Managing temple finances is like that of other organizations with competing needs and limited resources. Every dollar matters and your clergy, administrative team and Board of Trustees take their financial stewardship seriously. Here are the major components of our operating budget and how they have evolved over time.
The size of our congregation has remained consistent despite COVID, rising antisemitism, and other external factors, but our membership revenue has not increased significantly since 2019. Between 2019 and 2024, Annual Commitments increased only 10% while cumulative inflation rose nearly 24%. Despite that, the congregation has managed to continue operations with the benefit of government grants and additional distributions from our healthy endowment funds.
On the expense side, rising operating costs associated with responses to the historic escalation in antisemitism, lingering effects of COVID and some major unplanned security and facilities expenses have been fiscally challenging. Since 2019, security and facility costs increased ~200% and now represent over 25% of our budget.
