Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation

What Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation does

Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation (OUUC) is a 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit founded in 1952 in Olympia, Washington, operating a liberal Unitarian Universalist congregation serving the Thurston County and South Sound region. The congregation delivers Sunday worship services (two-service format as of January 2025, with 9am onsite and 10:45am onsite plus Zoom/YouTube livestream), religious education programs for children, youth, and adults, pastoral care, and a portfolio of community programs including Thursday Community Dinners, spiritual practice groups, affinity groups, and Faith in Action justice initiatives. Core technology consists of Realm (onrealm.org) for member directory, online giving, group messaging, and event registration, supplemented by Zoom for virtual services, YouTube/Vimeo for recorded content, and WordPress-based web properties—commodity SaaS rather than proprietary infrastructure.

Revenue is generated primarily through an annual Stewardship pledge campaign (88% of operating budget; goal of $726,479 for fiscal year 2026-2027), with supplementary income from Sunday offerings (5% of total income, of which 50% is passed to nonprofit partners via Share the Plate), the Annual Auction, a Book Nook online used bookstore (proceeds to Thurston County Food Bank), a 2022-2025 Capital Campaign that raised $521,340 of a $544,500 goal, planned/legacy giving, and a 5% affiliate commission from the Little Red General Store worker-owned marketplace. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, visitor cards, newcomer integration, and visibility at community events rather than paid acquisition. Customer segments include pledging members and friends, visitors and newcomers, young adults and families, the Kissolymos Romania Partner Church community, and six rotating South Sound nonprofit Share the Plate partners. The congregation is governed by a Board of Trustees and operates under a shared ministry model with settled minister Rev. Mary Gear (since August 2019) and a small staff including Director of Community and Faith Development Rev. Sara Lewis, Office and Facilities Manager Ian Hammond Stephan, and Finance Manager Isaac Ezra Jennings.

Name

Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Legal name

Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Website

https://ouuc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation is a 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit founded in 1952 in Olympia, Washington, serving the South Sound region with Sunday worship, religious education, pastoral care, and community justice programs funded by member pledges and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Congregation / Liberal Religious Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Unitarian universalist worship
• Religious community services
• Faith development programs
• Social justice ministry
• Pastoral care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Olympia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Stewardship Pledges: Annual pledge campaign where members and friends commit financial support for the operating budget year (July-June). Pledges account for approximately 88% of the proposed budget. The 2026-2027 stewardship goal is $726,479.
2. Sunday Offerings: Weekly collection during Sunday worship services. Half of offerings support Share the Plate recipients (nonprofit partners), with the remaining 50% going to operating budget. Sunday offerings represent approximately 5% of total income.
3. Annual Auction: Primary fundraising event with both online (May 9-17) and in-person components (May 16). Proceeds support OUUC operations, with 'Raise the Paddle' often benefiting specific justice causes.
4. Book Nook Online Store: Online used bookstore (books-ouuc.com) open to Olympia-area shoppers. All proceeds pass through to Thurston County Food Bank.
5. Legacy/Planned Giving: Bequests through wills/trusts, IRA/401(k) beneficiary designations, life insurance policies, charitable gift annuities, and appreciated securities via UUA's Umbrella Giving Program. Members joining Legacy Circle are recognized on the Giving Tree.
6. Capital Campaign: Infrequent major capital campaigns for building preservation and improvements. The 2022-2025 campaign raised $521,340 of its $544,500 goal.
7. Little Red General Store Affiliate: Partner worker-owned business through which congregants shop, with OUUC receiving 5% affiliate commission on purchases using discount code OUUC.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation is a liberal religious congregation that delivers Sunday worship services, multi-generational faith development programs, pastoral care, rites of passage, social-justice advocacy through Faith in Action, and community fellowship programs to members, friends, and visitors in the South Sound region of Washington State. Auxiliary paid offerings include facility rentals, an online used-bookstore (Book Nook), and an annual fundraising auction, while half of weekly offerings are distributed through the Share the Plate program to vetted local nonprofit partners.

