Some Major New Developments on the Website

Development of the Fellowship website continues.  Here are some recent major additions that you may find useful:

•     The "Polygloss"—A multi-lingual edition of The Urantia Book:  Using the Polygloss it is possible to display two different translations side-by-side.  Scroll through one and the second translation will scroll along with it.  Included is a multi-lingual search engine and the ability to enter a Paper:Section.Paragraph number and display the related location in the text in any selected language. 

  The Polygloss currently supports English, Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, Dutch, Russian, Finnish, and Lithuanian translations.  All published translations eventually will be included. Special thanks are due to the trustees of Urantia Foundation for permission to publish their copyrighted translations on our website.

  The Polygloss was programmed by Troy Bishop, who spent many months developing the code.

  A spin-off currently in the works is an offline version that can be used by translators who will be able to plug in their work-in-progress and do paragraph-by-paragraph comparisons with other translations. There will eventually be multi-lingual links to the topical index. 

  Visit Troy's beautiful website, AscenderPublishing.com 

• Integration of the Topical Index with the text of The Urantia Book:  An electronic version of Harry McMullan's topical index, which is included at the back of Uversa Press editions of The Urantia Book, has been integrated with the text of The Urantia Book on the website.  Entries in the topical index appear in blue in the online text.  Clicking on any one of these will bring up a small window displaying all other locations in the text where the same word or phrase appears.

  Early reports from users indicate that this may become an important study tool for the readership.  A CD version is currently in production which will also contain a Folios-like search capability.  It is hoped that these will be ready for distribution at IC08.

  Special thanks to Larry Watkins for help with programming on this feature.

  Visit the online Urantia Book with the integrated Topical Index

• The Uversa Press web store is open for business!  All of the Uversa Press publications are now available for purchase online.  This includes all Uversa Press editions of The Urantia Book as well as DVDs and CD sets.  We currently accept Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.

  Take a stroll through the aisles of the Fellowship webstore

President's Year-End Message  

Dear Fellow Readers of The Urantia Book:

As the Fellowship continues to grow, the integrity of our business practices, careful management of our financial resources, and open accountability become increasingly important for the dissemination of the fifth epochal revelation. As president, I continue to pursue a rigorous review of our internal financial and administrative processes. In the world of not-for-profit organizations, there are some important objective standards by which the integrity and health of such organizations are evaluated.

One of the most important standards documents is the Standards for Charity Accountability which is maintained by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance helps donors make informed giving decisions and advances high standards of conduct among organizations that solicit contributions from the public. They have a comprehensive Standards for Charity Accountability. I did a thorough review of our organization based on their standards.

I would like to report to the readership and membership, that The Urantia Book Fellowship has strong and consistent accountability, as a not-for-profit organization, when viewed through these standards.

In general the Standards for Charitable Accountability requires accountability in four major areas:

• 1. Governance and Oversight
• 2. Measuring Effectiveness
• 3. Finances
• 4. Fund Raising

Overall, the Fellowship is very effective and efficient in our governance and oversight. We meet all their requirements. We exceed most of them. And, we can improve in a few areas.

One way in which we can comply more completely is to develop a formal Conflict of Interest policy, even though we already comply with even the most stringent Conflict of Interest statements. We have always had extremely ethical fund raising practices and we spend much less in our fund raising efforts than even the conservative limits set forth in the Wise Giving Alliance requirements.

We can also improve on the goals, expectations and evaluation of the work of our committees, be they standing committees or ad-hoc committees. We can accomplish this by using improved committee goal procedures and better assessments of the committees’ accomplishments. Committees give written reports, but we need the results quantitatively outlined more effectively with recommendations for future actions.

The Fellowship excels in appropriately spending our funds on our various programs with little having to go to general overhead expenses. Our overhead expenses are very low, thanks to the many years of thoughtful service given by our past and present officers and committee chairs. The vast percentage of our expenses go to support our Statement of Purpose. And our expenses to raise and solicit funds are uncommonly low, much less than the Wise Giving Alliance requires.

The fact that we find ourselves today well-structured in our administrative areas is a testimony to the largely unseen efforts of past officers and Executive Committees, as well as our long-time contributors, who have patiently and wisely guided the administrative, financial, and legal development of our organization. As a result, we stand today poised ready to undertake a significant expansion of our dissemination and outreach efforts, secure in the knowlege that we have a solid business foundation from which to proceed in the work of the revelation.

Together we are making progress in our efforts to study and disseminate the teachings of the revelation. Together we are effectively encouraging the realization of the Fatherhood of God throughout the world. Together we are fostering the development of a viable and reliable mechanism which can be used for the Father's purposes.

Below I have copied the Standards for Charitable Accountability as set for by the Wise Giving Alliance of the Better Business Bureau. In bold with a white background are my comments about where the Fellowship stands relative to these standards, as well as areas in which we can improve our performance and compliance.

• 1. Governance and Oversight
• • a). A board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff.
    • The Fellowship has never had an appraisal of the president's performance.  I think we should as the president is acting as Chief Executive Officer.  This is something that we could do and likely should do.  This aside, the Fellowship does have good and sound disbursement control, a board approval of the budget, has ethical fund raising practices, tightly controlled accounting procedures.  I am confident in the efficiency of our operations.
    • We do not have an approved Conflict of Interest policy, though I submitted one a few years ago.  With a few modifications it could be approved at the next GC meeting.
  • b). A board of directors with a minimum of five voting members.
    
