Each month we identify a special project or community partner and we give away 25% of our weekly Sunday offerings to this effort.
Text to give: 844-409-8397. Simply text the dollar amount you’d like to give and follow the prompts. Or donate online through our website.
Congregationally-Selected Outreach Offering Recipients for 2026-2027 Have Been Selected!
Every two years, our congregation nominates and selects three recipients to share monthly portions of our service plate collections as a way of promoting our UU values in the community and the world. The process for 2026 – 2027 is complete and the voting has been tabulated.
Many thanks to all those who nominated organizations. There are many groups doing worthy social justice work in our community and in our area that were not selected among the final 3. You can read more about those nominations here: Outreach Offering Nominations 2026-2027.
April 2026: 805UndocuFund
The 805UndocuFund first launched in January 2018 as a massive collaborative effort among immigrant-serving Central Coast organizations, Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), Central Coastal Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) and Future Leaders of America to support the thousands of people and families in our local immigrant community impacted by the Thomas Fire and Montecito Mudslides. Undocumented residents — who are estimated at 10% of the population in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties — are ineligible for millions of dollars in disaster and other support made available to everyone else.
These organizations, alongside philanthropy partners like the McCune Foundation and the Ventura County Community Foundation, raised, case-managed, and distributed millions of dollars in direct aid to victims of the Thomas, Hill, and Woolsey wildfires; Montecito mudslides; numerous smaller wildfires that afflict the region each year; the prolonged impact of COVID-19, and ongoing cruel and disastrous federal policies.
Over the years, individuals and organizations have joined the efforts to support 805Undocufund’s vision of a future where undocumented individuals and families thrive in a region without systemic inequalities, have equitable access to resources to rebuild their lives with dignity after disaster, and their voices and lived experiences are centered in decision making.
805Undocufund’s mission is distinct from that of the Immigration Legal Defense Center. It provides direct short-term financial relief to undocumented residents impacted by disasters, and actively and effectively engages the undocumented immigrant community to advocate for long-term systems change. This aligns perfectly with our USSB values in supporting our local immigrant neighbors in these increasingly perilous times.
March 2026: Hunt For Justice
Each year, we make our traditional Easter egg hunt, The Hunt for Justice, a “faith in action” family project. Our Outreach Offering for March will collect money to fund three local organizations. In early April, children will vote for their favorite causes. CRE staff will match the top three causes with local organizations. On Easter Sunday, April 5th, children will hunt for eggs. Each egg will reflect a dollar amount. Children will distribute their eggs among three baskets, one for each of the chosen organizations, to determine the distributions of funds raised.
Parents are invited to have conversations with their children about giving, causes they care about, and where they would like to donate the money collected by our congregation for the Hunt.
February 2026: Immigrant Justice Fund
In April 2022, several members of our congregation’s Justice and Equity team made their first border crossing trip to meet with Asylum Seekers. The visitors heard stories of migrant struggles fleeing from peril in their own countries and seeking safety in the U.S. One young family was able to eventually cross legally into the U.S. Members of the J and E team have developed an ongoing relationship with this family and many have provided financial assistance as the family secured work permits and began the perilous journey of seeking legal asylum. They are meeting the many challenges of life in a new country with firm courage and resilience. Our friendship and assistance has never been more vital than at this moment.
Through this connection, additional trips to the shelters at the border, and partnering with other organizations aiding immigrants and asylum seekers, the J and E team is learning more and more of the courage and perseverance needed to navigate the difficult immigration pathways in the U.S. and the extraordinary resources required for success. The Immigration Justice Fund allows us to aid this family and future similar recipients in their journeys toward dignity and self-determination. We invite you to join us in contributing to this fund which will help us live out our shared values in a world presenting increasing challenges to migrants and immigrants.
January 2026: Sumi Nungwa
Our January outreach offering will be shared with SUMI NUNGWA, an organization whose mission is to provide food, clothing, medical supplies, and firewood to Navajo & Hopi elders seeking to maintain their traditional lifestyle on their reservations. This is a way to build bridges between cultures and to support Hopi & Navajo artists as they continue to practice and pass on their skills and lifeways. It is one of the ways we engage the work of healing and repair from the brutal legacy of colonialism.
Service projects have involved roofing hogans and homes, cleaning up and recycling trash, building traditional stone bread ovens, and taking on other helpful projects as requested by the elders and their families. Projects provide the opportunity to learn about the cultures and spend time with the people.
