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Dear Friends,
We are pleased to announce the launch of our Future of All Souls Capital Campaign to address the urgent renovations needed for Wiggin House and additional improvements to All Souls facilities. This work will ensure the vitality of All Souls for generations to come.
The capital campaign will have two phases:
Phase I Future of All Souls Capital Campaign from June to December 2024, addressing the immediate need to raise $7.5 million to cover urgent renovations required for our 60-year-old Wiggin House roofs, exterior parapets and walls (envelope), garden structures, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, to meet the requirements of the NYC Department of Buildings codes and to avoid violations of our lease agreement with the All Souls School. The All Souls Building Advisory Task Force (BATF), led by Deborah Taylor, has worked with architects and engineers to develop a comprehensive conditions assessment of our facilities and to estimate these renovation costs.
Galen Guengerich, our Senior Minister, given his love for All Souls and his experience in raising capital, has been named Honorary Chairperson to lead Phase I of our capital campaign with a goal of $7.5 million. A committee of volunteers will work with Galen over the remaining months until his retirement on December 31st, 2024. We are immensely grateful to Galen for taking the lead once again to raise these funds and ensure the future of All Souls.
Phase II Future of All Souls Capital Campaign from January to December 2025, addressing the need to raise an additional $6.5 million to cover necessary renovations to the Memorial Wall, garden reconstruction, plus additional mechanical repairs and code-related improvements throughout the buildings and the garden. BATF recommends undertaking work that was deferred from the Sanctuary renovation project, including adding a new vestibule elevator affording wheelchair access to Reidy Friendship Hall (RFH) and the mezzanine restrooms, which will be fully upgraded; a projector and retractable screen in the chancel for meetings and events; and upgrades to RFH, the kitchen, and related spaces to better serve the congregation, food programs, and rental events.
Galen successfully raised $15 million seven years ago to restore the Sanctuary building. We thank Galen, the Building Advisory Task Force (BATF) under Fritz Reuter and Deborah Taylor, the Campaign Committee under David Poppe and Cherie Henderson, scores of volunteers, the Board, and the staff for their generosity, time, and talent to create a beautiful place of worship, friendship, and peace.
As background, in 2021, the congregation approved a 21-year lease of Wiggin House with the All Souls School, an independent early childhood day school started 59 years ago by Kay and Fred Joseph and other All Souls congregational leaders. The lease generates almost $600,000 per year of rental income to All Souls, covering about 20% of All Souls’ operating budget. We would not be able to sustain our many programs and ministries without this income. All Souls School has invested in Wiggin House as well, making tenant improvements to the classrooms and entry-level of Wiggin House and assumed a greater share of operating expenses. To uphold All Souls’ obligations as the building owner, we must address conditions affecting occupancy of the building, including compliance with the Building Code and Local Law 11 (Facade Inspection Safety Program) protocols.
Galen and the Board have once-again retained Klote & Associates to help with our Future of All Souls Capital Campaign, given their success in orchestrating the 2017 campaign. The firm is a national leader in fund-raising for non-profits and congregations. We are very pleased that Jim Klote and Marcia Meehan, along with many volunteers, will begin several weeks of Readiness Assessment workshops with the Congregation to determine the feasibility of raising the capital required. Please join one of these workshops, where there will be more discussion of the renovations and answers to your questions. Please see the attached current schedule of The Readiness Assessment Focus Groups below. Each Focus Group is approximately 1 hour.
Capital Campaign Focus Groups:
Sunday, June 9, 10:00 AM - All Souls, Forrest Church Gallery
Sunday, June 9, 1:00 PM – All Souls, Forrest Church Gallery
Tuesday, June 11, 10:00 AM – Zoom
Wednesday, June 12, 6:00 PM – All Souls, Forrest Church Gallery
Sunday, June 16, 1:00 PM – All Souls, Forrest Church Gallery
Thursday, June 20, 1:00 PM – Zoom
Sunday, June 23, 10:00 AM – All Souls, Forrest Church Gallery
Sunday, June 23, 1:00 PM – All Souls, Forrest Church Gallery
This is the time to join together as a Congregation to honor and celebrate Galen’s ministry of more than 30 years, rebuild our home, and invest in the future of All Souls for our Congregation, our community, and our children.
We look forward to your participation and ongoing support. Together, we will build the Future of All Souls.
Sincerely,
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