"State of the Union" Workshop 2010

Kavana holds partner-meetings or "State of the Union" workshops on an annual basis.  The most recent meeting was in March 2010.  
 

After the March 2010 workshop, we sent out this letter:

We wanted to report back to you on what we learned from the workshops at Kavana's State of the Union meeting on March 21 and outline for you our next steps.  You can read the provocative notes prepared by the scribes for each group here.  We are blessed with insightful and intrepid folks in Kavana.

We've drawn three general conclusions from the workshop discussions.

First, it's clear that we haven't put meat on the bones of what it means to be a Kavana "partner."

Not that this is easy.  We know the answer is not just financial.  By "partnership," we mean to bring to life the values of pluralism, welcome, and connectedness that are part of our identity.  We intend to give meaning to a "cooperative" - that we are producers, not just consumers, of Jewish life.  As one group concluded, "the right definition would attract the right people, people who are intellectually curious, intrepid, entrepreneurs ...."  Yet, as another said, we must avoid the "negative stigma attached to 'membership.'"

Does this mean that participation in governance should be mandatory?  Participation in community?  Programs just for partners, or free only for partners?  Partner-only year-long subscriptions?  A minimum donation for everyone?  Do we want everyone to move toward partnership?  How soon?  And how do we deal with people whose history with Judaism has made them, understandably, commitment-phobic?  These are questions we hope to answer together.

Second, arriving at our financial model involves more than just tinkering with program fees.

Charging more for program fees won't produce anywhere near the additional $50,000 the Board projects we need next year to remain in the black.  More importantly, we want a financial model that echoes and enriches Kavana's unique vision, mission, and values. 

Third, it's uncomfortable to talk about money.

How much of a financial commitment is just right?  Enough to cover our budget! - but what this requires from each person is a daunting question.  One group really delved into this, and they were surprised by the strong and discordant feelings evoked by one suggestion of 1-2% of income.  Our community needs to talk about money, but it's imperative that we approach with utmost respect disagreements and differences in how we each allocate our resources.  No one has the same DNA about money.

What's next?

We are forming the team now that will shepherd along the input, analysis, and conclusions that will yield a proposed financial model.  If you haven't already, please e-mail us if you want to be part of this critical project.

That team will report back to the community on its plan of action and at our annual meeting in two months.

In the meantime and thereafter, we will have intimate gatherings and educational sessions to talk about the place of money in Kavana.  In the fall, we'll have another community meeting at which the financial model team will report on its findings and conclusions, and we'll have a chance to give feedback.  Finally, at the State of the Union meeting next winter, we'll vote on a proposed financial model for Kavana.

Thank you for joining us on this journey.  We're committed to making it a worthwhile one.

Jeff Sprung, President
on behalf of the Kavana Operations Board
April 26, 2010