Updates from the October 2025 Trustee Meeting

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

Trip to Korea and Taiwan

Mo Siegel and Tamara Strumfeld reported on their trip to Korea and Taiwan in September. They traveled there in person to connect with the Foundation’s new distributor and to strengthen meaningful relationships with dedicated longtime readers.

Books

Book distribution was strong in the third quarter. Sales totaled 5,778 copies, up 4% from Q3, 2024. Year-to-date (YTD) sales totaled 18,517, up 4% from last year. Downloads totaled 16,882 for the quarter, up 62%. YTD totaled 44,229, up 6%. And donated books totaled 535, even with Q3, 2024. YTD totaled 1,436, up 10%.

Top priorities for the fourth quarter of 2025 are overseeing book printings, testing of the new app for Android and Apple, and implementing sales and distribution strategies for the five-year goals.

Education

The 26th academic year of Urantia Book International School (UBIS) opened on September 8, with 277 students enrolled into 19 courses, presented by 26 facilitators representing eight language branches. Georges Michelson-Dupont shared that it is a real joy to prepare and facilitate a UBIS course because one learns a lot in the process of preparing, and the course creates real brotherhood among the students.

The Education Committee presented its fourth Science Symposium online November 6–7, 2025. The theme was “The Evolution of Human Knowledge—100 Years Later”, and featured presentations by 10 science-minded readers of The Urantia Book. Margie Ray was the emcee.

Other news included a spiritual retreat to be hosted at the Foundation on March 5 to 8, 2026, and an update on the Urantia Book Study Group Directory. The joint oversight committee continues to serve reader communities worldwide by promptly responding to their inquiries and helping them find an appropriate study group. Uganda recently joined the top-10 list with 12 study groups.

Chris Wood reported that members of the Education Committee had a dialogue with representatives from other organizations to talk about the educational efforts of each.

Q3 Fundraising and Finances

• Unrestricted donations rose 155% above Q3 of 2024 and were up 129% YTD.

• Restricted donations rose 50% above Q3 of 2024 and were up 4% YTD.

• Total income rose 105% YTD compared to 2024 and was 97% over budget.

• Total expenses rose 16% YTD compared to 2024 and were 2% over budget.

Proposed 2026 Budget

Treasurer Gard Jameson reminded the board that the requirements of the Foundation's proposed 2026 annual budget include being conservative, mission driven, and visionary. He reviewed the proposed budget with the board, and it was adopted after thorough discussion.

Mustard Seed Grants Project

The board approved the following six grants for the second round of 2025.

1. Bilingual Video Series: Bringing The Urantia Book to a Wider Audience

• Applicant: Zhihong Fan
• Country: United States
• Focus Area: Digital Outreach

2. Library Book Placement in Italy, Chiloé Island, and Malta

• Applicant: Matt Hughes
• Country: Italy, Chiloé Island, Malta
• Focus Area: Library Placement

3. The Jesus Project

• Applicant: Michael Hill
• Country: United States
• Focus Area: Digital Outreach

4. Urantia Nusantara Hub

• Applicant: Jacinta Francisca Rini
• Country: Indonesia
• Focus Area: Digital Outreach

5. Voices of the Mother Spirit

• Applicant: Antoinette Hall
• Country: United States
• Focus Area: Music, Art, and Film

6. Outreach in the Philippines

• Applicant: Eugene Asidao
• Country: The Philippines
• Focus Area: Library Book Placement

Translations

Georges Michelson-Dupont provided his final translation report to the board. The Portuguese revision continues to progress, the Filipino team has completed through Paper 76, Esperanto continues, the Farsi is being edited, the Spanish revision teams are beginning their work, and the Greek translation is under review.

Trustee Retirement

Georges Michelson-Dupont read his parting words for the board titled, “Thirty Years of Experience at Urantia Foundation.” He concluded with a brief summary of, and appreciative comments for, the work of each member serving on the board and his personal sentiment for each.