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Urantia Foundation Annual Report 2018

Urantia Foundation Annual Report 2018

The Gift of Revelation

Dear friends of Urantia Foundation,

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant seeking goodly pearls; and having found one pearl of great price, he went out and sold everything he possessed that he might be able to buy the extraordinary pearl.” 151:4.5 (1694.3)

We have been exceedingly blessed to have discovered the revelation. Or is it more realistic to say it found us? In the 993,504-year history of humankind an event of this magnitude has occurred only five times. We have the pearl of great price, the gift of revelation. Through sickness and health, happy and sad times, the words of The Urantia Book enlighten our minds and soothe our souls. Because of its teachings, we feel God, imagine the universe, trust the promise of eternal life, and relive the life of Jesus.

Much has been given to each of us and much is expected. With your support, Urantia Foundation continues to seed The Urantia Book and its teachings globally. While worldwide acceptance is destined for another age, we are laying the groundwork now for its future adoption. Together we will ensure that this extraordinary gift endures!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your generous giving.

Mo Siegel
On behalf of the Trustees of Urantia Foundation
Marilynn Kulieke, Gard Jameson, Georges Michelson-Dupont, Mo Siegel, Judy Van Cleave

Click here to read the Annual Report as a PDF

The Mission of Urantia Foundation Is to Seed The Urantia Book and Its Teachings Globally

  • Sales and Distribution: 17,489 books sold / 18,445 books distributed
  • Website: 1,185,510 sessions / 650,532 visits
  • Downloads: 120,580 books downloaded from urantia.org and the Apple app

The average book sells 3,000 copies in its lifetime. What a remarkable testament to the strength of the Urantia Revelation that a book published in 1955, which begins with a difficult-to-read Foreword, continues to sell so well. There are over 800,000 physical Urantia Books in circulation, and hundreds of thousands more have been downloaded. The Urantia Book is spreading, and the text is protected.

The Gift of Revelation

It started in turn-of-the-century Chicago, a growing city in the heart of America’s Midwest, where a dedicated group of individuals worked together over many decades. Their combined wisdom and perseverance led to the publication of this revelatory book in 1955. From here it has spread throughout the world.

What a marvel to have the gift of an epochal revelation! The pages of The Urantia Book invite us into a thrilling adventure of intellectual and spiritual transformation. We are welcomed into a vast universe family and a bounty of truth, beauty, and goodness. As we open the door to the new concepts and ideas expressed in The Urantia Book, we enter a world filled with opportunity and challenge. What will each of us do with this gift as we choose to become part of God’s universal plan?

Translations—Bringing the Teachings into the World

17 Translations to date

Bulgarian 2014
Danish 2018
Dutch 1997
Estonian 2010
Finnish 1993
French 1961
German 2005
Hungarian 2010
Italian 2006
Korean 2000
Lithuanian 2004
Polish 2010
Portuguese 2007
Romanian 2004
Russian 1997
Spanish 1993
Swedish 2010

6 in progress
4 in revision

Urantia Foundation is wholeheartedly committed to producing and publishing translations of the highest possible true-to-the-original quality because of its mandate and responsibility. Our methodology, which is based on experience, is designed to bring each translation to a higher level of accuracy and readability.

Education and Outreach

The UBIS site was upgraded to include mobile responsivity and enhanced design.

Courses taught: 38 (20 English, 9 French, and 9 Spanish)
Students enrolled: 489 (257 English, 103 French, and 129 Spanish)

UBIS is celebrating its 20th year, and we thank the following individuals for volunteering as teacher-facilitators:

Susan Auyang
Linda Barton (3)
Michael Barrett (2)
Graciela Benedetti
Khatuhkira Bernard (4)
Susan Bryner (3)
Maxl Buchanan
Elisabeth Callahan (2)
Judy Cosky (5)
Sherie Crosby (2)
David Doolittle
Ana Eguren (3)
Dorothy Elder (9)
David Elders (6)
Marta Elders (8)
Susan Flacks (6)
Claude Flibotte (7)
Polly Friedman (9)
Reginaldo Cândido Garcia (4)
Ray Gardini (10)
Deborah Goaldman (2)
Tom Hansen (6)
Kathy Hatter (2)
Gregory Hawkins (3)
Virginia Heller (5)
Michelle Heulot (4)
Michael Hill (2)
Stacey Jackson (4)
Bruce Johnson (5)
Morris Kaplowitz (2)
Michelle Kaiser (4)
Mark Khoury (2)
Agnès Lazar
Larry Leskovic
Al Lockett (2)
Olga López (9)
Charlene Lutes (5)
Rick Lyon (5)
Jaime Marco (6)
Pam Maunakea (8)
Rhonda McColgan (3)
Cheryl Melancon (4)
Georges Michelson-Dupont (10)
Guy Stéphane Nyasse (5)
Janet Pancoast
Mariano Perez (3)
Guy Perron (27)
Jane Ploetz (5)
Carolyn Prentice
Javier Ramo
Jetta Rattigan (2)
Paula Requejo (5)
Jesus Rivera (3)
Flor Robles (4)
William Silva (3)
Mary Steigerwald (8)
Dennis Sword (6)
Eric Tarissan
Geoff Taylor (2)
Phil Taylor (2)
Allan Trout (3)
Wanda Veloz (5)
José Antonio Walle
Erika Webster (5)
Gabriela Westphal (4)
Betty Zehr (10)
Ralph Zehr (11)

