Supercharging Social Justice at General Assembly

One workshop we've been really excited about at General Assembly this year was Supercharging Your UU Social-Action Committee. I had the honor of copresenting this workshop with Gary Nissenbaum, chair of the social-action committee at the Unitarian Church of Summit, N.J. Gary has developed a very effective model for organizing highly functioning social-action committees.

Part of Gary's model includes a new method of conducting plate collections that groups them into four consecutive weeks. This approach provides time to raise awareness, create congregatrional connection to the project, and generate commitment and financial support for the work. Several studies of plate collections show that they actually increase congregational giving; over three years, Gary's model has demonstrated that the link to programmatic awareness has more deeply engaged the congregation and raised even more than one-off plate collections. The whole process facilitates more giving with greater impact and also creates a sense of community and accomplishment for the congregation. 

The Summit congregation has worked with UUSC to identify tangible projects with specific goals. As a result, the congregation been integral not only in funding particular projects, but also — because it was tied to UUSC's approach to the work — creating additional ripple effects that improve international processes. For example, the Camp Oasis pilot project in Haiti, which creates secure housing for unaccompanied girls, has become a new innovative solution that provides safety, centralized medical care, and education as well as a nurturing environment; the model is already being touted by other nongovernmental organizations as one to follow. So the efforts of one congregation in New Jersey improved the lives of 40 girls in Haiti and helped UUSC create global systemic solutions. 

This is something our fellow UUs have hungered for — there were 140 people in attendance at this workshop! Gary Nissenbaum has documented his model in his new book, Assembling the Pieces, which gives practical and inspirational instructions on how congregations can put that model to work. The book has been on sale at UUSC's booth, and Gary has been signing copies and chatting with attendees eager to engage their congregations in more effective social-justice work.