Considering the Sustaining Share Model for Shomrei: FAQs

heinig_frenWhat is Shomrei considering doing?

Shomrei is considering changing from a one-size-fits-all “dues-paying” membership model to one in which congregants make a voluntary pledge of a contribution of their own choosing. Congregants would be guided by transparent information regarding the amount it takes to sustain the synagogue on a per person basis (the “Sustaining Share”).

In addition to a voluntary financial commitment, congregants would be asked to pledge the number of hours they would be willing to volunteer at the synagogue. Again, they would be guided by information regarding the number of volunteer hours it takes to sustain Shomrei on a per person basis.

Why is Shomrei considering adopting a Sustaining Share system?
We think the Sustaining Share model offers two main potential benefits for the Shomrei community. First, the model presents Shomrei with a significant opportunity to fundamentally change the relationship between congregants and the synagogue.
Currently we’re a dues-based organization, which means a purchasing decision needs to be made: Does the synagogue offer enough value for the money? For many, that sets up an “us vs. them” relationship; the synagogue is the “seller,” the congregant is the “buyer,” and dues become the “price.” And the buyer can perceive that relationship as a passive one – by paying the price, the congregant can feel entitled to a package of services without further involvement. On the other hand, by establishing a Sustaining Share model, in which congregants fully understand what it takes to sustain Shomrei as a viable institution – both financially and through volunteering – and freely commit to that sustenance, we can instill a sense of ownership that turns that relationship into one in which we all make an emotional commitment to sustain our synagogue and become actively engaged stakeholders.

Second, for many reasons, synagogue affiliation (and, in fact, affiliation with a wide range of religious institutions) is no longer a “given” as it was in the past. Consequently, when faced with a set “price” for synagogue membership, many potential members choose not to affiliate and some existing members choose to disaffiliate as time passes. However, by adopting a Sustaining Share model, we hope to allow congregants and potential congregants to fully participate in our community even if they are not ready or able to make a sustaining share commitment.

How would it work?
If we decide to adopt the Sustaining Share framework, we would start the process well before the start of the fiscal year (June 1, 2015), by informing congregants of the amount of money, on a per person basis, that is necessary to meet the synagogue’s expenses in the next fiscal year, as well as the number of volunteer hours that are needed to run the synagogue. We would then ask all congregants for pledges of contributions and volunteer hours. We would add up the pledges to determine if we have a feasible plan – again prior to the start of the fiscal year. Once the fiscal year began, congregants would be expected to meet their financial pledge obligations, either in a lump sum or on a regular payment plan.

Isn’t This Risky?
Anything new is somewhat risky, in that is untried. However, we can construct the plan to minimize risks. We will obtain the pledges well before the start of the fiscal year, to determine if we are likely to meet our goals. If we find that our pledges fall short, we can make a number of alterations. For example, we can scale back the budget, budget additional fund-raising activities, or even decide to return to the old dues-based model. The important thing is that we would have a good idea of whether the plan will work before it is too late to make necessary adjustments.

Have other synagogues tried it and what’s been the experience?
It has been reported that about 20 Conservative, Reform, and non-affiliated synagogues have adopted some form of the Sustaining Share membership model. Although most of the plans are relatively new, we have heard universally positive feedback. For a taste of some of the experiences, please see the appendix.

How can I find out more?
In considering such a dramatic change, the Board would like to ensure that you understand what is being contemplated and get your feedback. Please become more informed by checking out the sources listed in the appendix. In addition, we are scheduling additional Community Conversations to discuss the potential implementation of the Sustaining Share model at Shomrei. We urge you to attend if you haven’t already done so. You may also speak directly with Fern Heinig.

Appendix: Some Others’ Experiences With the Sustaining Share Model

Linda S. Boxer, Membership Chair Temple Beth Tzedek Amherst, NY 14227
“Scary as it may seem to walk out onto that limb without set dues, we did it and are in year 3 of the plan. It is working for us. Yes, some people cut back, but some people gave more and we’ve had ‘alumni’ join for small amounts, just to claim ownership in our community. When the board first agreed to take this giant leap, it was determined that if we did not get enough in pledges, we would revert to regular dues…. We no longer have a dues review committee because we don’t need one. No embarrassing questions. No need to disclose your finances. Just fill in the pledge form and we say thank you, Period. I love it! I was on that review committee. I’ve made those awkward, difficult phone calls. This new approach is much nicer all the way around.”

From “From Purchase to Partnership: Removing the Price-Tag from Synagogue Membership,” by Michael Wasserman, ejewishphilanthropy.com, June 18, 2013
The effect of The New Shul’s financial structure is a profound shift in psychology. Its members do not see themselves as buying anything. They do not ask what they are getting for their money, because no one ever told them what to give. The spiritual consumerism that takes such a toll on mainstream synagogues is absent. As a result, the path is clear to build a deeper sense of community based on shared responsibility. As one member put it, “there is no ‘they’ here, only ‘us.’”

From “No-dues policy a big success at Danville synagogue,” JWeekly.com, March 20, 2014
According to Beth Chaim Rabbi Dan Goldblatt, “engagement commitment” could mean anything from participating in the sisterhood to donating money, from working in the temple garden to volunteering for a social justice project.

The new policy was announced from the bimah at the High Holy Days last year, and since then, the 220-family congregation has seen an increase in both membership and revenue.

Optional dues — yet an increase in revenue?

According to the rabbi, 45 percent of members have already pledged an amount equal to or greater than the “sustaining amount,” that is, the per-family-unit amount needed to sustain the synagogue’s annual budget.

