What First Parish In Cambridge does

First Parish in Cambridge is a Unitarian Universalist congregation founded in 1632, operating from its historic Meeting House at 3 Church Street and 1446 Massachusetts Avenue in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is chartered as a Massachusetts 501c3 nonprofit and affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association. The congregation offers weekly Sunday worship services both in-person and via Zoom, religious exploration programming for children and families, music ministry (choir, gospel choir, jazz trio), pastoral care, and community groups including Soul Matters Groups and a Young Adult & Campus Ministry. It also operates substantial social-service programs from its premises, including the Y2Y Harvard Square 22-bed youth homeless shelter (in partnership with Harvard's Phillips Brooks House Association), the Youth on Fire drop-in center for homeless youth ages 14-24, a twice-weekly community meals program, a Community Fridge food-access initiative, and the Paine Senior Services information and referral program.

The congregation's core technology footprint is administrative rather than product-oriented: Squarespace for web, Breeze Church Management Software for donations and member records, Mailchimp for newsletters, Zoom for online worship, and YouTube for a public sermon archive. There is no proprietary technology product, no AI/ML capability, and no app.

The financial model is voluntary-contribution based. Revenue is sourced primarily from member pledges through an annual stewardship campaign, additional tax-deductible donations (online, text-to-give, check, stock transfers), facility rentals (Meeting House up to 600 guests, plus Chapel, Mikelson Room, and Parlor), ticketed events including the Eudaimonia concert series, and pass-through support for partner programs. The FY2026-2027 stewardship campaign targets $425,000 in pledges (a ~15% increase over current pledge totals), and total operating revenue is plausibly in the low single-digit millions given the scope of programming, 15-20 staff, and historic-building operating costs. The go-to-market is community-led: Sunday worship, newcomer orientations, campus ministry at Harvard and MIT, partnerships with Harvard Book Store for author events, and affiliation with the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) for justice advocacy across 60+ faith groups.

Name

First Parish In Cambridge

Legal name

First Parish in Cambridge

Website

https://firstparishcambridge.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Parish in Cambridge is a 1632-founded Unitarian Universalist congregation in Harvard Square offering weekly worship, religious education, music programs, pastoral care, and social services including a 22-bed youth homeless shelter and community meals, funded primarily through member pledges and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Organization Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Religious congregation services
• Spiritual community programs
• Religious education classes
• Worship service programs
• Community social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tithes, Offerings, and Donations: First Parish relies on voluntary contributions from members and the broader community. The congregation conducts annual stewardship campaigns and accepts donations through online platforms, text giving, check donations, and stock transfers. Gifts are fully tax-deductible as First Parish is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Parish in Cambridge is a Unitarian Universalist congregation providing weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and via Zoom), religious education programs for all ages, pastoral care, community groups, music ministry (choir, gospel choir, jazz), and direct social services including a community meals program and community fridge. The congregation also partners with organizations operating youth homeless shelters and senior services from its Harvard Square facilities.

