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TO: The General Council

FROM: Gard Jameson

RE: October 17, 1989 Finance Letter to Urantia Foundation

This memo is intended to clarify meanings attributed by the Foundation to the letter sent to the Trustees regarding our discomfort with joint solicitations with Urantia Foundation.

Please read the attached letter.

With respect to the first paragraph: As Chair of the Finance Committee I did not feel comfortable with the standards of financial' (budgetary) control accountability as they were related to me by Helena Sprague, former Trustee. As you and I know, the former Urantia Brotherhood wanted no control over the finances of Urantia Foundation. I simply did not feel comfortable participating in a joint solicitation with another (any other) organization that lacked budgetary review and control or where there was no participation in budgetary review and control. That statement was not intended to mean that I nor anyone else desired control over Foundation finances. Urantia Foundation's statement that "the Brotherhood's unfounded demand that the Foundation be financially accountable to the Brotherhood was part of a broader plan to assert control over the Foundation" does not in any way reflect the intentions of the former Urantia Brotherhood. The former Urantia Brotherhood was merely asking that Urantia Foundation itself take control of its own finances by implementing a budgetary control system.

With respect to the second paragraph: Since Urantia Brotherhood did participate in the joint solicitation, John Hay, as past Finance Chair, sought to discuss financial matters of mutual concern with Martin Myers, but was vehemently told to back off the subject. At the June summer conference in Chicago last year Hoite Caston encouraged me to engage in dialogue regarding financial matters with the Trustees and so I sent a letter the first week of July with no response.

With respect to the third paragraph: I was Informed by Helena Sprague that she had never seen nor discussed a budget for Urantia Foundation. This lack of budgetary planning and control was alarming to her and to me. The budgetary process is standard operating procedure for any responsible nonprofit organization. The lack of such procedure by Urantia Foundation should be of concern to any donor or organization involved in a joint solicitation. It signifies a lack of planning and control over the organization's financial expenditures.

Additionally, the financial disclosure policy of the nonprofits that I am familiar with does not deny access to its accounting books to donors, large or small. The donor has a moral right to know how effective and efficient organizational expenditures were in accomplishing organizational goals. Is Urantia Foundation concerned that people will see how much money was paid to attorneys, tens of thousands of dollars, to involve themselves with affairs of the former Urantia Brotherhood, such as the removal amendment? When substantial attorney fees are being used to sow seeds of discord between affiliated nonprofit organizations is there not a real basis for concern about joint solicitations?

I With respect to the fourth paragraph: In the May 1989 joint solicitation, Urantia Foundation again paid attorneys to review the use of spiritual language in the letter. The following language was objected to by Urantia Foundation, a quote which stated "all that we have comes from God and we give it out of His hand." It was felt by Urantia Foundation that the use of such language was clear evidence of "creeping churchification" and had no place in our solicitation letters.

With respect to the last paragraph: Richard Keeler has often referred to the relationship of Urantia Foundation and former Brotherhood as being that of a parent/child relationship. Clearly, we have been viewed historically as the child, subservient to Urantia Foundation's control. It is hard to imagine that five trustees should or could have authoritative control over the social movement of the Fifth Epochal Revelation.

We are all but fellow servants. May we all have the humility and grace to serve courageously in our Father's field. May our service be guided by faith, Insight, and strengthened by our group's wisdom.

Respectfully in your service,

Gard Jameson, CPA,CFF

Nonprofit experience references:
Trustee of The Nevada Community Foundation (United Way)
Trustee of The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Life, Claremont, CA
Financial Advisor to Nevada Easter Seals Director
International Financial Planning Association, Las Vegas.