The Capital Campaign

"Gather the Spirit, Harvest the Power"

Unitarian Universalism offers a vision of what ought to be: a world where the separate fires of individual conscience kindle the flame of justice and love. That vision is our spirit and our hope.

The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism is about gathering our spirit to build the world that ought to be, a world where all can thrive in love and justice. To do this, we must rely on our strength, the brilliance of all our flames as they come together. We need the power of our loving labor and our financial support.

The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism asks us for at least $32 million to gather the spirit and live it. The majority of these funds will be spent in our own home congregations, where the true spirit of community comes alive. Here's more about what we can do if we harvest our power.

This is a simple, yet radical goal - telling people we're here. The world needs to hear our hopeful vision. To make our voices heard, we must bear witness for love and justice in the media, in bookstores and in our hometowns.

• We must increase our media visibility to establish ourselves in public dialogue as respected participants, committed to human worth and dignity. We plan a variety of efforts, including congregationally based media training, to increase a public witness that expresses our values and attracts wide press coverage. We seek at least $3 million to do this forthright work.
• We must keep authors who express our values and challenge contemporary conventions on bookstore shelves. We propose a Fund for the Publication of Unitarian Universalist Values to support the publication of our principles in Beacon Press and other venues. The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism seeks at least $2 million to do this pressing work.
• People in our cities and towns need to know we are here. We must invite interested people to know us in our churches. We plan to help our congregations become known locally, emphasizing their unique religious education, their life-affirming worship, and their justice seeking community. We ask for at least $3 million to do this revealing work.

Public Witness/Publishing Funding Summary

The world needs our kids to live their vibrant vision of love and justice. To help our children live the lives of their dreams, we must hold them in love and empower them at all their stages of faith development and growth.

• To nurture our children and welcome their friends, we must offer engaging classes and support our religious education professionals. We need to create an innovative, child-based core curriculum rooted in UU stories and values. We should also institutionalize funding for the professional development of religious educators. The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism asks for at least $2 million to do this child-centered work.
• To nurture our youth and welcome their friends, we must show them how much they mean to us. Five generations of born UUs report that good youth programming was the most important factor is their choice to stay UU's as adults. We plan to make engaging youth programming available to all our kids by supporting local youth groups, improving leadership training, and increasing district youth support. The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism asks for at least $2 million to do this youth work.
• To nurture our young adults and welcome their friends, we must be present on college campuses and greet them in our churches. We will provide them with strong support for the transition to adulthood by being on hundreds of college campuses and supporting young adult coalitions like the Continental UU Young Adult Network. The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism seeks at least $2 million to do this work that builds bridges.

Back To Top

Gather the congregations and increase them: Let people build churches!
Goal: $10 million

The world needs our UU communities to nourish the vision of love and justice. To do this we must plant, grow and house Unitarian Universalist societies as centers for our work in the world.

• We propose to start eight new, strategically located congregations with funding for ministry and religious education. The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism seeks for at least $2 million for this work that will build religious homes.
• Growing UU churches cannot thrive without support. We propose to provide vibrant religious education and build caring ministries help to maintain growing, successful congregations. The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism asks for at least $4 million to do this supportive work.
• Nearly 100 Unitarian Universalist societies rent space. Their dilemma is that to grow they need to be visible, but without a permanent place they are hidden. We will provide financial advice, property grants and building loans so these groups can get their own homes. The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism needs at least $4 million to do find these homes for the spirit.

Congregational Services Funding Summary

Back To Top

Gather the leaders and inspire them: Let ministry be strong!
Goal: $5 million

The world needs our leaders to model loving and just behavior. To do that we must inspire, train and support our professional and lay leaders.

• We must attract a highly qualified, diverse group of people to train for the world-changing work of ministry. A year in seminary can cost $30,000. Few can afford it without scholarships, grants and loans. We plan to offer more financial aid to our theological students and help more recent graduates reduce their debt. The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism seeks at least $3 million to achieve this goal.
• Lay leaders need training to share the ministry of community building with religious professionals and each other. We will make training in conflict management, fund raising, recruiting and day-to-day church operations available to every layperson ready to take up the shared ministry of community life. The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism seeks at least $2 million to do this work.

Back To Top

Harvest the power and pass it on!

A just and loving world needs us. It needs our gifts of labor, love, and money. Without these, our vision can neither go out into the world, nor help to change it.

Our task is not to finish, but to continue. Our religious forebears bequeathed this work to us and we are called to advance it and pass it on strongly to those who follow.

We need to raise at least $32 million to make a world-changing difference.

Our separate fires can kindle the flame of justice and loving hope.
The Campaign for Unitarian Universalism is the chalice for an even brighter flame.

Here's how you can get involved:

Donate Now!

Email capital@uua.org for more information

Back To Top

"Gather the Spirit, Harvest the Power" is used with permission.
© 1990, Jim Scott Music