Cascadia’s mission is to support the vitality of Unitarian Universalist congregations of the Pacific Northwest. We do this by financially assisting congregations to grow in spirit, strength, and size; and to reach their stepping stones to vibrancy, connection and inclusion.
Unitarian Universalism is a ‘living tradition’ that continues to evolve, and Cascadia too has changed and grown. Established in 1997 as the Pacific Northwest Unitarian Universalist Growth Foundation (PNUUGF), the fund specifically supported growth in terms of a church’s physical capacity i.e. its building.
Today, growth is understood to mean several dimensions of a congregation and its character. In keeping with this broader definition, Cascadia has expanded its range of funding to address a variety of congregational initiatives.
As congregations aspire to grow in spirit, strength, or size, they identify opportunities to gain traction towards their goals. To help congregations towards their goals, Cascadia Growth Fund focuses its resources on:
- Targeted, financially discrete projects to help a congregation overcome an identified limitation, e.g. facility size, safety/accessibility issues or technology upgrades;
- Support for ministers, staff, and lay leaders of congregations facing systems changes, e.g. workshops, travel assistance, or support for group initiatives;
- Lay leadership development and/or congregational cultural change, e.g. consulting, assessments, or workshops; and
- Initiatives related to increasing commitment to diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism in our congregations.