UUCB is launching a capital campaign
Beginning in September 2024, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo (UUCB) is launching a three-year capital campaign to raise $1,000,000. We have named this campaign, “Carry the Light Forward,” to reflect its goal of honoring our building’s history and heritage and ensuring a bright future.
Why we need a capital campaign
For more than a century, the UUCB has stood as a beacon of progressive values and community service. It is a place where individuals have found acceptance, inspiration, and joy. Our church is a cornerstone in the community, embodying the spirit of hope and inclusivity.
However, urgent repairs are needed to ensure the church’s continued service to the community. Our historic building requires repairs from the lower levels to the bell tower, and particularly in our religious education classrooms, which have been impacted by long-term water seepage.
<<click to see the list>>
Our fundraising plan
Capital Campaign Committee:
We have a strong capital campaign committee in place to lead the Carry the Light Forward Campaign. This dedicated committee brings decades of church knowledge and experience in fundraising and outreach. They have spent the last two years conducting the necessary foundational groundwork to be ready for September’s launch, including:
- a financial feasibility study <<link>
- architectural and engineering building survey <<link>
- town hall meetings, informational sessions, and financial planning workshops
- secured a $250,000 matching grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places <<link>>
Welcoming Community: The Heart of Our Capital Campaign
Our community thrives within the walls of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, and its historic structure is vital to our mission. Established in 1906, our building offers a safe and inclusive space where people from all walks of life come together for spiritual growth, mutual support, and community engagement. UUCB in the Elmwood Village has been a stronghold for LGBTQ+ individuals and families for decades, providing a haven for those seeking acceptance and spiritual fulfillment. We offer creative, powerful, and diverse worship services that enhance the congregation's experience. Our Religious Education program, from pre-K through 12, aims to nurture spiritual development, personal growth, and leadership skills in a supportive and inclusive community environment. The sanctuary is a haven for our uplifting Sunday services, while our meeting rooms host essential recovery groups, dance groups, and various community events, fostering connections and support networks.
We cannot overlook one of the most essential elements that enriches our church experience: the glorious music! The UUCB boasts an exceptional music program that stands as a vibrant testament to the power of harmony and community. However, long-term water infiltration has jeopardized these crucial spaces, highlighting the urgent need for repairs. By supporting our capital campaign, you help ensure our building remains a steadfast foundation for our diverse programs and services, allowing us to continue being a beacon of hope and inclusivity in Buffalo. Join us in preserving this cherished space and empowering our community to flourish.
Our Spiritual Home Represents Our Values
Serving the Needs of Our Community Reflects UUCB’s Mission
A Shared Community Space
- Seven recovery groups meet weekly at our church, serving around 250 people.
- We host weekly classes for three dance groups: Contra, folk, and ecstatic.
- Our free monthly Casual Concerts showcase local and regional musicians.
- We provide a safe space for neighborhood Girl Scout troops.
- Our building hosts poetry classes, the Women’s Society Distinguished Speakers Series, the Banned Book Club, and crafting clubs, enriching Buffalo's curious and creative communities.
The Capital Campaign Committee, after consulting with members of the congregation including the Fixed Assets Committee, has set a fundraising goal of $1,000,000 from the congregation and the community. The addition of the $250,000 matching NFSP grant will bring our total goal to $1,250,000.
Our feasibility study, which began on April 1st, will provide insights into the possibility of raising these funds. It’s time to consider your contribution, which can be given over the next three years.
Feasibility Study
As we embark on this critical mission, our church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, is dedicated to raising $1,250,000 for urgent repairs and improvements. These efforts are crucial to ensuring the continued safety and functionality of our cherished church, addressing issues such as long-term water infiltration in our religious education classrooms and revitalizing our historic building. Your contribution, no matter the size, is vital to our success.
Stay tuned for updates and ways to get involved as we prepare to launch our campaign. Together, let’s Carry the Light Forward and make a brighter future for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo.