December 2025: Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism
BLUU is a 501(c)(3) organizing collective formed in 2015 to provide support, information and resources for Black Unitarian Universalists, as well as to expand the role and visibility of Black UUs within our faith, with the specific goals of:
Expanding the power & capacity of Black UUs within our faith
Providing support, information & resources for Black UUs
Justice-making and liberation through our faith
BLUU creates life-giving and life-saving opportunities for spiritual community and Black-centered organizing, including symposia centered in Black UU theology, a popular virtual worship space for Black people; initiatives to donate and organize for bailout funds; a vibrant youth ministry, BLUU Havens, a community building forum and sponsorship of BLUU Box which has subscription based resources for individuals and congregations to grow and deepen their faith with Black-centered spiritual resources.
The Brigid Alliance’s mission is to “get people to abortion care, whatever it takes.” Legal barriers are just one factor that can prevent someone from accessing an abortion – particularly people struggling to make ends meet, young people, queer people, disabled people, and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. For many Americans, the costs and logistical challenges of physically getting to an abortion provider are primary barriers to access – and only getting harder.
The Brigid Alliance supports people who must travel long distances for abortion care, working across the United States, through direct support and in collaboration with a network of partners, to arrange and fund confidential travel, lodging, childcare, and logistical assistance, closing the gap between the need for an abortion and the ability to access one and serving as a single, trusted point of contact for every step of the journey. Wherever someone needs to get to abortion care in the U.S., Brigid Alliance finds a way to get them there.
Established in 2018, the Brigid Alliance is working to make abortion access above-ground, borderless, burden-free, and accessible to all. It is the only national organization providing travel and other practical support for abortion access, and the only one that specializes in long-distance travel, the need for which is increasing. Most clients are forced to travel more than 1,000 miles and have travel costs of at least $1,000. Together, the Alliance and its partners are filling critical gaps making abortion possible for Americans from every state. Its resources are stretched thin and face surging demand in the wake of the overturn of Roe.
The Brigid Alliance is part of an ecosystem of support organizations propping up abortion care access in this country. Unlike many of their partners, the Brigid Alliance employs full-time paid staff led by clinical social workers; this allows a level of dependable, responsive, and holistic support that would not be possible otherwise. Client coordinators have the training and resources needed to handle the more complex cases that are often sent to the Alliance.
October 2025: Immigrant Legal Defense Center
In April 2022 several members of our congregation’s Justice and Equity team made their first border crossing trip to meet with Asylum Seekers. The visitors heard stories of migrant struggles fleeing from peril in their own countries and seeking safety in the U.S. One young family was able to eventually cross legally into the U.S. Members of the J & E team have developed an ongoing relationship with this family and many have provided financial assistance as the family secured work permits and began the perilous journey of seeking legal asylum. They are meeting the many challenges of life in a new country with firm courage and resilience. Our friendship and assistance has never been more vital than at this moment.
Through this connection, additional trips to the shelters at the border, and partnering with other organizations aiding immigrants and asylum seekers, the J and E team is learning more and more of the courage and perseverance needed to navigate the difficult immigration pathways in the U.S. and the extraordinary resources required for success. The Immigration Justice Fund allows us to aid this family and future similar recipients in their journeys toward dignity and self-determination. We invite you to join us in contributing to this fund which will help us live out our shared values in a world presenting increasing challenges to migrants and immigrants.
September 2025: League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara
The local League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara is our outreach offering recipient for September. At all levels, the League is committed to “Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy.” The Santa Barbara League is a 501(c)(3), all-volunteer organization with membership open to everyone 16 and older.
The League is a nonpartisan; grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. The League empowers voters and defends democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation, at the local, state, and national levels. The Santa Barbara League was founded in 1938, just 18 years after women received the right to vote. Acknowledging that the suffrage movement did not include all — women and men of color were excluded — League volunteers work furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion in issues of local importance, such as housing, the environment, and criminal justice reform. More information is available at the website: https://lwvsantabarbara.org/
August 2025: Pacific Pride Foundation, PFLAG-Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network
As we look to the Pacific Pride Festival, the August Outreach Offering supports our local LGBTQ+ partners, including Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF), PFLAG, and Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network (SBTAN). These organizations provide services and advocacy for the gay and transgender community, which come at a time of great need and vulnerability in our local and wider communities.
Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF)
The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara has had a longstanding relationship with the Pacific Pride Foundation. We turn to PPF for resources and education as we seek to develop our understanding of the current needs of the LGBTQ community. Our own spiritual journey is enriched by our work with Pacific Pride, and we have stood with PPF in the public square to advocate for justice and celebrate our progress! https://pacificpridefoundation.org/
PFLAG Santa Barbara The mission of PFLAG is to create a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. For more than 50 years nationwide, PFLAG has been providing peer-to-peer support, publications, toolkits, and other resources to make sure that the family members of people who are LGBTQ get the support they need in the way that best serves their needs. This allows families to then further support, affirm, and advocate on behalf of their LGBTQ loved ones. Three of our own congregation members serve on the local PFLAG board. https://www.pflagsantabarbara.org/
Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network (SBTAN) SBTAN educates individuals and organizations on best practices for transgender & gender expansive clients, patients, students, congregants and families. SBTAN creates and develops spaces, actions, and policies that advance the welfare of transgender and diverse gender non-conforming individuals, their families, and allies in California’s Central Coast communities. SBTAN has provided training to workplaces, schools, medical providers and social service agencies, including Cottage Health Emergency, UCSB Faculty and staff, and Santa Barbara public and private high schools. https://www.sbtan.org/
July 2025: USSB Immigration Justice Fund
In April 2022, several members of our congregation’s Justice and Equity team made their first border crossing trip to meet with Asylum Seekers. Visitors heard stories of migrant struggles fleeing from peril in their own countries and seeking safety in the U.S. One young family was able to eventually cross legally into the U.S. Members of the Justice and Equity team have developed an ongoing relationship with this vulnerable young family and many have provided financial assistance to the family as they courageously and lawfully face the many challenges of life in a new country amidst the current frightening political situation. Through our friendship with this family, additional trips to shelters, and forging partnerships with other organizations aiding immigrants and asylum seekers, the Justice & Equity Team is learning more and more of the courage and perseverance needed to navigate the rapidly-increasing difficulty of immigration pathways in the U.S. and the extraordinary resources required for success. The Immigration Justice Fund allows us to aid this family and future similar recipients in their journeys toward dignity and self-determination. We invite you to join us in contributing to this fund which will help us live out our shared values in a world presenting increasing challenges to migrants and immigrants.
June 2025: Juneteenth Santa Barbara
Juneteenth Santa Barbara is a local celebration of the national recognition of Black Independence Day. It is a collaborative effort to showcase Black culture, talent, and joy in Santa Barbara County. Every June, the event centers around a free community block party in Santa Barbara. This year’s event is on June 14th at Plaza Del Mar Park in Santa Barbara.
Year-round, Juneteenth Santa Barbara utilizes its platform to uplift all Black/African American-led/serving organizations and plays a key role in coordinating Black History Month events and monthly Santa Barbara County Black Leaders Meetings. To read more about Juneteenth Santa Barbara go to https://juneteenthsb.org/.
May 2025: Transition House
Transition House is dedicated to the solution of family homelessness in the Santa Barbara community. Capable and motivated families with children are offered life tools and respectful, non-sectarian residential services designed to alleviate poverty and restore self-sufficiency and dignity.
Since its creation in 1984, Transition House has provided aid to local families experiencing homelessness by offering emergency shelter for those in immediate need, transitional residence services, and respectful, non-sectarian residential services to build life-skills necessary to return to permanent affordable housing. Other projects include children’s programs, family support center, employment development, and connection to other community resources.
Time in nature makes kids happier, healthier, and smarter. You are invited to make a difference, helping Wilderness Youth Project’s inspired, skilled, and committed mentors and volunteers connect local kids in small groups to nature to help them grow into strong confident members of the community. Research has shown that the two tools WYP uses, professional mentoring and time in nature, can nurture and grow more successful children.
Your financial support of WYP stays in the community, enables WYP to retain their world-class staff and reach underserved kids who stand to benefit from program designed for preschool through high school. WYP makes scholarships and subsidized community programs available because cost should not be a barrier to experiencing nature. At the heart of WYP is a belief that connection to the land is a birthright that belongs to all people from the beginning of time. Learn more about WYP by visiting their website www.wyp.org.
March 2025: Hunt for Justice
Each year, we make our traditional Easter egg hunt, The Hunt for Justice, a “faith in action” family project. Our Outreach Offering for March will collect money to fund three local organizations. In early April, children will vote for their favorite causes. CRE staff will match the top three causes with local organizations. On Easter Sunday, April 20th, children will hunt for eggs. Each egg will reflect a dollar amount. Children will distribute their eggs among three baskets, one for each of the chosen organizations, to determine the distributions of funds raised. Parents are invited to have conversations with their children about giving, causes they care about, and where they would like to donate the money collected by our congregation for the Hunt.
