Important Revisions to WJC Financial Policies and Procedures

Dear Fellow Congregants,

We are writing to let you know that WJC will be implementing some important changes to its billing and financial oversight policies that will begin with the upcoming calendar year. Since we are committed to both open communication and strong financial controls, we are sharing these with you in advance.

As you may know, each year a balanced budget is drafted by the Financial Vice President, and then discussed, modified and passed by our Board of Trustees. Decisions about programming in the upcoming year are directly tied to projected revenue from dues, school tuition and WJC’s various fundraising efforts.

WJC bills its membership dues, security and building assessment in December for the upcoming calendar year. Historically, all WJC bills, including dues, tuition and assessments, have been due and payable upon receipt; however, some of our members prefer to pay bills throughout the year on their own schedule. Timely payment of dues and other account charges is needed for WJC to pay the salaries of clergy, office and maintenance staff, and teachers, as well as expenses for security, utilities, high holiday related expenses, and building and parish house maintenance and overhead expenses.

While we depend upon every congregant to help ensure WJC’s financial health to the best of their ability, we understand that WJC needs to balance the financial needs of the synagogue with the needs and challenges of our congregants, and we are endeavoring to strike that balance in several new and different ways.

As set out below, we are going to offer our congregants multiple payment plan options for dues, assessments and tuition, and the freedom to select the plan that works best for them. If none of those plans work because a family faces acute financial challenges or hardship, a WJC financial officer is available to speak with them to explore different alternatives to meet specific financial situations. We believe strongly that WJC should be accessible for all who want to be part of our community regardless of financial capacity.

Payment Options for WJC Dues
In the next few weeks, you will be receiving your bills for membership dues, security and building assessment for 2024. You will have 4 bill payment options to select from on the shul cloud account, choosing the option which best fits your financial situation. For those congregants who are able to do so, WJC would greatly appreciate the selection of Option 1.

• Option 1 – Pay Dues within 30 days of receipt.
• Option 2 – Pay Dues Semi-Annually with the 1st payment on or before 1/30 and the second payment on or before 6/30.
• Option 3 – Pay Dues Quarterly by 1/31, 4/30, 7/31, 10/31.
• Option 4 – Monthly payments on or before the 5th day of each calendar month commencing in January. Please note that this option needs to be arranged through the WJC office and requires an autopay set up linked to a bank account or credit card. Credit card charges are subject to additional fees.

Other bills and expenses from WJC related to programming (ie. attending a Shabbat Dinner, participating in Scholar in Residence or attending the annual community celebration) will appear on your statement and payment for those charges is expected within 30 days.

All account balances will now be considered past due if not paid within 90 days of their due date.

Payment Options for ECC and Religious School Tuition
Parents of students will have 2 bill payment options to choose from and can select the option which best fits their financial situation. For those congregants able to do so, WJC would greatly appreciate payment of your bill in full within 30 days of receipt.

• Option 1 – Pay tuition within 30 days of receipt.
• Option 2 – Pay tuition Semi-Annually with the 1st payment on or before 1/31 and the second payment on or before 6/30.

Other bills and expenses from WJC related to ECC and Religious School programming will appear on your statement and payment for those charges is expected within 30 days.

Financial Officers
WJC has four financial officers whose job is to make sure that congregant financial accounts are accurate, up to date, and that families who require financial assistance receive the accommodations they need. Please know that conversations with financial officers are kept confidential and only disclosed, if at all, to other financial officers or WJC’s Executive Committee on a need-to-know basis.

If you are in need of financial assistance and would like to speak with the financial officer assigned to your account, please contact David Goldstein at david@wjcenter.org, or call him at (914) 698-2960 x 102, and he will put you in touch with your financial officer.

Families with special financial arrangements are expected to confer with their financial officer prior to year-end to discuss whether accommodations are required for the upcoming year, Understanding changes in our congregants’ financial situation is important for our annual budgeting process and the programming WJC is able to offer for the upcoming year.

Delinquent Accounts
Beginning in 2024, statements will be stamped “Past Due” for any charges that are more than 90 days old unless the congregant and their financial officer agree upon a special financial arrangement.

Accounts which remain “Past Due” for 6 months or longer without an agreed upon special financial plan may be placed on a “Credit Hold”, after which no new charges can be added to the bill, and the congregant may lose congregational privileges.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties or need special financial accommodations we encourage you to work out a financial plan that works to meet your needs. We are here to help.

Thank You
We sincerely appreciate the cooperation, support and generosity of our members. It is your commitment and dedication to WJC that enables us to provide the quality and breadth of services, education, cultural programming, social events and support to our members in a safe and secure setting. We believe that these new billing and financial oversight policies and procedures will help us remain fiscally responsible as we look to meet the needs of our members and to provide those who need financial support with the flexibility and accommodation they need to continue being part of, and contributing to, our community . If you have any questions please feel free to email our Financial Vice President Ian Winters at iwinters@klestadt.com.

Larry Thaler, President

David Goldstein, Executive Director