Webinar with Dan Judson and members of the Connected Congregations New York cohort.

1. MEMBERSHIP, COMMUNITY, AND CHANGE
a 3 part series
Making the Change to a New
Membership Model
With Rabbi Dan Judson

2. 4 Topics for Today
1. What are attributes of those congregations
that have made a change to their model?
2. What are the steps to make change?
3. Cautionary tales …
4. Planning for taking risks

3. Next in the Series
Wed March 19th
12pm – Sharefest presentations
from Temple Beth Abraham and Community
Synagogue, with Rabbi Dan Judson
Tues March 25 8-9pm – “What are the deeper
elements that accompany this change?” with
Rabbi Dan Judson. What does is mean to be a
“member”? How does voluntary dues change
fundraising? Etc.

4. Rabbi Dan Judson
Director of Professional Development and Placement
for the Hebrew College Rabbinical School
Doctoral candidate in Jewish history at Brandeis
University, dissertation focuses on the history of
American synagogues and money.
Researches and teaches about contemporary
synagogue finances, and is presently writing a report
on the success of several synagogues who have
eliminated dues and are using a voluntary funding
model.
Rabbi of Temple Beth David of the South Shore in
Canton, MA for 10 years.

5. 5 Attributes of Congregations
Successful Changing Financial Models
#1: “Stickiness” between members and
congregation – the congregation is already on
the path of being a relational congregation as
outlined by Ron Wolfson

6. 5 Attributes of Congregations
Successful Changing Financial Models
#2: Financial Transparency
– The board understands and has access to financial
information
– There is openness about how decisions are made
– There is a financial “story” of the congregation
that correlates to reality and all key players share
the story

7. 5 Attributes of Congregations
Successful Changing Financial Models
#3: Trust in Financial Leadership of
Congregation. A track record of being good
stewards and/or track record of success in
business

8. 5 Attributes of Congregations
Successful Changing Financial Models
#4: Congregation is relatively healthy financially
– change in model is not a “hail mary” [forgive
both the sports and wrong religion analogy] –
revenue sources fall generally into expected
categories (the congregation is not overly
reliant on dues or some other category)

9. 5 Attributes of Congregations
Successful Changing Financial Models
#5: Size of Congregation

10. 7 Steps from Here to There
#1 Understand Trends Within Your Own
Synagogue

11. 7 Steps from Here to There
#2: Initial Consensus on why you are looking to
make a change [e.g. “in five years if we don’t
change the synagogue will not have revenue it
needs” or “unhappiness with the current system
and what it asks of people”]

12. 7 Steps from Here to There
#3: Gathering Information from Trends in the
Jewish World [what you are doing right now]

13. 7 Steps from Here to There
#4: Gathering a Task Force on Financial Change
– like other important synagogue task forces,
this should be reflective of different
constituencies but must have some trusted
financial leadership – see above

14. 7 Steps from Here to There
#5: Clergy must be brought into conversation
[even if kicking and screaming]

15. 7 Steps from Here to There
#6: Ongoing Communication with Task Force
and Executive Board

16. 7 Steps from Here to There
#7a: Consider making a small change first which
would be a test case for a larger change you are
thinking about [e.g. if you are thinking about
eliminating dues, eliminate dues for just first
year members and track change closely]
#7b: Make Recommendations

17. Cautionary Tales

18. Planning for Taking Risk

19. Other Questions?

20. Next in the Series
Wed March 19th
12pm – Sharefest presentations
from Temple Beth Abraham and Community
Synagogue, with Rabbi Dan Judson
Tues March 25 8-9pm – “What are the deeper
elements that accompany this change?” with
Rabbi Dan Judson. What does is mean to be a
“member”? How does voluntary dues change
fundraising? Etc.