Bahá’í News/Inserts/Issue 389/National Baha’i Fund Budget Message 1963-64/Text

National Baha’i Fund Budget Message 1963-64

NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í FUND[edit]

BUDGET MESSAGE — 1963-1964[edit]

Dearly Beloved Friends:

This is a year of transition. The World Crusade has come to a triumphant conclusion, the Universal House of Justice has been elected, the thrilling Bahá’í World Congress has become history. Yet it is too soon for the next set of specific goals and objectives to be given to us by the Universal House of Justice.

Such a time must be devoted to consolidation, to stock-taking, to internal strengthening. We moved rapidly the past few months and we must make sure the achievements attained with such cost and effort are not allowed to slip away from us. Equally important, the wonderful teaching momentum we generated must be continued and even accelerated. It is when a runner breaks stride that he loses the race.

These comments apply with even greater force to the Fund. During such a transitional period, with a sense of crisis seemingly absent and climactic events behind us, it is easy to let down and coast, to feel that the financial needs have shrunk and are not as vital as they were. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As you will see from the detailed figures on page 3, several important items in the budget have had to be increased substantially, and there are also some new requirements to be met. The result is that the total budget must be increased a full $100,000 from $625,000 (actually expenditures were $631,702) to $725,000.

The full significance of this can be understood only if we realize that last year, with the lower budget and the extra stimulus of the final year of the World Crusade, we still ended with a deficit of $20,461.83. This is after taking into account every type of income we received. The figures for the year are as follows:

Regular contributions	$380,018.20
Special contributions	107,092.58
Total	$487,110.78
Estate funds and other income	124,130.19
Total Income	$611,240.97
Actual expenditures	631,702.80
Deficit	$ 20,461.83

The National Spiritual Assembly feels that we cannot permanently deplete our reserve funds by this deficit. Therefore, in order to recoup it we have included an equivalent amount in this year’s budget.

With a vital new institution, the Universal House of Justice, just getting organized in the Holy Land, we must increase our support of the World Center from $40,000 to $50,000. This allocation will be under the control of the Universal House of Justice.

Though we have already fulfilled our commitment of $100,000 for the Frankfurt Temple, a recent urgent message from the Universal House of Justice asked the Bahá’í World for an additional $210,000 so that the Temple can be finished before costs rise further. The National Spiritual Assembly considers that our share of this should be $50,000.

We must continue our support of the several Continental Funds and of the recently formed National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies at approximately the same rate as in the past.

A major change has been made in the method of handling the pioneer budgets. In recent years those pioneers who went out in the field after the special call at the time of the formation of the Joint Deputation Fund have been charged to that Fund, while those who were in the field previously continued to be charged to the budget of the appropriate Intercontinental Teaching Committee. Until last year the Joint Deputation Fund received allotments from us and from the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran. Though some of the pioneers are coming home, many are still needed in the field to hold the prizes so laboriously won and now will be financed entirely by us. Therefore, we have eliminated the separate allocation for the Joint Deputation Fund in the budget and have included in the amounts provided for the Intercontinental Teaching Committees enough to provide sustenance for all pioneers who at this time are expected to remain at their posts for the year. The total in our budget for these items has increased $26,150 over last year because of the fact that we are now having to carry the entire load. [Page 2]

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SENDING CONTRIBUTIONS[edit]

(Keep handy for reference)

INTERNATIONAL FUND:[edit]

Every believer is privileged to send a contribution directly to the Universal House of Justice for the support of the World Center. Such a contribution may be in the form of a regular bank check or draft and should be addressed as follows:

The Universal House of Justice

Bahá’í World Center

P.O. Box 155

Haifa, Israel

NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í FUND:[edit]

Contributions should be made directly by every individual, assembly and group in the United States, payable to:

National Bahá’í Fund

112 Linden Avenue

Wilmette, Illinois

The amount of such contributions should be related to the size of our national budget which is reported regularly in BAHÁ’Í News.

CONTINENTAL FUND FOR THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE:[edit]

Contributions to this fund are encouraged from all believers and local funds. They should be made payable to:

Continental Bahá’í Fund

Zikhru’lláh Khádem, Trustee