Open Door Project – Spring 2021 Update

This update was sent to the parish in May of 2021. 

The Open Door Project is overwhelmingly funded by the pledges and gifts of members and friends of St. Dunstan’s, though we have used other parish resources as well – such as some small undesignated bequests, and using some funds designated for facility upkeep for necessary repairs that were addressed during the renovation.

To date, people have already given just over $1 million dollars to the Open Door campaign. Based on current pledges that are still being paid, we anticipate that about $138,000 is likely to still come in. 

WHAT’S STILL AHEAD?

  • Paying off our construction loan and covering the remaining renovation expenses. St. Dunstan’s took out a construction loan to help us cover renovation bills while pledges were still coming in; this is very common. We also used funds in hand to cover some bills as they came due, and still need to reconcile those expenses. The total of those balances is $62,000. (Update, July 2021: The construction loan is now paid off! The remaining balance to pay back to ourselves is about $53,000.) 
  • A new roadside sign. St. Dunstan’s urgently needs new, more visible signage at our driveway, to help visitors find us and to make it clear where to enter the church property, with the new building next door. We would like to undertake that project this spring and summer. $10,000 is the estimated price. 
  • The Community Project Fund. In our original fundraising in 2018, we set an intention of putting $70,000 towards a fund to help develop a new project that would address a local need, and offer our members opportunities to learn, engage, and serve. In 2021, we can start to wonder about that project together. 

If current pledges of $138,000 come in as anticipated, that puts us within $5000 of covering all those expenses and fully funding our original intention for a $70,000 Community Project Fund. Gifts that take us beyond that goal would allow us to start to replenish parish reserve funds that were used early in the capital campaign process for design and consulting fees. 

Extended pledges or new gifts are still welcome, to help us cover that final $5000 gap and be on a sound financial footing for future needs. If your pledge payments end soon but you’d like to extend your pledge for another year, or if you’d like to make a new gift or pledge to the Open Door Project, talk with our parish treasurer Val McAuliffe (608-963-7630, ). She’ll be glad to help.

It is nothing short of astounding that we’re within striking distance of completing this campaign and resolving all its costs. Our consultant described this as an ambitious project for a parish of our size… and that was before the global pandemic. Yet here we are, thanks to the remarkable faithfulness, generosity, and hope of the members and friends of this parish. God has been with us on this journey. May God guide us into the next chapter!

6205 University Ave., Madison WI

St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church