Havurah’s founders and current leaders strongly believe that ability to pay should not be a barrier to membership in the community. As we have grown, our expenses have multiplied. The founding families of Havurah did not have to consider costs related to owning and maintaining a building and providing equitable salaries to a growing staff.

Our Finance Committee and other leaders have generally been very conservative with budgeting, and we consequently have been able to afford the facility and staff we have today by relying primarily on funds collected through membership dues. As costs continue to rise, we are starting to think creatively about how to share the financial burden.

As part of the Havurah survey, we asked how members feel about their current membership dues. This chart shows that more than half of members are able to pay the dues rate. About 27% of respondents reported that they adjust their dues down, which corresponds to the rate of adjustment the Finance Committee has seen over the last few years.