What are contributions used for?

What are contributions used for?

We are blessed to share a space with Westtown School and Oak Lane Day Care; as a result, our overhead expenses are low and most of our money goes directly to good work in our local community and throughout the world.  We have committed to spending more than  $30,000 (nearly 90% of our budget) to support the following this coming year:

• Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has an extensive ministry both in the Philadelphia area and beyond.  The largest share of our budget goes towards supporting its programs
• Concord Quarter. Our pledged contribution includes support for the salary of Charlie Spadoni, our Quarter's Coordinator.  Another portion goes towards scholarships for students throughout the quarter to attend Friends schools.
• First Day School Teachers for our own Meeting.  By offering a modest payment to our teachers, we can continue to ensure the quality and consistency of the experience for our children attending FDS.
• Education Grants can help children of our own Meeting members attend Westtown School and other Friends schools and colleges.

At the end of the fiscal year, we determine how much money we have left over in our budget for additional contributions to groups that are doing good work in the world, both locally and internationally.  We are committed to supporting the following four organizations every year:

• Westtown School is our neighbor and an invaluable support to Westtown Meeting in a myriad of ways.
• Oak Lane Day Care is the Quaker day care and preschool with whom we share a space in the basement of the school’s meetinghouse.
• Friends Committee on National Legislation is the Quaker lobby promoting peaceful resolution to conflict, environmental stewardship, and equality on the national level
• The American Friends Service Committee works for peace and social justice around the world.

Additionally, in past years, we have had enough funds to support the following organizations:

• The SHARE Food Program, which has also been supported by the children who participated in PYM’s Interim Meeting
• Jubilee USA, a network of religious organizations working to build an economy that protects the vulnerable
• The OCD Foundation, which funds research into obsessive compulsive disorder.
• Ramallah Friends School in Palestine.
• Barclay Friends Senior Living Center, a Friends retirement home in nearby West Chester. We supported their capital campaign and also contributed to their recovery from a devastating fire in November 2017.