Product overview

Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation (OUUC) is a religious organization that offers spiritual and community services rather than commercial products. Its primary offerings include Sunday worship services, religious education programs for children, youth, and adults, community gatherings, pastoral care, social justice initiatives through Faith in Action, facility rentals, and various fundraising programs such as the Book Nook online bookstore, annual auction, and Share the Plate community giving program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly worship services held in OUUC's Sanctuary (capacity 200) at 2306 East End St. NW, Olympia, WA. As of January 2025, services run in two formats — 9:00am onsite only and 10:45am onsite plus Zoom/YouTube livestream — with special services such as Water Communion, Flower Communion, and holiday services. Open to members, friends, and visitors.
• Faith Development Programs Lifespan faith development for children, youth, and adults, including Children's Programs, Youth programs, Our Whole Lives sexuality education classes, Adult Faith Development, and Learning about UUism and Justice. Designed for members and the broader Olympia community seeking UU-aligned religious education.
• Pastoral Care and Congregational Care Pastoral care and congregational care offerings for members and friends, including the Pastoral Care Team, Caring Friends, Support Groups, the Healthy Congregations Team, the Safer Congregation Response Team, and the Personal Care And Support Record. Aims to support individuals and families through grief, illness, and life transitions.
• Share the Plate Community Giving Program Program that directs 50% of weekly Sunday offerings to six local/regional nonprofit partners selected annually with focus on racial, economic, and climate justice. Annual grants per recipient range from approximately $2,800 to $3,200, and the program has supported over 50 local nonprofits since 2004.
• Annual Auction Primary annual fundraising event with both online and in-person components, held at ASHHO Cultural Community Center and Job Training Center in Tumwater. Proceeds support OUUC operations and a 'Raise the Paddle' element often benefits specific justice causes. Pay-what-you-can pricing ($10-$100/person).
• Book Nook Online Used Bookstore Online used bookstore (books-ouuc.com) serving Olympia-area shoppers. All proceeds pass through to the Thurston County Food Bank in support of local food security.
• Facility Rentals Rental of OUUC facilities including Sanctuary (capacity 200), Commons (capacity 200), Kitchen, Classrooms (3, 4, 5), Youth Room (capacity 15), Nursery, and outdoor spaces. Available for community events with non-profit status verified.
• Thursday Community Dinners Weekly community meals held September through June from 5:30-6:30pm, including vegan, gluten-free, and kid-friendly options. Open to all community members with donations gratefully received.
• Partner Church Program (Kissolymos, Romania) Long-standing international ministry partnership (25+ year covenant) with the Unitarian Congregation in Kissolymos, Transylvania, Romania. Includes scholarships for students, financial support for congregation projects, pilgrimages for mutual learning, hosting the Balazs scholar from Starr King Seminary, and education about Partner Church ministry within OUUC.
• Legacy / Planned Giving Program Planned giving options including bequests through wills/trusts, IRA/401(k) beneficiary designations, life insurance policies, charitable gift annuities, and appreciated securities via the UUA's Umbrella Giving Program. Members joining the Legacy Circle are recognized on the Giving Tree.
• Capital Campaign Infrequent major fundraising campaigns for building preservation and improvements. The 2022-2025 Capital Campaign raised $521,340 of its $544,500 goal (96%), funding HVAC heat-pump replacement, parking lot repair, exterior painting, fire alarm panel replacement, and mortgage payoff.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 local nonprofits supported since 2004 through Share the Plate program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Unitarian Congregation in Kissolymos, RomaniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner25+ year covenant relationship with the Unitarian congregation in Kissolymos, Transylvania. OUUC provides scholarships for students to attend high school, financially supports congregation projects, sponsors pilgrimages for mutual learning, hosts the Balazs scholar from Starr King Seminary, and educates OUUC members about Partner Church ministry through worship services and gatherings.
• Thurston County Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOUUC's Book Nook online used bookstore passes 100% of proceeds to the Thurston County Food Bank. This long-standing partnership supports local food security through book sale fundraising.
• ASHHO Cultural Community CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOUUC hosts its Annual Auction in-person event at ASHHO Cultural Community Center and Job Training Center in Tumwater. ASHHO provides dinner options including vegan and gluten-free choices.
• Little Red General Store (worker-owned business)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorker-owned business founded by two OUUC congregants. Online marketplace features 250,000+ products from small/medium businesses. OUUC receives 5% affiliate commission on purchases using discount code OUUC, and shoppers save 5%.
• South Puget Sound Community College / League of Women VotersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOUUC collaborated in establishing a scholarship program at SPSCC in honor of Gladys Burns, a founder of the congregation in 1952. The initiative raised over $33,000, exceeding the $28,000 goal.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@olyUUC
• Facebookfacebook.com/OlyUUC
• Instagraminstagram.com/olyuuc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/olyuuc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation