Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on May 13, 2014

In an effort to attract families and other members who may be turned-off by the concept of traditional dues, Mekor Shalom, the newest Conservative synagogue in Tampa is adopting a relatively new concept: a 100% voluntary contribution system.

We are a shul (synagogue) where the presence and involvement of every person is valued, says Mekor Shalom President Chris Shulman. We know that not everyone can afford the same level of dues, and we never want ability to pay to be seen as a barrier to membership and involvement.

Synagogue revenue is traditionally derived from three sources: fundraising activities/events; donations in honor or memory of loved ones; and membership dues. Increasingly, this last component has proven problematic for synagogues, says Shulman.

He says the reasons for this vary. For example, members incomes may have decreased; some may underreport incomes in order to avoid having greater dues levied against them than they may wish to contribute; members may be uncomfortable with and even resent dues they cannot afford; and almost anyone who has had to go through a dues accommodation process even when handled with care and respect by the synagogue can come away with feelings of embarrassment and resentment as a result of the process. Among other things, a traditional dues structure can lead some congregants to feel that what matters most to their shul is how big a check they write, says Shulman.

Congregation Mekor Shalom, a conservative synagogue in the Carrollwood section of North Tampa, rejects that approach.

It elected to follow an emerging trend pioneered by Temple Israel (in Sharon, Mass.), which saw a rejuvenation in its membership and participation levels after embracing the voluntary financial commitment model. Congregation Mekor Shalom is the first congregation in Tampa to implement a Voluntary Financial Commitment or VFC in lieu of a traditional dues structure.

We do not want folks to feel embarrassed because they need to ask for a dues waiver or the like. So, at Mekor Shalom, each member makes a personal decision as to how much to give to support the shul, Shulman adds. The no-dues, VFC model helps to make all members truly feel part of their shul, which encourages members to participate in other ways, giving of their time, making in-kind donations, and the like.

The synagogues Voluntary Financial Contribution approach is part of creating the sense of connection that has been crucial to Congregation Mekor Shaloms success.

(Read more:Mekor Shalom Voluntary Financial Commitment)

Although its been not quite a year since Mekor Shalom opened its doors, the synagogue has grown to more than 75 families, and Shulman expects this number to continue increasing.

See the article here:

Congregation Mekor Shalom, Conservative Jewish Synagogue in North Tampa, first Tampa synagogue to embrace a voluntary ...

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