Records Retention

Human Resources
Accounting/Finances
Photos
Programmatic Records
Church Archives

Human Resources

Accounting/Finances

Financial Records	Minimum Retention Period
Accounting General Ledger	One year + current
Audits (Inventory)	Until updated + one year
Audits (Financial)	Permanent
Bank Account Records	Six years + current
Bonded Indebtedness Records and Payments	Permanent
Budget Preparation Records and Budget Documents	Six years + current
Insurance Policies	Term of Policy
Payroll Records	Two years + current
Pledging Records	Three years + current
Purchasing Records	Two years + current

Photos

Programmatic Records

Administrative Records	Minimum Retention Period
Agenda and Official Minutes of Board Meetings and Committees	Permanent
Building Blueprints, Floor Plans and Architectural Drawings	Permanent
Building Use Records	Three years
Calendars and Scheduling Records	Three years
General Correspondence	One year + current
Information on the establishment and implementation of policies and procedures, including manuals	Permanent
Organization Charts	Permanent

Membership Records	Permanent
Personnel Records	Seven years
Publications	Two years
Special Programs and Events Schedules and Records	Two years
Sunday Service Recordings	Three years

Church Archives

There is a designated area in the Church basement for the accumulation and storage of the Church archives. This area shall be uniquely maintained for such purpose and no other.

Suggested Foothills Archive Practices

Drafted November 2025 By Rev. Gretchen Haley, Senior Minister

For now, we are only focusing on the printed materials we already have. After this, we will move towards a practice of printing some of our digital materials. And then we will organize our digital materials.

Suggested Categories for Archival Materials

1. Foundational and Historical Documents

Founding charters, constitutions, and bylaws
Unity Records (volumes from 1898 onward)
Key congregational minutes (e.g., early foundational meetings, mergers)
Historical narratives written by members
Artifacts tied to milestones (e.g., the 100th anniversary, original architectural sketches)

2. Governance, Property, and Financial Records

Board of Trustees minutes
Congregational meeting minutes
Annual reports

Treasurer’s reports and endowment records
Fundraising and campaign materials
Building and property plans (significant renovations or expansions)

3. Worship and Ritual

Orders of Service
Memorial records, weddings, dedications, and other special services
Sermons (printed and recorded)

4. Membership and Community Life

Membership books, membership lists and directories
Obituaries and memorials
Family information files
Records of births, deaths, marriages, and major life events

5. Programmatic and Committee Work

Reports and minutes of key committees (e.g., Religious Education, Women’s Alliance, Search Committees)
Historical overviews of programs like Religious Education, music, and social justice initiatives
Special projects (e.g., Medieval Faire, interfaith collaborations)

7. Denominational and Interfaith Connections

8. Non-Foundational Artifacts

Photos, posters, and promotional materials
Historical plaques, banners, and memorabilia

Guidance for Storage Practices

High-Priority to Keep Indefinitely:

Founding and governance documents (e.g., Unity Records, constitutions, bylaws)
- Unity Church Charter kept in ministers’ office
Membership books and annual reports
Congregational and Board minutes
Search Committee Records
Records of ministers, staff, and elected leadership at least once per year
Worship-related records of historical or liturgical significance (e.g., dedications, milestone services). Here is specific guidance for orders of service:
- Keep all orders of service through 2014 that we have on file, after that, keep the following:
  - Water Communion Ceremony
  - Flower Communion Ceremony
  - Remembrance Sunday
  - 1-2 from Holiday Season
  - Easter Sunday
  - 1-3 others from the “regular” church year
  - Installations, Ordinations, Retirement services
Historical narratives written by members or about the church’s role in the community
Results / Final Reports of Visioning and Strategic Plans

Representative Sampling (Keep Highlights):

Routine committee notes, i.e. Endowment, Finance, Religious Education, Music, and other committees
Notes from Strategic Planning and Visioning Sessions and their supporting committees
Newsletters: After 2014, keep annual or quarterly highlights instead of all issues.
Sermons:
- Focus on sermons that reflect key themes or turning points in the church's history. For example at the start, or end of the church year. Around major social events.
Newsclippings, photos and posters: Prioritize articles and images depicting significant events, milestones, and changes in church life.

Let Go:

Duplicates of histories, newsletters, or promotional materials
Denominational conference records (available elsewhere)
Routine financial records (e.g., weekly offering data, minor transactions)
Objects or plaques with unclear relevance or duplicative recognition
Storage types that are no longer accessible due to outdated technology

If you have any question about keeping an item or not, consult with a group of still-invested members who have been in the church for more than 30 years, and ask them if it is acceptable to let go of an item. The majority of their group can rule on this. So that we don’t wonder later if we have retained an item or not, keep a record of what we have let go of, and in what method (i.e. given to other archives, recycled, etc.)