Please verify reCaptcha before submitting the form.
B’NAI HAVURAH 2021 MEMBERSHIP PLEDGE FORM Please complete this form no later than March 15, 2021. The form should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Note: Members, log in prior to filling out this form.
We have updated our membership pledge form for 2021 to reflect the many valuable contributions our members provide. Your support, both financial and otherwise, adds to our collective energy and makes us a stronger community. We hope 2021 is the year you commit or re-commit to building a sustainable and impactful B'nai Havurah! Change is inevitable Together this year, we will navigate changes within our leadership, board structure, by-laws, and possibly our physical location. We look forward to uniting our community and remaining cautiously optimistic about 2021. Our community engagement flourished in 2020, despite the pandemic. We could not have done so without the enhanced programming provided by A Year of Learning (sponsored by the CBG Family Fund), Shabbatot, and holiday programs and services. B’nai Havurah is a community: not just an organization and not only a building. Your membership commitment--both financial and in showing up--makes that possible. For many members, Shabbat services are a primary source of human connection. As a community, we quickly pivoted to the remote landscape and made adjustments to how we live Jewishly together. We created abundant remote opportunities to learn, share, and stay connected during the pandemic. Life cycle events--happy and sad--have not paused during the pandemic, and we have been there to support you as always. Our staff and volunteers have carried on. Our Youth Education program has been in session. Our committees have become more creative than ever. All of these changes demonstrate the strength of our community, and we look forward to gathering in person in 2021! Thank you for joining us in 2021. Sincerely, Ethan Waldman Chair, Board of Trustees
Program Ideas
Due to popular demand, as a way of fostering community and growing circles of friends, we are creating a list of members' interests and areas of expertise. Are you a birder? Would you be willing to lead a havurah a morning of birdwatching, for example? Lead a discussion on a topic close to your heart? Cooking lesson? Havurot and informal groups will be able to peruse the list for meeting or activity ideas--virtual or in-person.
FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
As COVID-19 and its aftereffects create new challenges, there are two truths: 1) whatever our financial state was previously, our future situation is less certain; and, 2) now more than ever, we must depend on each other for generosity, community, and collective resilience. Our Board has kept in mind these truths while preparing this year's call for your financial commitment.
Earlier this month, our Board of Trustees approved a $481,000 budget. To be in a strong financial position, we have budgeted $235,000 from membership dues, about half of our overall budget. An additional $38,000 comes from our annual fund (The Other Half), and the remaining funds are derived from program fees, fundraising events, tuition, rental and investment income, and a variety of year-round contributions (gifts made in memory of loved ones, grocery gift card income, and more). To view our 2021 budget, please click here. (This link is accessible to those logged in as members.)
To reach our membership dues goal we will need, on average, dues of $1,060 for each one-adult family and dues of $1,908 for each two-adult family. And, for us to meet our goal for The Other Half, we would need to receive an average gift of $175 per individual adult member (or $350 for a two-adult family).
We understand that these rates are not feasible for all. We invite members with the means to do so to contribute more, knowing that these contributions foster equitable access to our unique, progressive, inclusive, justice-pursuing, intergenerational community.
Whatever your pledge, we thank you for choosing to (re)commit as a B'nai Havurah member. Your presence and participation are integral to our collective well-being.
SLIDING SCALE MEMBERSHIP Yes! I value B'nai Havurah. I have thought honestly and critically about my finances and values, and I am able to support B'nai Havurah with the donation I have indicated below. I understand my pledge can be split however will need to be completed by the end of November 2021.
B'nai Havurah's Annual Annual Giving Campaign remains a critical piece of our financial security for our congregation. While dues, program fees, and various contributions help pay for much of the cost to run B'nai, we also rely on annual philanthropic gifts. Your generosity helps fund many of our innovative programs, services, and engagement opportunities that draw us all in. As life presents its challenges and opportunities, your gift will ensure that the B'nai Havurah community is there for you when you need us most.
In 2020, 58% of our member families donated an average gift of $318 to our annual fund. This year, we'd like to increase our percentage of contributing families to 75%. Please help us reach that goal!
Make tzedakah part of your annual pledge to strengthen our kehilla/community. Any amount you can give, know that your contribution helps our kehillah grow and thrive. We appreciate your support!
Social Action is a Hallmark of B'nai Havurah: Olam Chesed Yibaneh (we will build this world from love). Your $36 annual donation per family member over age 13 sustains the work of our community to repair the world. The donation you enter below will be equally divided (unless you indicate otherwise) between Tikkun Olam as well as our two Positioning B'nai organizations, Coloradans for the Common Good and Colorado Faith Communities United To End Gun Violence (CFCU) Through Positioning B'nai, all members are welcome to submit a proposal for B'nai Havurah to take a position on a social justice/action issue. Learn how, here.
Has B’nai Havurah had a positive impact on your life? Do you wonder where B’nai Havurah will be 50 years from now? Make a lasting difference by becoming a B’nai Chai member.