Outreach Books

  • 50 books sent to Ghana for a Urantia Association International (UAI) conference
  • 57 books sent to the Philippines
  • 619 Spanish books gifted to recipients throughout Latin America
  • 50 English books sent to Fiji in partnership with UAI

Quenching Spiritual Thirst with Living Water Campaign

This fundraising campaign provided the funds necessary to send over 600 Spanish books to areas in Latin America where there is no established book distribution.

The 600 books are being used for various book fairs and other outreach efforts in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, and Venezuela.

Parliament of the World’s Religions 2018

Urantia Foundation is one of four organizations that provided funding and staffing for a booth at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Toronto.

The Revelation Bridge Endowment Fund - Established 2017

Our mandate is to secure the Foundation so that it The Urantia Book and its translations for generations. For this purpose the Revelation Bridge was established as an endowment fund.

Our deepest gratitude goes to two donors who contributed $413,000 to this fund in 2018. The Foundation intends that the principal and interest remain untouched for 25 years.

  • The Malcolm Neal Family Trust
  • Stephen Fletcher

Create your legacy by sustaining Urantia Foundation for your grandchildren and beyond. They need your help. Please call your lawyer today or write a notarized codicil assigning assets in your will to the Revelation Bridge Fund. For more information visit urantia.plannedgiving.org or call 773-525-3319.

Financials

Book Revenue
Jan-Dec 18
Sales of The Urantia Book
$137,344
Cost of Books Sold
($118,616)
Gross Profit from Books
$18,728
 
Public Support and Non-Book Revenue
Restricted Contributions
$81,892
Unrestricted Contributions
$732,100
Other Income
$86,295
Total Support and Non-Book Revenue*
$900,287
 
Functional Expenses
Program Expense
($622,155)
General and Administrative Expense
($159,015)
Fundraising Expense
($42,895)
Total Functional Expenses
($824,065)
   
Change in Net Cash Before Investments
$94,950
   
Supplemental Items  
Book Printing
($91,593)
   
Change in Operational Net Cash 
before Investments less Book Printing
$3,357
   
Functional Expenses
Before Supplemental Items
(Pie chart 1)
 
Programming
76%
General Administration
19%
Fundraising
5%
   

Sources of Operational Revenue
and Support
(Pie chart 2)

 
Gross Profit from Books
2%
Restricted Contributions
9%
Rent and Other Income
9%
Unrestricted Contributions
80%
   
Revelation Bridge and Estate Funds
$439,259
Non-Cash Gifts
$20,929
   

Income vs. Expense and Book Printing

 

Operational Income Received

$1,037,631

All Expenses and Book Printing

$1,034,274
   
* Does not include Revelation Bridge 
Endowment Fund and Non-Cash Gifts
 
2018 Functional Expenses before Supplemental Items
2018 Functional Expenses before Supplemental Items
2018 Sources of Operational Revenue and Support
2018 Sources of Operational Revenue and Support

In Memoriam

Richard Keeler
Richard Keeler, trustee for almost 30 years
October 1941–January 2019
Godspeed Richard. See you on the mansion worlds!

A Gift That Changed My Life

Karmo and Margit Kalda and family

Karmo and Margit Kalda and family, Estonia

When we found The Urantia Book it felt like life had just begun. It was as if we discovered a gateway into the real world. We received answers for our questions and clarity into our thoughts. It has been a great blessing for the family because we both read it, and this gives us the highest possible harmony in our relationship.

Wilson León

Wilson León Naranja, Colombia

The moment my mother gave me The Urantia Book, a great seed of love was sown in me, and it changed my life. Today I feel that I have harmony in my home and in my health. I enjoy abundance in resources and relationships, and I live in immense peace and happiness. Each day I give thanks to you, Father, and I am eager for a hug from you. Gracias! Gracias! Gracias!

Carl Ramm and Susan Alexander

Carl Ramm and Susan Alexander, Alaska, USA

It is hard for us to put into words what the revelation means to us since it has become a part of almost every facet of our lives. Nonetheless, probably the greatest gift has been a much deeper sense of being at home in the universe, and knowing that in spite of all the troubles our world endures, the cosmos is a loving home.