    • We comply admirably in this area. 
      
  • c). A minimum of three evenly spaced meetings per year of the full governing body with a majority in attendance, with face-to-face participation.
    • Our Executive Committee has quarterly face-to-face meetings in addition to numerous conference calls.
  • d). Not more than one or 10% (whichever is greater) directly or indirectly compensated person(s) serving as voting member(s) of the board.
    • We comply here and always have. 
  • e). Compensated members shall not serve as the board's chair or treasurer.
    • We comply here also.
  • f). No transaction(s) in which any board or staff members have material conflicting interests with the charity resulting from any relationship or business affiliation.
    • Again we comply and have been exemplary in the past.

• 2. Measuring Effectiveness
• • g). Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
    • This is one area in which I have desired better performance.  Each committee, standing or ad-hoc, should be assessed regarding it's performance and effectiveness to achieve our organizations mission.  I intend to do what I can to move the Fellowship into performing regular assessments of our committees.
  • h). Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.
    • We give written reports, or at least most committees have given written reports, but we rarely outline the results quantitatively or provide the GC with an overall written assessment or recommendations for our future actions.

• 3. Finances
• • i). Spend at least 65% of its total expenses on program activities.
    • The Fellowship spends most of its funds on our programs.  The website is one of our programs and the database supports our programs, the Fellowship Herald and the Mighty Messenger are 90%+ in the program category (a small percent is in the fund raising side), our International Reader Service and the travel is all program oriented.)  I feel the Fellowship is stellar in this regard.
    • I would like to have the actual numbers to report.  The difficultly will be deciding how much of our Administrative Director, Paula Thompson's time, is supportive of our program activities  and how much is purely administrative.  Our payments for outside CPA services are not a part of our program services.  Most, if not all IT, marketing, and sales expenses are within our program services. 
  • j). Spend no more than 35% of related contributions on fund raising. Related contributions include donations, legacies, and other gifts received as a result of fund raising efforts.
    • We need to do the numbers, but without a doubt we are way under the 35% of costs to raise funds.
  • k). Avoid accumulating funds that could be used for current program activities. To meet this standard, the charity's unrestricted net assets available for use should not be more than three times the size of the past year's expenses or three times the size of the current year's budget, whichever is higher.
    • Depending on how we look at our finances, we are likely getting close to this limit from the Wise Giving Alliance's perspective. More funds in endowments would be helpful, as endowments are in a restricted category. Healthy endowments will be a smart way for our organization to grow financially.
  • l). Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When total annual gross income exceeds $250,000, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
    • The Fellowship has always been in full compliance with this requirement.
  • m). Include in the financial statements a breakdown of expenses (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each category.
    • We are in compliance with this requirement.
  • n). Accurately report the charity's expenses, including any joint cost allocations, in its financial statements. For example, audited or unaudited statements which inaccurately claim zero fund raising expenses or otherwise understate the amount a charity spends on fund raising, and/or overstate the amount it spends on programs will not meet this standard.
    • We are in compliance, though we could more accurately reflect the cost of fund raising.  It is less than 5%, probably less than 3-4%, which is really fantastic. 
  • o). Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.
    • We have always been exemplary in this area.

• 4. Fund Raising and Informational Materials
• • p). Have solicitations and informational materials, distributed by any means, that are accurate, truthful and not misleading, both in whole and in part. Appeals that omit a clear description of program(s) for which contributions are sought will not meet this standard.
    • The Fellowship fully complies with this requirement.
  • q). Substantiate that the timing and nature of its expenditures are in accordance with what is stated, expressed, or implied in the charity's solicitations.
  • r). Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes the organization's mission statement, a summary of the past year's program service, a list of accomplishments, and a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors.
  • s). Financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.
    • We need to do all three of the above.  We have the information, but have not organized and sent it out. 
  • t). Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.
    • We are not doing this yet, but it will be easy for us to so.
  • u). Address privacy concerns of donors by:
    • 1. Providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, and
    • 2. Providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.
      • We have a clear and easily accessible privacy policy on our website.  We should look into complying with (1.) of this requirement.
  • v). Clearly disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services (i.e., cause-related marketing) that state or imply that a charity will benefit from a consumer sale or transaction. Such promotions should disclose, at the point of solicitation:
    • 1. The actual or anticipated portion of the purchase price that will benefit the charity (e.g., 5 cents will be contributed to abc charity for every xyz company product sold).
    • 2. The duration of the campaign (e.g., the month of October).
    • 3. Any maximum or guaranteed minimum contribution amount (e.g., up to a maximum of $200,000).
      • This is an area we need to consider more closely, as it relates to our conferences, as well as sales of books and other merchandise.
  • w). Respond promptly to and act on complaints brought to its attention by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and/or local Better Business Bureaus about fund raising practices, privacy policy violations and/or other issues.
    • We would respond immediately should such an occassion ever arise.

I encourage you to visit the Wise Giving Alliance website for more background information on these matters.

I thank each of you once again for your continued support and efforts for the revelation. Together we will continue to develop and apply resources for more effectively disseminating The Urantia Book. Together we have already begun to turn the tide.

"The persistent preaching of this gospel of the kingdom will some day bring to all nations a new and unbelievable liberation, intellectual freedom, and religious liberty." [178:1.9]

May each of you and your families dwell in the spiritual warmth of love and friendship during this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Robert Burns, President, The Urantia Book Fellowship