Second Unitarian Church of Chicago

What Second Unitarian Church of Chicago does

Second Unitarian Church of Chicago ("2U") is a 501(c)(3) Unitarian Universalist congregation founded in 1857 and located at 656 W Barry Ave in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. The organization delivers weekly Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m. alongside a lifespan religious education program (Spirit Play, Coming of Age, adult curricula), a music ministry led by an Acting Director of Music, social justice initiatives (migrant family hospitality, Cook County Jail support, Night Ministry meal preparation), and pastoral care services. The congregation is officially designated LGBTQ/HIV+ Affirming & Celebrating and was an early institutional adopter of LGBTQ inclusion, having called its first openly gay minister in 1985.

The church's technology footprint is modest and built on commodity SaaS: Breeze church management software powers member records, pledging, online giving, and space-rental booking; Braintree handles credit/debit and ACH payment processing embedded in Breeze; Google reCAPTCHA provides anti-bot protection on donation forms; and the public website runs on Squarespace. Operations are supported by approximately 12 staff including a settled Minister (currently on sabbatical, with a search for a two-year interim minister underway), Director of Administration, Director of Faith Development, Acting Director of Music, and a Digital Producer.

The revenue model is pledge-driven: $352,353 in annual pledges from 144 households for FY 25-26 (~71% of the $494,459 proposed operating budget), supplemented by space rental income (rising ~$11,500 post-capital completion), a Fall Fest fundraiser, collection plate receipts, the Minister's Discretionary Fund, Space Sharing income, the Suyapa Support Fund, and bequests. Pledge tiers run from Blue ($50-$499) through Purple, Magenta, and Red ($10,000-$25,000), with the median pledge at $1,200. A multi-year capital campaign raised $892,771 of $973,317 pledged for accessibility upgrades, and a separate generous gift paid off the church mortgage in 2025, leaving the building fully owned and ADA-compliant.

Name

Second Unitarian Church of Chicago

Legal name

Second Unitarian Church of Chicago

Website

https://secondunitarian.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Second Unitarian Church of Chicago is a 168-year-old Unitarian Universalist congregation in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood delivering weekly worship, religious education, music, pastoral care, and social justice ministries to an LGBTQ-affirming, multi-racial community of approximately 144 pledging households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Pledge/Giving Program: Annual pledging campaign where members commit to annual contributions. Pledges range from $5 to $24,000 with 144 households pledging $352,353 for FY 25-26. Giving options include one-time, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or yearly recurring gifts via credit/debit card or ACH bank transfer.
2. Collection Plate & Additional Giving: Sunday collection plate donations and additional giving funds including Bequeathed & Memorial Gifts, Capital Campaign, Minister's Discretionary Fund, Space Sharing, and Suyapa Support Fund.
3. Space Rental Income: Rental of church spaces (Sanctuary, Loft, Palmer Room, Library, Kitchen, Fleishman Hall) to outside groups for events. Anticipated $11,500 increase in rental income for FY 25-26 after construction completion.
4. Fall Fest Fundraiser: Annual fall festival generating significant revenue ($42,247 over budget by $13,747). Often includes matching gift component (approximately $7,500).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Second Unitarian Church of Chicago (2U) is a Unitarian Universalist congregation founded in 1857 that delivers weekly Sunday worship services, lifespan religious education, music programming, pastoral care, and social justice ministries to members and seekers. The church supplements member pledge/donation revenue by renting its ADA-accessible building spaces (Sanctuary, Loft, Palmer Room, Library, Kitchen, Fleishman Hall) to outside groups for events. It operates as an LGBTQ/HIV+ affirming and celebrating congregation within the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Product overview