February 2025: PFLAG Santa Barbara
Its mission is to create a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. For more than 50 years nationwide, PFLAG has been providing peer-to-peer support, publications, toolkits, and other resources to make sure that the family members of people who are LGBTQ+ get the support they need in the way that best serves their needs. This allows families to then further support, affirm, and advocate on behalf of their LGBTQ+ loved ones. Please give as generously as you can.
Our January outreach offering will be shared with SUMI NUNGWA, an organization whose mission is to provide food, clothing, medical supplies, and firewood to Navajo & Hopi elders seeking to maintain their traditional lifestyle on their reservations. This is a way to build bridges between cultures and to support Hopi & Navajo artists as they continue to practice and pass on their skills and lifeways. It is one of the ways we engage the work of healing and repair from the brutal legacy of colonialism.
Service projects have involved roofing hogans and homes, cleaning up and recycling trash, building traditional stone bread ovens, and taking on other helpful projects as requested by the elders and their families. Projects provide the opportunity to learn about the cultures and spend time with the people.
To learn more about Sumi Nungwa, please visit www.suminungwa.org. Sumi Nungwa is a non-profit 501c3. To have 100% of your donation go to the organization, please write your check out to Sumi Nungwa and we will forward it to them.
December 2024: Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism
BLUU is a 501(c)(3) organizing collective formed in 2015 to provide support, information and resources for Black Unitarian Universalists, as well as to expand the role and visibility of Black UUs within our faith, with the specific goals of:
Expanding the power & capacity of Black UUs within our faith
Providing support, information & resources for Black UUs
Justice-making and liberation through our faith
BLUU creates life-giving and life-saving opportunities for spiritual community and Black-centered organizing, including symposia centered in Black UU theology, a popular virtual worship space for Black people; initiatives to donate and organize for bailout funds; a vibrant youth ministry, BLUU Havens, a community building forum and sponsorship of BLUU Box which has subscription based resources for individuals and congregations to grow and deepen their faith with Black-centered spiritual resources.
The Brigid Alliance’s mission is to “get people to abortion care, whatever it takes.” Legal barriers are just one factor that can prevent someone from accessing an abortion – particularly people struggling to make ends meet, young people, queer people, disabled people, and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. For many Americans, the costs and logistical challenges of physically getting to an abortion provider are primary barriers to access – and only getting harder.
The Brigid Alliance supports people who must travel long distances for abortion care, working across the United States, through direct support and in collaboration with a network of partners, to arrange and fund confidential travel, lodging, childcare, and logistical assistance, closing the gap between the need for an abortion and the ability to access one and serving as a single, trusted point of contact for every step of the journey. Wherever someone needs to get to abortion care in the U.S., Brigid Alliance finds a way to get them there.
Established in 2018, the Brigid Alliance is working to make abortion access above-ground, borderless, burden-free, and accessible to all. It is the only national organization providing travel and other practical support for abortion access, and the only one that specializes in long-distance travel, the need for which is increasing. Most clients are forced to travel more than 1,000 miles and have travel costs of at least $1,000. Together, the Alliance and its partners are filling critical gaps making abortion possible for Americans from every state. Its resources are stretched thin and face surging demand in the wake of the overturn of Roe.
The Brigid Alliance is part of an ecosystem of support organizations propping up abortion care access in this country. Unlike many of their partners, the Brigid Alliance employs full-time paid staff led by clinical social workers; this allows a level of dependable, responsive, and holistic support that would not be possible otherwise. Client coordinators have the training and resources needed to handle the more complex cases that are often sent to the Alliance.
October 2024: Immigrant Legal Defense Center
For several years, the Immigrant Legal Defense Center (ILDC) has had an ongoing association with USSB, including the Singing for Asylum fundraising concert which we produced in September 2019, the successful Local Heroes 2022 nomination of ILDC Executive Director Julissa Peña, as well as extremely helpful ongoing consultations which ILDC has provided regarding the Stockton family seeking asylum whom many in our congregation have supported over the past two years.
ILDC is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit agency promoting equal access to justice and due process by providing pro bono legal services to indigent immigrants in deportation proceedings and educating immigrants on their basic civil rights so that no one should face immigration court alone. ILDC envisions a society where ALL people are treated equally and with dignity no matter what their circumstances.
ILDC provides free services for:
Removal Defense (bond release and detention)
Asylum Seekers
Unaccompanied Children, including Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)
September 2024: League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara
The League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. The League empowers voters and defends democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation, at the local, state, and national levels. The Santa Barbara League was founded in 1938, just 18 years after women received the right to vote. Over the years and in the present day, the local League has counted among its members and leadership many community advocates and leaders, including many members of our own congregation.
Acknowledging that the suffrage movement did not include all — women and men of color were excluded — League volunteers work furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion in issues of local importance, such as housing, the environment, and criminal justice reform. LWVSB often collaborates with other community organizations on issues of mutual concern.
At all levels, the League is committed to “Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy.” In election years, LWVSB’s voter service teams are involved in registering new voters and efforts to get out the vote. They help inform voters about candidates and ballot measures by organizing forums, distributing Easy Voter Guides prepared by the State League, and collecting election information for our monthly newsletter, the Channel Voter.
The Santa Barbara League is a 501(c)(3), all-volunteer organization with membership open to everyone age 16 and older. A statement from the National League explains their mission: “We envision a democracy where every person has the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate. We believe in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy.”
More information at the website: https://lwvsantabarbara.org, or see USSB members and League Membership Team members Joanie Jones and Gail Fairburn.
August 2024: Our Local LGBTQ+ Partners
As we look to the Santa Barbara Pride Festival on August 24, the August Outreach Offering supports our local LGBTQ partners, including Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF), PFLAG, and Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network (SBTAN). These organizations provide services and advocacy for the gay and transgender community, which come at a time of great need and vulnerability in our local and wider communities.
Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF)
The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara has had a longstanding relationship with the Pacific Pride Foundation. We turn to PPF for resources and education as we seek to develop our understanding of the current needs of the LGBTQ community. Our own spiritual journey is enriched by our work with Pacific Pride, and we have stood with PPF in the public square to advocate for justice and celebrate our progress! https://pacificpridefoundation.org/
PFLAG Santa Barbara The mission of PFLAG is to create a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. For more than 50 years nationwide, PFLAG has been providing peer-to-peer support, publications, toolkits, and other resources to make sure that the family members of people who are LGBTQ get the support they need in the way that best serves their needs. This allows families to then further support, affirm, and advocate on behalf of their LGBTQ loved ones. Three of our own congregation members serve on the local PFLAG board. https://www.pflagsantabarbara.org/
Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network (SBTAN) SBTAN educates individuals and organizations on best practices for transgender & gender expansive clients, patients, students, congregants and families. SBTAN creates and develops spaces, actions, and policies that advance the welfare of transgender and diverse gender non-conforming individuals, their families, and allies in California’s Central Coast communities. SBTAN has provided training to workplaces, schools, medical providers and social service agencies, including Cottage Health Emergency, UCSB Faculty and staff, and Santa Barbara public and private high schools. https://www.sbtan.org/
Please give as generously as you are able. To have your full donation go to these organizations, make out your check to USSB and write “LGBTQ+ Partners” in the memo line.
July 2024: Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California (UUJMCA)
The Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California (UUJMCA) seeks to develop skills of civic engagement and faith-rooted organizing so that UUs across California can, reflecting their UU purposes and principles, educate, organize, and advocate for public policies that advance justice in our state. UUJMCA creates collaborative justice by connecting and using the powerful network of UUs in California through accountable relationships with our coalition partners to achieve the following organizing reality:
* CA UUs have access to and participate in statewide justice education, advocacy, and witness that deepens their faith and changes life for the better in California.
* CA UU justice leaders are trained, effective, inspiring, and connected.
* CA UU congregations have strong justice ministries.
* CA policymakers and justice leaders value UUJMCA as a visible and credible partner in advancing justice in California.
UUJMCA justice initiatives include, but are not limited to:
* Environmental Justice
* Economic Justice
* Reproductive Justice
* Immigrant Rights
* Queer Rights
* Racial Justice
* Disability Rights
* Voting Rights
* Women’s Rights
Visit the UUJMCA at https://uujmca.org/ for more information, including opportunities to get involved and receive additional training. And please give generously this month. Contributions to the UUJMCA directly support UU faith in action.
Society of Santa Barbara has had a longstanding relationship with the Pacific Pride Foundation. We turn to PPF for resources and education as we seek to develop our understanding of the current needs of the LGBTQ community. Our own spiritual journey is enriched by our work with Pacific Pride, and we have stood with PPF in the public square to advocate for justice and celebrate our progress! 
PFLAG has been providing peer-to-peer support, publications, toolkits, and other resources to make sure that the family members of people who are LGBTQ get the support they need in the way that best serves their needs. This allows families to then further support, affirm, and advocate on behalf of their LGBTQ loved ones. Three of our own congregation members serve on the local PFLAG board. 
Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network (SBTAN)
