to support our faith community and how to focus on the effect we can have through our generosity.

I’ve noticed two things common to almost every Meeting I’ve visited thus far: 1) They report that only one-half to one-third of their regular worshippers give any money to the Meeting, and 2) Most meet their budgets with "11th- hour" fundraising at the very end of their fiscal years. Because such Meetings exist hand-to-mouth, they may forego activities, from public programs to political action to Meeting House renovation, that serve to strengthen Quaker witness now and over time.

Worry about money saps energy that could be spent on other pursuits. I encourage Meetings to be unapologetic about celebrating their work, making their needs known, or asking for generous support. At the same time, I encourage individuals to take a mature, responsible stance regarding their resources and their giving. Be as generous as you can, plan your giving, prioritize your Monthly Meeting -- and please consider BYM among those things you support. The fundraising challenge that’s in effect through the end of this calendar year (also our fiscal year) gives each of us the extraordinary opportunity to multiply the effect of our giving. Under the terms of the 2009 challenge, every gift made through our new monthly auto-donor program will be matched 2:1! More than 25 Friends and most of the BYM staff have committed to making monthly gifts to our Yearly Meeting -- and there’s still time for you to participate by returning the form on the bottom of page 4. The sooner you sign up the more match money your gift will generate, supporting BYM in a sound and sustaining way.

One last reflection: When I started in early September 2008 the economy was rocky -- then it got worse! Friends have noted that it must be a challenge to be building a new fundraising program in the midst of a recession. Truly, I believe it to be a blessing in disguise. Before all the bubbles burst, when the economy was booming, expectations for wealth generation and for charitable giving were high. Nobody thought it would end, or that there might be limits. Many organizations that expanded during the boom years have had to reduce or eliminate programs and/or staff. It will be prudent to grow BYM’s giving program as the economy recovers, "right-sizing" our program to our needs, priorities, and capacities.

Elsewhere in this issue of the Interchange you’ll find information about our upcoming Visioning Retreat. Please join Friends on October 3 to help us determine the work we are called to do together.

Robinne Gray, Devlopment Director

Count me in! I’d like to join BYM’s Monthly Auto-Donation Program

Name ________________________________ City, State______________________________


Please process a monthly contribution of $__________ to the BYM General Fund from my

___ Checking Account (preferred method) -- PLEASE ATTACH A VOIDED CHECK

___ Credit/Debit card #_____________________ Exp. _____ Signature______________________

I hereby authorize Baltimore Yearly Meeting and Vanco Services, LLC
to process monthly gifts from the above mentioned account. I understand
that this authority continues until I notify the BYM office in writing
that I wish to discontinue my participation in the monthly giving program.

Signature __________________________________________ Date _______________________________

Your email address:_______________________

Your Monthly Meeting:____________________________

In the past few months I’ve visited several Meetings – including Herndon, Goose Creek, Stony Run, Homewood, Charlottesville, and Warrington and Nottingham Quarters – to talk about Quakers and philanthropy. The discussion has been rich as I’ve listened to Meetings’ concerns over their ability to meet their financial needs and support their witness in the world. Each Meeting faces different circumstances, but in the current turbulent economy several have reported a drop in financial contributions. Those with sizeable endowments, once the envy of Meetings without similar financial cushions, have typically planned to receive investment revenue and are now facing budget shortfalls.

We all know there are two basic ways to respond to a budget crunch: increase revenue, or cut expenses. Ever frugal, Friends often turn to trimming before asking our members and attenders to consider increasing their support of our Meetings. At each of my visits we’ve discussed ways to encourage Friends toward generosity, and we revisit the basics of fundraising including asking for gifts, communicating need and value, and thanking those who give.

But the key message I share is that gift planning is not just for the wealthy – and those with a sound giving plan have been shown to be more generous overall. This is because they make giving a central part of their lives, even a spiritual practice, by giving in the tradition of “first fruits." I’m encouraging all Friends to become proactive about our giving, rather than reactive to appeals as they reach our mailboxes. This ensures that we are able to support what is most important to us, rather than paying our bills and giving what is left over. Moving into intentional philanthropy of this kind is a rite of passage wherein we move from being the beneficiaries of the people and institutions that have cared for us to being caretakers and stewards ourselves.

Through the generosity of some among us, Baltimore Yearly Meeting has the good fortune to offer a challenge campaign for 2009, so that Friends may multiply the impact of our giving to BYM. If each of us participates in the challenge to the extent we are able, our larger faith community will remain strong in this uncertain time.

Robinne Gray, Development Director

Report from the Development Subcommittee

We are pleased to introduce Robinne Gray as our new Development Director. Please welcome Robinne to the staff of BYM!

Robinne’s position with BYM is new – a creation of over a year’s discussions and plans. During Annual Session 2007, there was a lot of conversation over the desire to have a development professional help us communicate the financial needs of BYM and create mechanisms for annual and planned giving.

In order to season this concept more, the Development Subcommittee to the Stewardship and Finance Committee was formed. The Development Subcommittee brought a recommendation to Interim Meeting in 2007 to hire a full-time Development Director once a job description and a financial plan for the initial salary costs were created.

After conducting interviews this summer, we were pleased to announce our selection of Robinne at annual sessions 2008. Robinne comes to us with a wide array of development experience that is the perfect compliment to our new program. We hope everyone will enjoy getting to know Robinne and learning more about our development program in the upcoming months.

Greetings, Friends!

It’s such a privilege to join the staff of Baltimore Yearly Meeting as its first Development Director.   I had the pleasure of meeting several of you at the Annual Session at Frostburg State, where some 25 people turned out at an information session to learn about BYM’s expanding development program.   Many Friends offered thoughtful questions and comments, and I was moved by the deep and abiding care Friends showed for BYM and its work. It was wonderful to receive such a warm welcome that evening, and again the next day at Meeting for Business. Looking out over a sea of smiling faces and “twinkling” hands, I could see the enthusiasm and goodwill that members of the meeting have for strengthening BYM’s development effort.

A central tenet of fundraising is that people give when they are asked, and faith communities have historically been champion fundraisers by way of “passing the plate.” As we know, Friends have typically taken a more reserved approach to asking for (and giving) money in support of Quaker organizations and causes.   This low-key approach has not necessarily served Friends well, and we’re too frequently faced with shrinking coffers that result in our making painful choices at budget time.   While a characteristically prudent Quaker approach to finances is admirable, it can mean that there is not a lot of “fat” to trim – and it keeps our vision and sense of possibility very small indeed.

As Development Director, I view it as my responsibility to consistently communicate the value of our Yearly Meeting to all members of our community, and to show how your gifts are well-used in support of BYM’s mission, in addition to requesting and stewarding your support.   I’m particularly interested in helping Friends become more comfortable and conversant with personal philanthropy, encouraging us to plan for our charitable giving, no matter how grand or modest our gifts.   My vision is for a thriving, generous, and participatory culture of giving that enables our Yearly Meeting to bring alive Quaker works and values both within our community and in the broader world.

I enthusiastically welcome your questions and comments!   Please contact me any time at rgray@bym-rsf.org, or at 301-774-7663, extension 14.   (There is a toll-free number on the BYM website for Friends calling long distance). A highlight of my job will be meeting many more Friends, both over the phone and while visiting Monthly Meetings throughout the fall and into the new year.  I’m looking forward to working with all of you to build financial support for programs, places, and people of BYM.

All best wishes,
Robinne