Justice Outreach Fund

Justice Outreach Fund

Background and Purpose: As Unitarian Universalists, we covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression.The Charitable and Educational Fund for Social Justice, referred to as The Justice Outreach Fund (JOF), was created in 2015 to support the work of our Unitarian Universalist Values with an emphasis on creating a just and diverse multicultural Beloved Community where all thrive. 

In support of our justice goals, the JOF makes grants to projects that are aimed at seeding and achieving social, economic, racial, environmental, and other kinds of justice. Proposed projects should lay the groundwork for or create tangible shifts and/or systemic change to current injustices. The Justice Outreach Fund Team, which stewards this fund, is looking for projects that support one or more of the following three outcomes:

  1. Changing how people are thinking and talking about an issue.
  2. Engaging people and communities in civic action.
  3. Developing or changing public or corporate policy.

Types of Support: 

  1. Small grants (up to $500): support for small, time-sensitive change projects
  2. Project support grants (up to $10,000): support for larger initiatives
  3. International or national funds up to $10,000: unlike the grants above, international or national grants are only reviewed between April 15 and May 1. 

Past grants have included funding for

  • a 2017 joint retreat of the Fellowship Care and Support Team and the Climate Justice Committee to support climate activists, 
  • a 2018 interfaith workshop on racism and implicit bias hosted by the UUFC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, 
  • a 2020 proposal to support the creation of Unity Shelter, which provides over 150 beds on a nightly basis for those seeking emergency or transitional housing,
  • a 2023 Seeds for Sol proposal to establish relationships with and help marginalized communities access goods and services in support of energy efficiency improvements,  
  • a 2024 Arc of Benton County proposal to develop advocacy training in support of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities involved with the criminal justice system 
  • a 2025 proposal in support of the local Canoe Family Project to revive ancestral Indigenous practices that build relationships among tribal members and create awareness in and educate the non-Indigenous community about Indigenous culture.  
  • and a 2025 proposal to support the Corvallis School District Green Apple Award for outstanding contributions that advance learning in the areas of ecoliteracy, stewardship, and sustainability. 

We encourage our community to reach out to the JOF team should anyone have questions about the Fund or would like to meet to brainstorm with us about any Fund ideas you have been thinking about. You can reach us at jofund@uucorvallis.org. We also encourage you to use the following resource to better understand the purpose of the Justice Outreach Fund, where you will also find a link to the current JOF application.