In addition, Goldblatt added, 88 percent have pledged to contribute in 2014 an amount equal to or greater than what they paid last year.

That should add up to a synagogue in the black, he said……

……… On top of the financial statistics, Beth Chaim is also smiling over its membership numbers.

“We have grown dramatically, by five families a month,” Goldblatt said. “We haven’t seen this kind of growth in a long time. Many are coming in because they heard about the [policy]. The whole issue of money is off the table. No one can ever again complain about money, which is incredibly liberating.”

The new policy was not an easy sell to the board. But according to the rabbi, it became necessary to make a bold change — in part because of the sticker shock prospective members often experience when considering joining.

“We had many people come in, excited about joining,” Goldblatt said. “Then they’d heard how much dues were and they’d turn around. They would say, ‘We don’t want to join and not pull our weight.’ And they’d walk out the door.”

Add to that a national crisis of engagement, in which younger generations have fallen away from the old model of synagogue membership, and Beth Chaim’s leadership came to understand that things had to change.

“The buzzwords in the Jewish community were how we have to move away from transactional relationships and more towards relational engagement,” Goldblatt said……

……“Rather than a top-down, program-driven environment, we’re now inviting people to articulate what is their sense of connection to the community,” the rabbi noted. “We told people we’re no longer trying to seduce you with programming or chase after you.”

From “When Jews Choose Their Dues” Reform Judaism Online, Spring 2014
“…when given the chance to value the synagogue on their own terms, most members come through. And while these synagogues do rely upon some members to pay above the sustaining amount, none of the synagogues say that this is any different than under the previous structure, where some members contributed philanthropic dollars beyond dues……

……Free will transforms congregants’ relationships with their synagogues, nurturing a community culture grounded in transparency and trust.

Scott Roseman, vice president of the Board and Leadership Development for 500+ family Temple Beth El (TBE) in Aptos, California, points to the good will and trust TBE engendered after enacting the free will system as a key factor in revitalizing the congregation in the midst of an economic downturn three years ago when TBE was losing members and revenue and leaders had to cut back staff and programming. Changing to a free will system reversed the downward slide, as both membership numbers and revenues increased, in part, Roseman believes, because “We removed the whole paternalistic system of dues forgiveness where people had to justify why they paid what they paid. Now, our system honors everyone for whatever s/he is able to pay, everybody is on the same ‘honor’ system, and most people choose to be ‘honorable.’ This is much more compatible with the kind of Judaism that our members—including myself—want to part of.”

Similarly, free will leaves members feeling better about money in the synagogue context. When congregants are experiencing the squeeze of competing economic priorities, a fixed dues system with financial oversight might cause them to leave the community; with this system, they are more likely to stay and pay what is comfortable for them.

Rabbi Debra Hachen of 150-member Temple Beth El in Jersey City, New Jersey believes that this way of encouraging folks to stay is one reason their synagogue has seen membership and revenue growth since instituting the free will system two years ago. “This system makes it harder for current members to quit,” she says. “After the bar/bat mitzvah years, some members consider leaving the synagogue. In the past, when they got their dues bill, they often didn’t renew their membership. Now they stay.” She points out that some of the congregation’s membership growth might have happened naturally because the temple is situated in an urban area that’s become increasingly popular with 20s and 30s, but “having this very low barrier to entry has made it even easier for them to join.”

Cheryl Chaben Friedman, executive director of 325-family Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield, Michigan says the free will system—in place only for one year—has already exceeded expectations. “When Detroit took a hit,” she says, “a lot of families faced the decision to resign their membership or face an uncomfortable phone conversation about abatement. Moving to this system changed the tone and dynamic. Now, people feel good about what they can do as opposed to feeling badly about what they cannot do.”
When Congregation Sukkat Shalom in Wilmette, Illinois was founded in the mid-1990s, free will was part of the founding vision. “We wanted to rely on people’s integrity,” says executive director Judy Buckman, “because we believe people have integrity. Tzedakah is the fabric of our community—for example, displaced and homeless individuals live in the synagogue for a week at a time—and our financial system is part of that culture. Potential members and congregants feel good about belonging to a shul with this philosophy. It’s especially comfortable for the non-Jewish spouses in the congregation who are not used to a dues system; our system makes sense to them.”

Temple B’rith Achim, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania moved to the free will system about four years ago, “in part because we had some folks who had grown up in churches and they found it strange that you would get an invoice from a religious community,” Rabbi Eric Lazar says. “We all started thinking about this. And then free will made sense to us, because it is specifically based upon the story in the Torah where God asks the Israelites: In building the mishkan , the holy space, give as your hearts move you. In our community we’ve now created our own mishkan . In order to be a member, you submit both a gift of the hand and gift of the heart—which enables us to value everyone for the gifts they can bring.”

You can find information regarding some other synagogues from the following sources:
– Temple Israel (Sharon, MA, Temple Israel, A Unique Dues Alternative)
– Temple Beth Tzedek (Amherst, NY, Beth Tzedek Voluntary Annual Commitments)
– Temple Beth-El (Jersey City, NJ, Temple Beth-El, Terumah)
– Temple Emanu-el (Providence, RI, Temple Emanu-El)

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2 thoughts on “Considering the Sustaining Share Model for Shomrei: FAQs

  1. Fern’s proposed procedure seems completely sensible and I heartily suppirt kt and urge all congregants to do the same.

  2. The Sustaining Share Model is something that will inspire young families like myself to care about the synagogue and remain involved. When we take away the walls of “seller” vs “buyer” beautiful community life can bloom.

What do you think?