Charge

1. Intentions—the end results we are seeking
   1. Ensure that our commitment to an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, multicultural faith that is grounded in dismantling structural and cultural oppression and racism is fully integrated into both how we make decisions and how resources are allocated
   2. Support principles and values of our faith, as well as the mission and priorities of the UUA
      1. By reviewing spending and investment patterns and proposals through the lens of how they contribute to achieving the UUAs vision and mission
   3. Ensure there are adequate and appropriate resources to fund the UUA mission
      1. By understanding, supporting, and monitoring fundraising as part of our leadership responsibility
   4. Ensure that all Board members understand their fiduciary responsibilities, particularly as they relate to financial matters
      1. Including the role of the financial committees of the board, the high-level decisions that are being made, and what role each entity plays in making everything function and roll smoothly.
   5. Ensure annual evaluation of UUA financial status
      1. By providing orientation and training to information about fiduciary responsibilities
   6. Ensure all board members are competent to make decisions about the financial information they receive, so that we can fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities
      1. By building capacity among the entire board
      2. By keeping the Board informed regarding the fiscal status of the UUA
   7. Ensure that the board’s Policies relating to finances are up-to-date and provide adequate protection for the UUA
   8. Ensure that there is adequate time on the Board’s agenda to review and understand financial documents
   9. Ensure that the UUA Board has a permanent structure and framework for financial oversight
2. Guiding Values—criteria for how we do our work, and how we assess results
   1. How we will do our work
      1. We will be focused on how the UUA’s spending and investing support our mission and priorities
      2. We will be open and transparent to the entire UUA Board
      3. We are clear and understandable and will support individual board members and the board as a whole to understand what they are reading, voting on, and the impact of the decision We will make good use of everyone’s time at Board meetings and between Board meetings
      4. We will include as many Board members as are interested in serving on this group over the course of their terms
      5. We will use technology that is accessible to all Task Force members and the Board and which meets the UUA’s information technology security standards
      6. We will use an anti-oppressive, anti-racist and multicultural analysis of participation, process, decision making, etc.
   2. Criteria for the results of our work (e.g., reports and presentations)
      1. Timely
      2. The board and Values & Resources Alignment Working Group shall receive quarterly and yearly financial statements. The CFO will submit a financial report/memo alongside the statements. The Values and Resources Alignment Working Group will submit a memo if there are material issues that need board discussion.
      3. Complete
      4. Truthful
      5. Understandable to Board members and our constituents (i.e., minimize or define the professional jargon)
      6. Fulfills standards for fiduciary responsibilities
3. Focus—what is and is not the responsibility of this Task Force
   1. Scope
      1. Everything needed to provide the Board with skills needed to fulfil their financial fiduciary responsibilities
         1. Financial literacy training for board members
            1. Budget
            2. Investments
      2. Everything needed to enable the Board to ensure the UUA’s financial health
      3. Everything needed to allow the Board to determine whether the budget and investments are aligned with our mission and priorities
   2. Monitor spending
      1. Monitor budgets quarterly
      2. Draw board’s attention to significant issues (green/yellow/red light)
   3. Develop/maintain Board Financial Policy (e.g., is $50K the right cap)
      1. Including financial review schedule
   4. Tee up board discussions about whether our budgets reflect our priorities
      1. Opportunity costs for our spending decisions
   5. Every few years, participate with the Administration as partners in strategic discussions regarding focus of spending as well as areas of reduced spending, or programs and projects defunded, and impacts of those decisions
   6. Not: making decisions for the Board
   7. Not: responsible for developing or implementing fundraising campaigns
   8. Not: creating or managing the overall budget
   9. Not: finding money for implementing COIC recommendations
4. Context—key facts, assumptions, risks/opportunities, freedoms/constraints that everyone needs to understand
   1. Task Force members include
      1. UUA Treasurer
      2. UUA Financial Advisor
      3. Board Financial Secretary
      4. Co-Moderators
      5. UUA Chief Operating Officer
      6. Other UUA staff or board members as needed and/or willing
   2. Board meets in person 4 times per year, by Zoom 8 times per year
   3. Membership in the group is reviewed annually
   4. Board has a lot of work to do; often doesn’t get to everything we plan
   5. Most board members work full-time, as students or as paid workers
   6. Some board members work in institutions that have high degrees of internet security; Google docs and Dropbox does not work for them. We need to use email in addition to collaboration tools.
   7. There have been a variety of financial oversight structures over the past decade
   8. The level of financial knowledge among the members of the Board is variable
   9. Risk: we will have a hard time finding times to meet
   10. Opportunity: we will find creative ways to fund our priorities
   11. Constraint: we do not make decisions for the board
   12. Monitoring and supporting fundraising includes review and assessment of fundraising systems such as the formula for assessing congregational contributions and strategies for special campaigns, e.g., Promise and the Practice, UU the Vote
5. Candidate Solutions (things we might try to achieve our Intentions, consistent with our Guiding Values)
   1. Develop a system of rotation for board members to serve on this Task Force
   2. Develop a system of regular meetings, sending notice to the full Board of meeting times and agendas
   3. Invite other Board members to submit items for the agenda and to sit in on meetings
   4. Develop a financial calendar
6. Short-term Tasks (Month is suggested due date)
   1. November: Develop recommendations for helping Board/Lay Leadership committees control budgets in FY20 and communicate them
   2. December: Develop language for policy around GA rolling 5-year break-even
   3. November/December: Develop schedule for financial training and reviews
   4. January: Find funds for implementing COIC recommendations
   5. January: Find funds for Moderator coaching
   6. January: collect proposals for FY 21 Board spending