First Universalist Church of Minneapolis

What First Universalist Church of Minneapolis does

First Universalist Church of Minneapolis is an IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) Unitarian Universalist congregation founded circa 1861, headquartered at 3400 Dupont Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It operates as one of the largest UU congregations in the United States, with 900+ members and the highest religious education enrollment of any UU church in the country (more than 300 children and youth). Its programmatic surface spans Sunday worship (in-person and livestreamed via YouTube/Zoom), age-graded religious education including Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality curricula, youth groups, summer camp, pastoral care (meals, rides, comfort shawls, memorial services, Minister's Emergency Fund), small groups, community dinners, and justice teams focused on housing, racial justice, climate, and Middle East justice issues.

The church is supported by 18 paid staff and a volunteer base of 70+ adults serving in religious education. Its technology footprint is intentionally lightweight: Breeze Church Management for membership and directory, Zoom for virtual meetings and livestreaming, and YouTube as a video archive and broadcast channel. There are no commercial products, APIs, or proprietary technology platforms; all technology serves internal operations and community engagement.

Revenue is generated entirely through a subscription-recurring pledge model from members, supplemented by weekly Sunday offerings (shared with community partners), occasional fundraising campaigns (e.g., Give to the Max, the We The People Concert which raised over $10,000), and legacy/planned gifts channeled through the Legacy Circle, Cummins Fund, and First Universalist Foundation. The congregation is governed by an elected Board of Trustees and operates independently while maintaining affiliation with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Recent operating posture reflects leadership transition (departure of Rev. Arif Mamdani in April 2025 and of Membership & Connections Coordinator Liz Farmer), contract pastoral support via Rev. Laura, and active partnerships with external organizations including MNIPL, BLUU, Pink Haven Coalition, and Habitat for Humanity.

Name

First Universalist Church of Minneapolis

Legal name

First Universalist Church of Minneapolis

Website

https://firstuniversalistchurch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1861

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Universalist Church of Minneapolis is a 165-year-old Unitarian Universalist congregation of 900+ members in Minneapolis, offering Sunday worship, religious education, pastoral care, and social justice programming funded entirely by member pledges and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious / Congregational Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Religious education
• Pastoral care
• Community worship
• Social justice

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Giving/ Pledging: Annual financial commitments from members pledged for the church year. The church operates on a pledge-based system where members commit financially to support the church's operating budget.
2. Sunday Offerings: Weekly offering plate collections where funds are shared with community partners each Sunday.
3. Legacy Giving/ Planned Gifts: Bequests and estate planning gifts through the Legacy Circle program. Includes unrestricted bequests, restricted bequests for Legacy Fund, Cummins Fund, or First Universalist Foundation.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Occasional fundraising campaigns including Give to the Max, We The People Concert raising over $10,000, and other special appeals.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The church operates as a Unitarian Universalist congregation providing weekly worship services, multi-generational religious education, pastoral care, social justice and community outreach programs, and choral/music ministries. Programming is delivered both on-site in Minneapolis and virtually via livestream and Zoom, and is supported through voluntary member donations, pledges, and legacy giving.

Product overview

First Universalist Church of Minneapolis is a 900+ member Unitarian Universalist congregation with a 160+ year history, serving the Minneapolis community through worship services, religious education, pastoral care, and social justice programming. It does not offer commercial technology products or software services. Its primary programmatic offerings include Sunday worship, religious education for children and youth, Our Whole Lives (OWL) lifespan human sexuality programs, community dinners, care ministries (meals, rides, comfort shawls, memorial service support), legacy giving, and various small-group spiritual growth programs. The church uses Breeze Church Management software for its internal membership database and directory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest RE enrollment of any UU church in the country
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light (MNIPL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MNIPL partnered with First U for climate conversation facilitation training. Liz Loeb from MNIPL led a workshop on organizing climate conversations within the congregation. The partnership supports the church's Environmental Justice goal to foster connection with and action on behalf of Earth's environment.
• Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLUU is a movement for Black UU visibility and voice. First U connects members with BLUU worship services, small groups (including groups for Spiritual Leaders, Parents & Caregivers, Queer & Trans people, and people 60+), and pastoral care. The church hosts BLUU monthly online worship services in-person and partners on the Liberation Luncheon series.
• Pink Haven CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPink Haven Coalition is a collective committed to trans liberation and joy, growing community defense, mutual-aid, and alternative systems of care for gender diverse people. First Universalist is in relationship with Pink Haven to support trans and gender-expansive community members.
• Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst U partners with Habitat for Humanity for housing justice work. Members participate in Habitat on the Hill advocacy days at the Minnesota Capitol and build days supporting affordable housing efforts.
• Twin Cities UUs for Justice in the Middle East (TCUUJME)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization co-sponsoring educational events including documentary screenings and discussions on justice issues in the Middle East.
• DRUUMM (Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Majority)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRUUMM is a UU organization that First U members connect with through community events and affiliated organization listings.
• Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance (MUUSJA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMUUSJA is a Minnesota-based UU social justice organization affiliated with First U through community events and organization listings.
• Allies for Racial Justice (AUW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUW is a local organization engaged in racial justice work, affiliated with First U through community events and organization listings.
• Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUUA is the denominational body for Unitarian Universalist congregations. First U follows UUA Youth Safety Guidelines and participates in UUA General Assembly. The church is a member in good standing of the UUA.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Unity Church-Unitarian: Large Unitarian Universalist congregation in St. Paul, Minnesota, also affiliated with the UUA. Directly comparable as a fellow large, progressive UU congregation in the Twin Cities serving similar members with similar worship, RE, and social justice programming.
• First Unitarian Society of Madison: Long-standing UU congregation in Madison, Wisconsin, with comparable worship, RE, and progressive social justice profile. Direct peer in the Upper Midwest progressive religious market.
• First Unitarian Church of Chicago: Historic large UU congregation in Chicago with a comparable programmatic footprint including Sunday worship, RE, social justice activism, and pastoral care. Comparable in scale, mission, and UU identity.
• First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin: Large progressive UU congregation in Austin, TX, with comparable RE enrollment, social justice programming, and identity-affirming community programming. Similar congregational scale and mission orientation.
• All Souls Church Unitarian (Washington, D.C.): Large, historic, socially progressive UU congregation in D.C. with similar RE programming, justice ministry, and pastoral care model. Comparable as a flagship urban UU congregation.

Others

• Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA): The national denominational body for UU congregations. Not a peer in the competitive sense but the umbrella organization that sets guidelines, hosts General Assembly, and coordinates programs like Youth Safety that First U follows.

Regional players

• Westminster Presbyterian Church (Minneapolis): Large mainline Protestant congregation in Minneapolis with overlapping worship, RE, and social justice programming. Comparable as a fellow large, progressive Minneapolis congregation competing for similar members.
• Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church: Historic downtown Minneapolis mainline Protestant congregation with comparable community programming, justice work, and large membership model. Regional peer in the Twin Cities progressive congregational market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@firstuniversalistchurchofm8685/live
• Instagraminstagram.com/firstunivmpls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-universalist-church-of-minneapolis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Universalist Church of Minneapolis