Share the Plate

Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation (OUUC)
Share the Plate Application and Guidelines

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.

Share the Plate (STP) Program and what we’re looking for:

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 funds go to support organizations and activities that serve the South Sound Area (Lewis, Mason & Thurston counties). Additional consideration will be given to those organizations with budgets at or below $750,000. Specific projects of organizations with larger annual budgets are considered. Additional consideration will be given to organizations that have not received funding from OUUC. A mix of direct service and systemic change organizations will also be targeted. Organizations are eligible for awards every four years.

Recent OUUC Share the Plate and BB&B Past Recipients (not eligible for 2025 Award)

2022	Thurston Climate Action Team (TCAT)	STP
	Olympia Mutual Aid Partners (OlyMAP)	STP
	Homes First	STP
	SafePlace	STP
	The Olympia Free Clinic	STP
	Olympia Books for Prisoners	STP
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

Timeline:

July-August 2024 – Application updated if needed, previous applicants who are eligible are notified by email of the Share the Plate application deadline and any changes.
September 25 – October 31, 2024 – Share the Plate Applications accepted online. Application coaching is available if requested.
December 1, 2024 – All applicants will be notified of the grant award decision. Successful recipients will be assigned a two-month period in 2024 (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.
2025 – 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 by October 15.

Share the Plate Application

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.

Please complete the application below and submit online by October 31, 2024, including brief and concise responses to the narrative questions. If your organization was a Share the Plate recipient in the past three years (2022-2024, see table above), you are not eligible for a 2025 award.

1Organization and Contact Information

2Budget and Nonprofit Status

3Project Information

Organization

Organization's Address

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Organization's Mailing Address (if different)

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Organization's Phone Number

Website and/or Facebook page (if any)

Contact Person's Name

Contact Person's Title

Contact Person's Email

Contact Person's Phone

Our organization is seeking funds for:

General Organizational Support
Specific Project

Counties Served:

What are your Focus issues? (see descriptions below, and note that you may check more than one box):

Racial Justice
Poverty and Economic Justice
Climate Justice
Other

Racial Justice: The fair and just treatment of members of all racial groups, such that equitable opportunities and outcomes are possible for all members of society. Minorities have historically been oppressed and restricted from resources that mainstream Americans enjoy. Efforts in this area will alleviate oppression for specific minority groups.

Poverty and Economic Justice: The creation of opportunities for every person to have a dignified, productive, and creative life by access to goods, education, jobs, and resources. Marginalized peoples have historically been restricted from access and remain impoverished. Efforts in this area will increase access to resources that have historically been restricted to marginalized groups, often people of color.

Climate Justice: A set of rights and obligations, which corporations, individuals, and governments have towards vulnerable people who are / will be disproportionately affected by climate change. Marginalized communities have often been built in environmentally fragile or harsh areas and are the first to be impacted by climate change. Efforts in this area will reduce the impact of climate change on marginalized peoples.

Other: If “Other” is selected, please include any information on how your efforts in your focus area impact racial, economic, and/or climate justice. Examples of services in this category could include health and wellbeing, reproductive rights, services to youth and families, the homeless, mentally ill individuals, etc.

If other, describe here:

1) What is your organization's mission statement? (0 points)

2) Please give a brief history (ideally one to three paragraphs) of your organization, including success and/or obstacles in carrying out work similar to that proposed in the application. (10 points)

3) How is the proposed activity consistent with Unitarian Universalist core values, as well as economic, climate, and/or racial justice? (25 points)

4) Toward helping OUUC understand what you value, please describe some ways you envision spending the funds, if selected. (20 points)

5) What will change and how many people will be impacted as a result of this activity? How will you determine if the change occurred? (20 points)

6) How are those impacted by the project involved in the design and/or evaluation of the proposed activity at a level consistent with their experience and knowledge? (10 points)

7) How are you working with similar organizations or coalitions to address systematic change related to this topic? (15 points)

Thank you for your application! A member of the Share the Plate Committee will contact you regarding the status of your application and to gather any clarifying information if needed.

Website

Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation (OUUC)Share the Plate Application and Guidelines