Updates from the July 2024 Trustee Meeting

By Judy Van Cleave, secretary, Urantia Foundation, Idaho, United States

Operations Overview

Books

Overall, Urantia Foundation’s book business showed growth in several areas despite some fluctuations. Total book distribution in Q2 increased 11% over Q2 2023, and YTD book distribution increased 12%.

English sales are performing exceptionally well, with a significant 26% increase in Q2 and a 4% increase year-to-date. French sales are also bouncing back now that the inventory has been replenished, with Q2 sales up by 142% and year-to-date sales up 35%.

While some areas like Portuguese and Spanish sales have faced challenges in Q2, the Portuguese market still shows strong year-to-date growth at 24%. Efforts will be made in the coming quarter to identify opportunities for more growth in the regions where these titles sell.

The strong start in book sales for the first half of 2024 is indeed encouraging. Overall, 41,054 Urantia Books—physical and electronic—have been sent into the world, and the team will continue its work to increase distribution next quarter.

Education

Participants in the June “Marriage and Family Adventure! An Online Symposium” shared their thoughts on having participated in the project. Tamara Strumfeld offered the opening prayer on both mornings and participated as a panelist. Gard Jameson, Olga López, and Chris Wood were all presenters, some serving as panelists as well. Although we had hoped for higher attendance, the seminar was both meaningful and timely. The sessions were recorded and are now available for viewing on YouTube. Click here.

Olga López gave a verbal summary of the Urantia Book International School (UBIS) written report. In April, 225 students were enrolled in 18 classes, which were facilitated by 24 volunteers from 6 language branches. Completion rates were typical, with 68% earning a Certificate of Completion. The 2023–2024 academic year wrapped up with a global meeting on June 22.

Olga was recently named manager of the English branch, handing over the management of the Spanish branch to Erika Webster after many years of service. Her goal is to cohere the English group and work with Joanne Strobel to gain a comprehensive understanding of UBIS. Olga noted that the program has proven to be an incubator for leadership development. UBIS now has an impressive roster of 73 trained teacher-facilitators from around the world.

Tamara Strumfeld reported on the activities of the Urantia Book Study Group Directory. With so much automated now, the work required is mainly to answer reader inquiries. Several international volunteers were enlisted to help contact study groups for the annual cleanup, and that task has been completed. There has been a lull in the growth of study groups, so committee members will meet to discuss ways to generate interest. Click here to visit the Urantia Book Study Group Directory.

Fundraising and Finances

• Q2 unrestricted donations were 22% above Q2 of 2023 and 26% above Q2 budget.

• Restricted donations were 3% below Q2 of 2023 and 1% above Q2 budget.

• Q2 estate gifts totaled $208,188.

• Total income increased by 3% compared to Q2 of 2023 and was 9% over budget.

• Administrative expenses increased by 17% compared to Q2 of last year but are 2% below the projected budget.

• Total expenses decreased by 1% from Q2 of 2023 and are 18% under budget.

Mustard Seed Grants Program (MSGP)

Sherry Cathcart Chavis reported on the status of grant awards and their current progress.

The second round for 2024 began on July 31 with a call for proposals. The submission deadline was September 11. Awards for this round will be announced in the next newsletter.

Cultural Advisory Council (CAC)

The Foundation’s Cultural Advisory Council is an ongoing effort to bring awareness from diverse cultures around the world to the board, and in turn, bring greater understanding of the Foundation to these communities. Mr. Felipe Arrigorriaga from Santiago, Chile, gave an hour-long presentation on the beauty of his country, including a brief history lesson, after which he shared his perspective on disseminating The Urantia Book in Chile. He shared what drew him to the book in 2004, what he feels is essential to make it more widely available in Chile, and what will bring current readers together.

Governance

The Expanded Board of Urantia Foundation will include a five-year strategic planning session as part of their October quarterly meeting. The schedule will be similar to that of the 2019 planning session and will be modified to include more goals and strategy and fewer tactics. Joanne Strobel will facilitate the planning meeting for the board.

Translations

Georges Michelson-Dupont presented his 103rd Translation Report to the board. He reported on the following: the near completion of the Farsi translation, the Portuguese revision undergoing a review, and the progress of the Esperanto and Filipino translations.

The board was updated on the status of the Spanish Translation and Revision research project conducted by Ipsos Ciesmori, a Bolivian research company. Their team conducted a three-part plan: interviewing focus groups, collecting feedback, and gathering information from a survey of Spanish readers. The project is coming to completion, and we expect a final report from the company in the upcoming months.

Website

Tamara Strumfeld’s full report on the Foundation’s new website included a narrative detailing the tremendous task of bringing the website to launch ready. She thanked the staff who stepped up to make the launch successful. The board was treated to a “park ranger” walk-through of the website, compliments of Brad Garner—Urantia Foundation’s digital programs manager—wherein members offered suggestions and were apprised of ongoing efforts for further improvements.