Noteworthy Goals from the April 2011 Board of Trustees Meeting

Tamara Strumfeld

Chris Halvorson

Jennifer Siegel

Larry Watkins

Rogerio da Silva

Rob Reno

Scott Brooks

Georges Michelson-Dupont

Jay Peregrine

By Marilynn Kulieke, Secretary, Urantia Foundation, Lincolnshire, Illinois, USA

2011 Goals

Community Relations:

1. Increase goodwill and communications with readers and reader groups worldwide via quarterly newsletters, local reader gatherings, and the fostering of organizational cooperation.
   
   Newsletters are sent quarterly, and members of the staff and Expanded Board attend many national and international gatherings of readers. If the readers are the human body of the Urantia Revelation, then the body needs to be healthy so the Revelation can flourish.
   
   
2. Increase accessibility and use of the facilities at 533 W Diversey Parkway in Chicago for activities directly related to furthering the Foundation’s mission, which is to seed The Urantia Book and its teachings throughout the world.
   
   The doors at 533 are open to Urantia Book organizations in need of meeting facilities to do work directly related to The Urantia Book. For further information please contact Tamara Strumfeld at [email protected] [2].
   
   
3. Involve younger readers in the work of the Urantia Revelation.
   
   The on-going search for young leaders and volunteers continues.

Book Printing, Sales, and Distribution:

1. Increase book sales and distribution in 2011 by seven percent over the 20,000 books distributed in 2010.
   
   Sales and distribution targeted improvements include e-books, audios, bookstore sales, and web downloads. Urantia Foundation’s book sales for the first quarter of 2011 were up 21%.
   
   
2. Increase distribution in North America, Brazil, Italy, Russia, Hungary, and Holland.
   
   Book distribution continues to grow even though book stores have significant challenges. Thanks to the work of Henk and Claire Mylanus in Europe and the team at 533 in Chicago, the Urantia Revelation continues its slow and steady movement into the world.
   
   After printing 25,000 books in 2010, including four new translations, the printing needs for 2011 include approximately 22,000 books: 12,000 copies of the Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish translations, which were just printed, and 10,000 copies of the English edition, which will be printed this fall.
   
   
3. Expand the audio version of The Urantia Book into all existing translations.
   A plan to make available audio versions for all translations is in progress.

Translations:

1. Advance the translations of The Urantia Book and revisions now in progress.
   
   This includes the Chinese and Japanese translations as well as the revisions of the current Spanish and French translations.
   
   
2. Finish developing and then implementing new software for translators.
   
   The software, now in use, accommodates languages ranging from Balto-Slavic, Indo-European, and Altaic, to Sino-Tibetan. Fine-tuning continues as this tool becomes the standard for all translation and revision work. Special thanks to Rogerio Silva for his enormous contributions in developing this software.

Education:

1. Support the goal of creating 1,000 study groups by 2025.
   
   This will require the cooperation of readers and organizations by supporting a centralized study group referral portal, participating in the study group initiatives, and providing leadership training. Urantia Foundation has joined Urantia Association International and The Urantia Book Fellowship in launching a global, non-political, study group portal intended as the repository of all publicly listed Urantia Book study groups in the world. Readers around the world can find a study group where they live, or wherever they may be traveling. Special thanks go to Scott Brooks for all the work he has done developing this site. And another round of thanks goes to all the organizations that cooperated in this important project.
   
   
2. Support the efforts of the Urantia Book Internet School (UBIS) by doubling the number of classes offered, by offering courses in Spanish and Portuguese, and by providing the funding.
   
   The Spanish UBIS website is being developed. There are plans to launch the Spanish UBIS in late 2011 or early 2012. Additional funds were added to the 2011 budget. Five courses were offered during the April 2011 trimester.
   
   
3. Study the implementation of study forums at 533 W Diversey Parkway.
   
   This will include study group blogs and interactive study group webinars.
   
   
4. Cooperate with other individuals and organizations whose goal is educating others about The Urantia Book and its teachings.
   
   This will include working with others in educational programs.

Budgets and Donations:

1. Stay within the approved 2011 operating budget which is less than the 2010 operating budget.
   
   Although the budget was approved, five important projects have developed that will require $80,000 in additional funds. These projects are: a) the Spanish revision plan; b) the new computer software needed for the Korean, Japanese, and Chinese translations; c) the unforeseen book printing expenses; d) the Spanish UBIS website needs; and e) the new administrative tasks required to accomplish these projects. Donations are needed to cover these costs.
   
   
2. Increase donations and the number of donors by 10% from 2010.
   
   Multiple fundraising activities for 2011 include the spring/ summer fundraiser, the winter fundraising match, and a new building renovation campaign. Since Urantia Foundation does not make money from book sales, the Foundation relies on the generosity of donors. As one reader stated, “What a blessing it is to support the most important spiritual project on the planet. When you get to the mansion worlds, you’ll look back and be thankful for the amazing opportunity you had to support the fifth epochal revelation.” Thank you for your contributions.
   
   
3. Find people of means who will fund the seeding of The Urantia Book and its teachings throughout the world.
   
   The Foundation will continue building a strong treasury that can withstand social and economic storms while securing its short and long term ability to serve.

Safeguarding the Text:

1. Develop the best possible, user-friendly internet download center at www.urantia.org [3].
   
   This download center will offer readers the English edition of The Urantia Book and all the translations formatted in accordance with the standard reference system.
   
   
2. Finalize a book electronic data base that synchronizes, coordinates, and safeguards - without redundancy - the processes necessary to create error free printed books, eBooks, online texts, translator tools, and all other forms of media.
   
   For many years Urantia Foundation has faced the rapidly growing challenge of the proliferation of digital languages used in publishing, eBooks, internet, and other forms of digital media.
   
   In March, after months of preparation and consultation with experts, a group of computer specialists met in the home of Georges and Marlène Dupont to finalize a solution. The group recommended the software language XML as the remedy. This may not sound like a big accomplishment, but it is one of the most important building blocks for the protection and dissemination of The Urantia Book in the digital age. For the first time the digital book files are completely safeguarded, yet agile and progressive for the many purposes needed in the foreseeable future. Special thanks go to Larry Watkins for his work on the HTML files and to Rob Reno, Rogerio Silva, Georges Michelson-Dupont, and Jay Peregrine for their tenacity in solving this looming problem.

Organizational Development:

1. Continue governance improvements.
   
   This includes putting most of the Foundation’s vital documents on Google Docs.
   
   The Foundation will provide education for the team at 533 W Diversey Parkway.
   
   The Foundation also replaced three outdated computers.