Product overview

First Parish in Cambridge is a Unitarian Universalist congregation offering a comprehensive suite of spiritual, educational, and community services centered around its historic Meeting House in Harvard Square. The core offerings include weekly Sunday Worship Services (in-person and via Zoom), community groups (Soul Matters Groups, Young Adult & Campus Ministry, Elders Group, People of Color Caucus), and Children & Families Religious Education programming. Music Ministry features the First Parish Choir, Gospel Choir, and Jazz Sundays. Service and justice work encompasses meals programs, advocacy teams (environmental, racial equity, indigenous justice, immigration), and community partnerships with Y2Y Youth Homeless Shelter and Harvard Book Store author events. Additional services include space rentals, pastoral care, and giving/stewardship programs. The organization operates as a 501c3 nonprofit, founded in 1632.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly worship services held every Sunday at 10:30 AM, available in-person at the Meeting House in Harvard Square and via Zoom, featuring music, prayers, poetry, and sermons addressing spiritual and ethical questions. Open to all visitors and congregants.
• Soul Matters Groups Small groups of 6-10 people meeting monthly to foster spiritual growth and community connection through facilitated engagement with monthly spiritual themes. Open to all community members.
• Young Adult & Campus Ministry Spiritual community and programming for young adults ages 18-35, including undergraduate and graduate students, with regular gatherings, retreats, workshops, and volunteer opportunities. Includes Harvard chaplaincy.
• Elders Group Monthly gathering for community members who identify as elders, offering connection, shared wisdom, guest speakers, and mutual support.
• Children & Families Religious Education Religious exploration programming for babies through teens, including nursery care, age-based classes (Sprouts, Buttercups, Saplings), middle school, high school, and Coming of Age programs. Designed for children and families in the congregation and broader community.
• Music Ministry Music programming including the First Parish Choir (rehearsals Tuesdays 7-9 PM), monthly Jazz Sundays, and the First Parish Gospel Choir, supporting Sunday worship and community gatherings.
• Meals Program and Community Fridge Tuesday and Wednesday evening meals program serving the community, combined with the Community Fridge initiative providing food access to those experiencing food insecurity. Open to all community members in need.
• Justice & Advocacy Programs Working for justice initiatives including Greater Boston Interfaith Organization membership, Beyond Borders-Sin Fronteras (immigration advocacy), Environmental Justice Team, Indigenous Justice Working Group, Racial Equity Team, and Middle East Education Group.
• Space Rentals Rental of church facilities including the Meeting House (up to 600 guests), Chapel (up to 90), Mikelson Room (up to 120), and Parlor (up to 100), for events, lectures, weddings, concerts, and receptions. Available to outside organizations and individuals.
• Pastoral Care Pastoral care and spiritual counseling provided by ministers and lay Pastoral Care Team members, including active listening, cards, practical assistance, rides, and meals support. Available to congregants and community members in need.
• Eudaimonia Concert Series Concert series featuring Eudaimonia Voices period instrument ensemble as Artist-in-Residence, presenting vocal and choral performances spanning 16th century to contemporary works. Open to the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves over 200 homeless youth annually through Youth on Fire
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Y2Y Harvard Square (Phillips Brooks House Association at Harvard University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerY2Y Harvard Square is the nation's first youth-led youth homeless shelter, operated in partnership with Phillips Brooks House Association at Harvard University. Located in the lower level of the Meeting House, the shelter has 22 beds making up about half of the youth-specific shelter beds in Greater Boston Area. Y2Y guests collaborate with service providers, other youth experiencing homelessness, and student volunteers to create sustainable pathways out of homelessness.
• Harvard Book StoreflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard Book Store is a locally owned, independently run Cambridge landmark since 1932. First Parish partners with Harvard Book Store on their award-winning author event series, bringing leading authors and thought leaders to the Meeting House. Past authors include Margaret Atwood, Michael Pollan, Elizabeth Gilbert, Robert Reich, and Congressman Jim Clyburn.
• Cambridge ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge Forum was founded in 1967 as a program of First Parish. It invites guest speakers to inform, explore and challenge audience preconceptions on a range of current and timeless subjects through civilized discussions. Cambridge Forum broadcasts events via podcasts, public radio and YouTube to audiences locally, nationally and globally.
• Youth on Fire Drop-In CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in the lower level of the Meeting House, Youth on Fire provides on-site meals, clothing, showers, laundry facilities, medical care, mental health counseling, enrollment in health insurance, and referrals to other self-identified needs. Serves more than 200 homeless and street-involved young adults each year and has served more than 3,000 members since its opening.
• Paine Senior ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 1905 from a bequest by First Parish member Jeannie Warren Paine, Paine Senior Services serves Cambridge residents 60+ years of age who prefer to remain independent in their community and need guidance about resources, services, benefits, and available options.
• Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Parish is an active member of GBIO, which involves members in justice work with over 60 faith groups and other organizations. GBIO addresses issues including expanding affordable housing, upgrading public housing, improving access to mental health and substance use services, and improving access to housing for formerly incarcerated people.
• Eudaimonia VoicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEudaimonia is an Artist-in-Residence at First Parish in Cambridge. They present vocal and choral concerts featuring diverse repertoire from the 16th century through contemporary works. Their Social Action Partnerships highlight organizations working for social justice, such as Lesley University's Dance and Movement Therapy program.
• Harvard Square Business AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Fridge in the Square community food program. Through daily food donations from local businesses, residents, parishioners, and neighbors, those experiencing food insecurity can access perishable and non-perishable food from the shed located in front of First Parish.
• Lesley University's Threshold ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Fridge in the Square program, contributing to community-led food distribution efforts.
• Berkshire BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the Fridge in the Square community food program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Arlington Street Church: Unitarian Universalist congregation in downtown Boston with progressive theology, active social-justice programming, and a similar member-supported donation model. Directly comparable as a historic urban UU congregation with music programs and civic engagement.
• First Unitarian Church of Chicago: One of the largest Unitarian Universalist congregations in the U.S., with progressive theology, multiple worship services, and a broad social-justice footprint. Highly comparable as a flagship urban UU congregation.
• All Souls Church Unitarian (Washington, D.C.): Prominent urban Unitarian congregation where current First Parish Lead Minister Rev. Dr. Robert Hardies served as Senior Minister from 2001-2020. Same progressive-UU identity and strong social-justice focus, providing a near-direct precedent for First Parish's trajectory.
• First Church in Cambridge: Theologically distinct counterpart in Cambridge (Congregational/UCC on Garden Street) that split from First Parish in 1829. Operates social services including First Church Shelter and shares staff overlap (e.g., Food Service Coordinator Kevin Newell works at both), making it the closest geographic peer.
• First Unitarian Society of Madison: Mid-century-modern-meeting-house Unitarian Universalist congregation with progressive identity, strong music programming, and community-service partnerships. Comparable as a culturally prominent, architecturally notable UU congregation.

Others

• Unitarian Universalist Association: National denominational body of which First Parish is a member congregation. Sets suggested giving guidelines, ordains ministers, and provides governance framework; not a competitor but the closest institutional peer for affiliation and structural comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Memorial Church: Non-denominational Protestant church serving the Harvard community from the heart of Harvard Yard. Adjacent geography and overlapping campus-ministry audience make it a direct spiritual-services peer in the same Cambridge ecosystem.
• Trinity Church Boston: Historic Episcopal congregation in Copley Square with a landmark building hosting major cultural and civic programming. Comparable as an iconic, historic Boston-area religious institution with space-rental and concert-programming operations.
• Old South Church in Boston: Historic downtown Boston congregation affiliated with the United Church of Christ, known for progressive theology and social-justice activism. Comparable as a long-established, progressive, urban historic congregation.

Regional players

• Mount Auburn Church: Nearby Cambridge-area congregation serving a similar Harvard-adjacent demographic with progressive Christian identity and community programming. Relevant geographic peer even though theologically distinct.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/FirstParishCambridge
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@firstparishincambridgeonli4003
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-parish-in-cambridge

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about First Parish In Cambridge