Capital Expenditure and Investment

The Board’s Draft Policy for Capital Expenditure and Investment

Why?

• Ensure clarity, consistency and transparency about when and how FPB makes decisions about spending money on capital projects in the short and long term
  
  …to replace the urgent, ad hoc, often invisible decision-making we have been using with one that provides more guidance, wider input, and deliberate planning for short- and long-term projects
• Encourage both INNOVATION and sound STEWARDSHIP

What?

• A Process and Calendar
  • Board Invites Proposals & Publicizes Process in June & September
  • B&G and Others Develop Proposals in summer and fall
  • Board Convenes Community Presentations & Discussion in early winter
  • Board Reviews and Comments in late winter
  • Finance Committee, Board & Congregation discuss allocation of next year’s budget (typically $40,000) in early spring
  • Congregation Decides at Annual Meeting in May
• Criteria for Decision Making – Questions to Ask about each proposed Project:
  • How does it ALIGN with our MISSION?
  • What will it COST and How might it be Financed and/or what in-kind investment of social capital might contribute?
  • What will be its likely RETURN ON INVESTMENT? i.e.,
    • Sustain our PHYSICAL HOME?
    • Sustain our SPIRITUAL HOME?
    • Impact our REVENUE, EXPENSES, MEMBERSHIP & PARTICIPATION?

How?

1. Try out a truncated version of the new process this winter and spring with spending proposals from Buildings and Grounds and proposal from Climate Justice to install solar panels
2. Make needed changes to policy
3. Implement full policy in September 2021

Current Proposals