HIGHLIGHTS:

• Our draft 2024 Proposed Budget is about $337,000.
• This is a $8000 increase over our 2023 budget, largely due to increases in staff costs and our diocesan assessment (funds sent on to the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee). 
• Our main source of income is the pledged giving of members and friends of the parish like you, who’ve given 85% of our budgeted income this year.  THANK YOU!
• To balance our 2024 budget, we will need $286,000 in pledged giving. 
• You can invest in the ministry and community of St. Dunstan’s by returning your pledge envelope by November 19.  We’re so grateful for you!

Our Draft Budget for 2024… 

On the other side of this page you can see a table summarizing our draft budget for 2024. Our budgeted expenses at this point in the budgeting process are about $337,000. Last year, our budgeted expenses were about $329,000. Here is a brief overview of the changes relative to 2023. 

Increased staff costs

• Our diocese recommends a cost of living salary increase for continuing staff. 
• The Music staff compensation increased slightly as part of our search and hiring process in 2023. 
• We would like to increase the Youth Ministry position from 8 to 10 hours a week (quarter time), to better reflect the work and responsibility involved. 

Diocesan assessment

• These are funds we send to our regional jurisdiction, the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, to help fund its work and mission. This number comes from the Diocese, and it goes up with our income. 

Cost savings and special gifts 

These increases total around $11,000 – but they are offset by some anticipated savings, as well as special funds for particular ministries. Here are a couple of highlights. 

• We anticipate savings on energy costs due to our new solar panels. 
• The Diocese of Milwaukee is giving us $8000 to support our youth minister salary.  With another designated gift, we have over $10,000 committed to help fund this growth area for our parish. 

What about the income side? 

We anticipate about $50,000 from sources outside of members’ pledged giving. In addition to the special gifts mentioned above, here are our major sources of non-pledged income. 

• We anticipate about $14,000 in financial gifts that aren’t part of someone’s pledge – either in the offering plate, through the website, or for a special occasion like Christmas and Easter offerings.  
• We hope to bring in about $17,000 from groups using our buildings and rent from the Rectory.
• We will use about $4000 in proceeds from special funds intended to support our annual expenses. 
• We expect another $6000 or so in income from assorted sources.  

Our primary source of income, every year – 85% of our budgeted income in 2023 – is the pledged giving of members and friends of the parish. 

What do we need for 2024? … 

To balance our budget, based on the current version, we would need about $286,000 in pledged income. That’s a big step up from this year’s pledged income of $270,000.

We know that the many of the same forces stretching the church’s budget are affecting you, too, like higher utility and grocery prices. Many folks may not be in a position to significantly increase their pledge this year. But smaller increases can add up, and new pledges – in any amount – help us move towards our church’s financial goals. 

We have reason for confidence in this community’s generosity. In recent years, many long-term members who were very generous with their financial support have gone on ahead into God’s presence, with our love and prayers. In just the past three years, such losses have meant almost a 20% decrease in yearly pledged giving to the parish.* 

But new and increased pledges have made up the difference and kept our pledged giving strong.  Your faithfulness each year in making a pledge at the level that is right for your household has made it possible for St. Dunstan’s to sustain our common life and expand our ministries, rather than cutting back. 

When we pledge, we choose to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We choose to play our part, building on the generosity and commitment of those who have gone before, to keep St. Dunstan’s alive and thriving for those who are here today and will be here tomorrow. 

We have done amazing things together, already. Let’s think, and talk, and listen, and pray, and make our pledges – and see what we can do together, for 2024 and beyond. Every pledge, in any amount, is important and appreciated. 

 

* Many of those beloved saints left final gifts to the church, which are very important for our common life as well. Those gifts are a different kind of giving from ongoing pledged giving, and tend to be used in different ways. If you’d like to know more about this, ask Rev. Miranda or our Treasurer, Val McAuliffe.