Who we are:
Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation is a 70+-year-old liberal spiritual community that envisions a loving, just and healthy world.
OUUC Mission: Our spiritual principles affirm the worth and dignity of every person, and that we are part of the infinite, interdependent WEB of life. We: Welcome and Wonder, Embrace and Empower, Bridge and Become. We envision a loving, just and healthy world.
For more information on our congregation, visit our webpage at OUUC – Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, and for more information on Unitarian Universalism, see the webpage for our national association, Unitarian Universalist Association | UUA.org.
Six Unitarian Universalist Core Values, with Love as the center:
- Interdependence. We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.
- Pluralism. We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.
- Justice. We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large.
- Transformation. We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.
- Generosity. We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.
- Equity. We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.
Our agreed upon focus is on improving racial, economic and climate justice through our actions and financial resources.
What we’re looking for in Share the Plate recipients:
Each year, OUUC invites community nonprofit organizations to apply for funding through the Share the Plate Program. OUUC shares 50% of weekly offerings to organizations that align with Unitarian Universalist Core Values (see above), with an emphasis on racial, economic, and climate justice. Six recipients are selected each year. ⅞ of the first eight weeks’ funds of each two-month period is gifted to the featured Share the Plate recipient. The other ⅛ and any ninth Sunday’s funds are directed to the Minister’s Benevolence Fund or other OUUC related funds. The amount of the grants typically total $2,500 – $3,000.
Share the Plate recipient decisions are mainly based on the submitted online applications. Other factors that are considered:
- We aim to choose a mix of Racial Justice, Economic Justice, Racial Justice, and Other focused applicants.
- Additional consideration will be given to those organizations with budgets at or below $750,000, however specific projects of organizations with smaller budgets from larger annual budgets are considered.
- Additional consideration will be given to organizations that have not received funding from OUUC in the past.
- A mix of direct service and systemic change organizations will also be targeted.
- Organizations are eligible for awards every four years. See table below for organizations currently not eligible.
Recent OUUC Share the Plate and BB&B Past Recipients – (not eligible for 2026 Award)
| 2023 | The Community Kitchen (Catholic Community Services) | STP |
| HOPE Garden Project (Hands On Personal Empowerment) | STP | |
| Arrest and Jail Alternatives Program (Catholic Community Services) | STP | |
| Haki Farmers Collective | STP | |
| A Pathway to Hope DBA “The Black Power Initiative” | STP | |
| Olympia Solar Community | STP | |
| ASHHO Cultural Community & Job Training Center | BB&B | |
| Oly Ecosystems | BB&B | |
| Interfaith Works | BB&B | |
| 2024 | Thurston County Medical Equipment Bank – Thurston Cty Council on Aging | STP |
| The Hawk Foundation for Research and Education in African Culture | STP | |
| The Crisis Clinic of Thurston & Mason Counties | STP | |
| The South Sound Reading Foundation | STP | |
| All Kids Win | STP | |
| Collaborative Association for Reintegration & Education | STP | |
| ASHHO Cultural Community & Job Training Center | BB&B | |
| Oly Ecosystems | BB&B | |
| Interfaith Works | BB&B | |
| 2025 | Panza dba New Horizon Communities | STP |
| Wild Grief | STP | |
| Multicultural Service Center of South Sound | STP | |
| GRuB (Garden-Raised Bounty) | STP | |
| South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity | STP | |
| Rebuilding Together Thurston County | STP | |
| TBD | BB&B | |
| TBD | BB&B | |
| TBD | BB&B |
Timeline:
- July-August 2025 – Application updated if needed, previous applicants who are eligible are notified by email of the Share the Plate application deadline and any changes.
- +/-September 15 – October 31, 2025 – Share the Plate Applications accepted online. Application coaching is available if requested.
- December 1, 2025 – All applicants will be notified of the grant award decision. Successful recipients will be assigned a two-month period in 2026 (starting Jan-Feb and ending Nov-Dec) that they will receive Share the Plate offerings. Funds are distributed to the organizations approximately two to four weeks after the period ends.
- 2026 – Organizations will be contacted two to four weeks before their scheduled two-month period begins to jointly produce a short (2-3 minutes) Zoom recording about the organization and its mission to share with the congregation.
Coaching:
We realize some organizations have less resources or experience completing grants. We want every organization to present their best work. Would you like some coaching on key things to consider in preparing your application?
If so, contact Bob Brennand at360-310-0747 or bobbrennand@gmail.com by October 15th.
Share the Plate Application
Current application for your review – subject to change before Sept 2025 Unfortunately, the online application can not be saved and recalled, so we suggest you review the downloadable application, prepare your responses, and then go online and paste in your responses.