Carry the Light Forward will require the support of everyone, and several committees of volunteer leaders are already involved:
Capital Campaign Committee:
Phil Nicolai, Co-chair
Rev. Cathy Harrington
Jane Armbruster
Joel Cohen
Martha Malkiewicz
Molly Quackenbush
Greg Rabb
Architecture and engineering firm:
UUCB project managers:
William Botsford
Tom Muka
John Petrocelli
Board of Trustees:
Kate Bell-Schwede — co-presidents
Thea Hassan — secretary
Paul Zanolli — treasurer
Bill Parke — member-at-large
Shawn Sweet — member-at-large
Dave Batt — member-at-large
Paul Zanolli, Treasurer
Resources
Click the images below to find out more about the National Fund for Sacred Places Grant.
UUCB Congregational Announcement
Press Release
Monday, October 16, 2023
Contact: Thea Hassan
607-425-8066
thealonahassan@gmail.com
Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo Awarded $250K in National Preservation Grant [Buffalo, NY]. Today, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo (UUCB) was awarded $250,000 from the National Fund for Sacred Places, a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The funding will support critical repairs needed to preserve the 117-year-old church's building, located in the heart of Elmwood Village on West Ferry and Elmwood Avenue.
“Our congregation is honored and elated to receive funding to repair and preserve our historic spiritual home, which has served as a social justice leader and arts and culture institution in downtown Buffalo for over two centuries,” said Cathy Harrington, interim minister for the UUCB. “As a newcomer to Buffalo, I am inspired by the dedication and determination of our congregants, and the support of the community and beyond of our congregation.”
The National Fund for Sacred Places is a highly competitive program that provides financial and technical support for community-serving historic houses of worship across America. The UUCB is one of 16 organizations to receive a total of over $3.5 million in grant funding that provides training, planning grants, technical assistance, capacity-building support, and capital grants to congregations of all faiths.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo was built in 1906 by famed Buffalo architect Edward Austin Kent on land donated by John J. Albright. The building, constructed in Indiana limestone in an English Country Gothic style, features an interior sanctuary with massive hammer beam trusses and ornamentals built by family craftsmen. The building’s simple grandeur and absence of statues or religious imagery reflect the Unitarian Universalist faith, which has no dogma or doctrine and instead draws wisdom and spirituality from diverse and abundant sources.
“We’re thrilled to be selected for this prestigious award and for the recognition of our congregation’s historical and cultural significance and community outreach efforts,” said Bobby Withrow, president of the UUCB’s Board of Trustees. “This grant will allow us to preserve our building and increase community access, so we will be able to welcome more community groups into our sanctuary and continue our essential social justice work.”
Throughout two centuries in Buffalo, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo has consistently been at the forefront of efforts to bring about social progress, from free public education to the abolition of slavery, advancing civil rights, welcoming LGBTQ+ persons, and improving physical access for individuals with limited mobility. Currently, the congregation:
● Since 2007, has acted as the kitchen commissary for Food Not Bombs, which prepares and distributes free vegan meals every week throughout the city;
● Hosts more than two dozen community organizations, including arts, dancing, and music clubs, recovery groups, and social justice organizations;
● Hosted monthly community concerts and seasonal operas for more than a thousand community members and congregants;
● Since the 1960s, in partnership with Housing Opportunities Made Equal, UUCB has helped families secure stable housing and, with Family Promise of WNY, helps house and feed up to 12 housing-insecure families per year;
● In partnership with the Erie County Board of Elections, the UUCB is one of the busiest polling stations in the city, covering six precincts with more than 3,800 registered voters; and
● Its large lawn and gardens, which include a meditation labyrinth and memorial garden, are featured in the annual Garden Walk and visited daily by Elmwood Village residents and tourists alike.
About the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo is a compassionate, thoughtful, and diverse religious community that nurtures and challenges itself to deeper understanding, meaning, and purpose. The UUCB’s vision is to gather in loving community, creating a shared vision of compassion and dignity for all, to radically transform the world in which we live. Unitarians and Universalists, which merged locally in 1953 and nationally in 1961, have been present in Buffalo since 1816. Learn more at buffalouu.org.
