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Atla Association Update
Prepared by Brenda Bailey-Hainer, Executive Director

Each year at Atla Annual, I provide an update on the finances and 
accomplishments of Atla during the previous year.  This year my 
allotted timeslot was very short, so an expanded version of this 
presentation was published in the July 2021 Atla Newsletter.  

TRANSITION TO FULLY DISTRIBUTED WORKPLACE

In the December 2020 Atla Newsletter, I announced that Atla would 
be moving to a fully distributed workplace when the lease for our 
office space at 300 S. Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago expired at 
the end of February 2021.  We completed that transition in early 2021.  

Two years prior to the end of the lease, our information systems 
staff began moving all of our data and processes to the cloud.  The 
biggest challenge related to our move was emptying out the old office 
under COVID-19 restrictions, and this turned out to take six months.  
On the final day of the move, it took 19 hours and a team of 12 movers 
to actually complete the final piece of the move.  I want to recognize 
the work of Maria Stanton, Director of Production, and Jim Butler, 
Director of Information Systems, who managed the transition.

Many of you visited our old office as part of participating in 
committee or board meetings.  All of us, including the staff, have 
many fond memories of our time together in that location.  Our new 
office is really just a 183-square-foot room designed to store our 
permanent records and to receive and process our mail.  The Atla 
staff now work full time from their homes, continuing to provide 
members and customers with the same high level of support.  But 
the true heart and soul of Atla isn’t about a physical space.  It lies in 
the members and staff and our connections with one another.  

ATLA FINANCES

Last fiscal year, which ended August 31, 2020, was financially stable 
for Atla.  Despite our fears about the impact of the pandemic on Atla 
revenue, in the end we had only a slight downturn in revenue.  As 
always, our budget for the year was breakeven, with $8,516,285 



4  AT L A 202 1 PROCEEDINGS

projected for both revenue and expense.  Although at the end of the 
year our revenue came in slightly less at $7,619,127, our expenses 
also were less than anticipated at $7,549,240.  

Atla’s primary source of revenue continued to be royalties from 
the research tools we create (93%).  Income generated from Member 
Programs Department activities was related to the conference and 
fees for services such as hosting e-journals for other organizations 
(3%).  Interest from investments and other miscellaneous income 
accounted for the other 4% of overall revenue.   

On the expense side, the largest portion was used for staff and 
technology to produce Atla research tools (60%).  However, a signifi-
cant amount of Atla’s expenses is focused on fulfillment of the mission 
and organizational ends – last year this was 23%.  That includes fund-
ing committee work, open-access publishing, Member Programs staff, 
and professional development opportunities for our members, such 
as Atla Annual and our ongoing webinar series.  Board meetings and 
other governance work makes up 3% of expenses and administra-
tion costs comprise 14%.  

Since expenses were so much lower than budgeted due to the 
suspension of many activities such as staff, committee, and board 
travel, at the end of last year we were able to make an investment 
in Atla’s future.  $100,000 from product revenue was contributed to 
the Endowment Fund.  As of mid-June, the current balance in the 
Endowment Fund was $1.19 million, which met the Endowment 
Committee’s short-term goal of $1 million.  

At the end of a fiscal year, we often add to the operating reserve.  
Going into fiscal year 2021, however, we maintained the same level 
of operating reserve since our cost to operate decreased due to the 
change in office space.  The operating reserve is a fund mandated 
by the Board of Directors to cover unforeseen expenses, unexpected 
capital expenditures and to take advantage of unexpected opportu-
nities.  As dictated by the board’s Investment Policy, the operating 
reserve must be maintained at a level between three to six months 
of monthly operating cost.  For fiscal year 2021, it again stands at $2.3 
million, equal to 4.84 months of operating cost.  If you’d like to know 
more about Atla’s finances during 2019-2020, our audited fiscal year 
2020 financial statements are available online in the Annual Report.

As of the end of May 2021, we are three-quarters of the way 
through fiscal year 2021.  Like all of you, we have been concerned 
about the impact of COVID-19 on theological education and higher 

https://www.atla.com/blog/annual-report-fy20/


   5

education in general.  As a result, we budgeted very conservatively.  
We set a breakeven budget of $8,257,323 and expect that there will 
be a decline in revenue from products and membership dues.  Little 
or no travel is expected before the end of the year.   Like some of 
your institutions, we did receive a Small Business Administration 
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan that was fully forgiven, so 
we have been able to treat that as revenue.  The switch to new office 
space did reduce our lease expense, but only for the second half of 
the year, and we had to budget for the expenses associated with 
downsizing and moving.   But midway through the year, I am pleased 
to report that we are right on track with the budget and expect to 
end the year in the black.  

ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS

Atla and the Professional Development Committee joined our peer 
library consortia in the International Coalition of Library Consortia 
(ICOLC) to form the Professional Development Alliance (PDA).  The 
PDA is dedicated to sharing professional development opportunities 
among ICOLC member consortia.  This new initiative multiplies the 
number and variety of online professional development opportuni-
ties available to Atla member libraries.

The Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) awarded 
two Atla Diversity Scholarships last year and the 2021 scholarship 
recipients will be announced soon.  These $4,000 scholarships are 
funded by the Atla Scholarships & Grants Annual Fund, which is 
sustained through the donations of Atla members and through a 
generous annual gift from EBSCO.

The Scholarly Communication Committee initiated a new grant 
program to support the creation of open educational resources (OER) 
in religion and theology.  Two OER grants were awarded last year 
and additional grants will be awarded in 2021.  

Atla continued its long-term investment in open access.  Since 
last year’s conference, Atla Open Press published three exciting new 
books.  Volume 1 of the series Women in Religion, Claiming Notabil-
ity for Women Activists in Religion, was done in collaboration with 
the Women’s Caucus of AAR.  ATS Women in Leadership: Celebrat-
ing Twenty Years, was created with ATS, and Preserving the Past and 
Engaging the Future: Theology & Religion in American Special Collec-
tions is a collection of essays edited by M. Patrick Graham.  

https://icolc.net/
https://www.atla.com/about/dei/
https://www.atla.com/about/scholarly-communication-committee/
https://www.atla.com/blog/atla-awards-oer-grants/
https://books.atla.com/atlapress
https://rim.atla.com/
https://rim.atla.com/
https://books.atla.com/atlapress/catalog/book/44
https://books.atla.com/atlapress/catalog/book/44
https://books.atla.com/atlapress/catalog/book/43
https://books.atla.com/atlapress/catalog/book/43
https://books.atla.com/atlapress/catalog/book/43


6  AT L A 202 1 PROCEEDINGS

MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 2021-2022

At Atla, we remain concerned about the wellbeing of our members.  
Atla itself appears to have successfully weathered the worst of the 
turmoil that COVID-19 caused, but we know that the pandemic is 
continuing to have a significant impact on many Atla members.  As 
you know all too well, this financial stress has manifested itself in 
budget cuts, layoffs, furloughs, or eliminated positions.  We were 
pleased to offer significantly reduced registration fees for members 
to attend Atla Annual 2021 Online – and that modest registration fee 
was mostly offset with travel grants.   But we wanted to do more.  At 
their regular meeting on June 15, the Atla Board of Directors autho-
rized Atla to continue to offer members financial relief through 
optional dues reduction for fiscal year 2022.  At the point of renewal, 
individual members may pay their regular dues amount, or choose 
from several discounts (25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%).  Institutional 
members may choose to pay their regular dues or take a standard 
discount (25%).  These rates are also available to new members. 
This is Atla’s way of helping our members through these continuing 
trying times by ensuring they still have access to the full benefits of 
Atla membership.

It is already clear that while the overall economic environment 
has shown signs of improvement, the coming year will continue to 
be fraught with unexpected challenges.  But I’m optimistic that ample 
opportunities exist to make progress on moving forward with Atla’s 
Organizational Ends and our ongoing purpose:  To promote world-
wide scholarly communication in religion and theology by advancing 
the work of libraries and related information providers.  Together we 
can succeed in the midst of any challenges the world tosses our way.

FURTHER READING

2020 Annual Report: https://www.atla.com/blog/annual-report-fy20/
International Coalition of Library Consortia: https://icolc.net/
Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: https://www.atla.

com/about/dei/
Scholarly Communication Committee: https://www.atla.com/about/

scholarly-communication-committee/

https://www.atla.com/blog/annual-report-fy20/
https://icolc.net/
https://www.atla.com/about/dei/
https://www.atla.com/about/dei/
https://www.atla.com/about/scholarly-communication-committee/
https://www.atla.com/about/scholarly-communication-committee/


   7

“Atla Announces Award of Grants to Fund Creation of OER”: https://
www.atla.com/blog/atla-awards-oer-grants/

Books@Atla Open Press: https://books.atla.com/atlapress

https://www.atla.com/blog/atla-awards-oer-grants/
https://www.atla.com/blog/atla-awards-oer-grants/
https://books.atla.com/atlapress