About the National Fund for Sacred Places. The National Fund for Sacred Places was established in 2016 to provide technical and financial support for congregations, building their capacity and increasing the stability of these critical yet disappearing historic community centers. It is a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Fund is supported by $40 million from the Indiana-based Lilly Endowment Inc. The Gerry Charitable Trust provided additional support in 2019. Visit fundforsacredplaces.org for more information.
National Fund for Sacred Places Announcement
National Fund for Sacred Places Awards Grants to 16 Historically Significant Faith Communities Across the U.S.
Author: The National Trust for Historic Preservation
Contact Email: rhildebrandt@sacredplaces.org
Contact Phone: 215-567-3234, ext. 21
The National Fund for Sacred Places, a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is pleased to announce its 2023 grantees. Sixteen historically significant faith communities have been admitted into the prestigious program, which provides capital grants of up to $250,000 and hands-on technical assistance to congregations undertaking significant preservation projects.
The only initiative of its kind in the United States, the National Fund for Sacred Places is a highly competitive program that supports vibrant faith communities that have buildings of historical significance and architectural character, and that play an essential role in meeting the larger spiritual, social, and economic needs of the communities they serve. This year’s grantees represent some of the most important and impactful houses of worship in the country. With these grants, the National Fund recognizes their contributions and seeks to support their efforts.
“We are delighted to welcome 16 faith communities from around the United States into the National Fund. This year was the most competitive yet, and the members of the new cohort stood out for their admirable commitment to using their historic religious properties as civic assets,” said Bob Jaeger, President of Partners for Sacred Places. “We are excited to collaborate with the National Trust in serving faith leaders who are working hard to ensure that their buildings are preserved, fully used, and able to serve their communities over the long term.”
“We’re honored to support the preservation of these 16 places of worship, which hold so many stories about American history, architecture, and religious expression,” said Jay Clemens, Interim President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “These capital grants, and the wrap-around services provided by the National Trust and Partners for Sacred Places, will support congregations that are working to sustain their historic buildings and enrich the future of their communities.”
The National Fund for Sacred Places is made possible thanks to the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc. The National Fund 2023 grantees are:
All Souls Unitarian Church – Washington, D.C.
Alrasool Islamic Center – Taylorsville, UT
Breakers Covenant Church International – Detroit, MI
Church of the Holy Apostles – New York, NY
Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist – New York, NY
Faith Congregational Church – Hartford, CT
First Bryan Baptist Church – Savannah, GA
First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA
St. Adalbert Catholic Church – South Bend, IN
St. Francis de Sales Oratory – St. Louis, MO
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church – Baltimore, MD
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – Key West, FL
St. Peter’s/San Pedro Episcopal Church – Salem, MA
United Parish in Brookline – Brookline, MA
Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo – Buffalo, NY
Vang Lutheran Church – Dennison, MN
Please visit the National Fund for Sacred Places’ website to learn more about the program, eligibility, participants, and the value of sacred places in communities across the country. Now in its eighth year, the National Fund has awarded or pledged over $21.5 million to 113 community-serving congregations representing different faith traditions or denominations in 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. www.fundforsacredplaces.org
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About Partners for Sacred Places
Partners for Sacred Places helps congregations and others with a stake in older religious properties make the most of them as civic assets that serve the broader community. www.sacredplaces.org/
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe. www.lillyendowment.org
Case Statement
Updates
What Needs to be Done
Gifts Needed to Reach Goal of $1,000,000
To reach our capital campaign goal, the following distribution of gifts is needed. Ask yourself:
How can I assure that this faith community will best serve the next generation? How much money can I commit to fulfill our ministry? How do I feel about my previous giving in relation to the gifts that I have been given? Have I been giving until it feels good? Can I increase my commitment to the next giving level?
- 1 gift of more than $100,000
- 1 gift of $80,001 to $100,000
- 1 gift of $50,001 to $80,000
- 3 gifts of $20,001 to $50,000
- 7 gifts of $10,001 to $20,000
- 20 gifts of $6,001 to $10,000
- 32 gifts of $4,801 to $6,000
- 25 gifts of $3,601 to $4,800
- 27 gifts of $2,801 to $3,600
- 45 gifts of $2,001 to $2,800
- Several gifts of up to $2,000