Second Unitarian Church of Chicago (2U) is a Unitarian Universalist congregation offering a portfolio of religious and community programs centered around weekly Sunday worship services at 10:30am. The core offerings include Religious Education programs for children, youth, and adults; a vibrant Music Program with choir and special performances; Social Justice Ministries including migrant support and jail ministry; and Pastoral Care Services. The church generates revenue through Space Share Rentals of its facilities (Sanctuary, Loft, Palmer Room, Library, Kitchen, and Fleishman Hall) to outside groups. Digital engagement products include The Anvil newsletter (monthly church updates), The Hammer newsletter (social justice focus), and the Community Corner blog featuring board letters, minister's letters, and Money Matters financial updates. Recent capital improvements have enhanced building accessibility with a new elevator and ramp.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Anvil: Monthly church newsletter named after Rev. Robert Collyer's anvil that survived the Great Chicago Fire, honoring the church's history while shaping its future.
• The Hammer

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly Sunday worship services held at 10:30am in the Sanctuary, both in-person and virtual, led by the minister or guest speakers. Serves as the primary gathering for spiritual reflection and community connection for members and visitors.
• Religious Education Programs Lifespan faith development programs for children, youth, and adults, including Spirit Play for Pre-K and Kindergarten, Coming of Age for youth, and various adult educational initiatives led by the Director of Faith Development.
• Music Program Vibrant music ministry including the 2U choir, vocal and instrumental performances during services, and special musical events featuring seasonal performances and music education.
• Social Justice Ministries Active social justice programs including migrant family support (housing two families within the church home), mutual aid, Cook County Jail Ministry support for returning citizens, Night Ministry meal preparation, and broader advocacy work.
• Pastoral Care Services Pastoral care support for members in need, including phone calls for emotional/spiritual support, light housekeeping assistance, rides to appointments, in-person visits, and meal or grocery delivery coordinated by the Pastoral Care Team with the minister.
• Space Share Rentals Rental of church spaces — Sanctuary, Loft, Palmer Room, Library, Kitchen, and Fleishman Hall — to outside organizations and individuals for weddings, parties, meetings, workshops, concerts, and community gatherings. Rentals include optional technology coordinator services and complimentary piano use.
• The Anvil Newsletter The church's monthly newsletter (The Anvil) covering ministry updates, board letters, money matters, and community news to keep members informed and connected between services.
• The Hammer Newsletter The church's social justice newsletter (The Hammer) keeping subscribers informed about justice work, upcoming events, and opportunities to engage in equity and compassion initiatives.
• Community Corner Blog Digital blog (Community Corner) serving as the community's digital sanctuary with monthly reflections, board letters, minister's letters, Money Matters financial updates, mental health resources, and policy discussions.
• COVES Pagan Ministry Earth-based Pagan ministry (Covenant of Earth and Sky / COVES) celebrating Pagan Wheel of the Year Sabbats including Samhain, Yule, Ostara, and Litha, with both in-person gatherings at the church and online participation options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Capital Campaign exceeded $900,000 goal for building accessibility improvements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Night MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch kitchen prepares nourishing meals for The Night Ministry, supporting neighbors in need. Regular partnership providing food and community support.
• Migrant Families SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch and members opened doors to welcome and support two migrant families living within the church home. Includes hospitality through potluck dinners.
• Cook County Jail MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides mutual aid and jail support for returning citizens as they leave Cook County Jail, embodying commitment to justice and dignity.
• COVES (Covenant of Earth and Sky)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPagan ministry celebrating Earth-based traditions since 2013. CUUPS Chapter since 2015, hosting rituals for the Pagan Wheel of the Year including Samhain and Yule.
• Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with UUA providing ministerial support, compensation guidelines, retirement and health plans, and congregational resources.
• Mirek ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for capital campaign improvements including elevator, concrete, radiant heat, steel railing, carpentry, doors and hardware, and drywall.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Unitarian Universalist Association: National denominational body providing ministerial support, compensation guidelines, and resources to affiliated congregations including Second Unitarian. Comparable as the broader institutional ecosystem governing the church's operations and credentialing.

Regional players

• Lakeview Lutheran Church: Local Christian congregation located in the same Lakeview neighborhood as Second Unitarian. Comparable as a community church serving the same geographic catchment with similar member demographics, including LGBTQ+ affirming identity.
• Chicago Theological Seminary: Progressive, UCC-affiliated theological institution in Chicago's Hyde Park. Tangentially comparable as a faith-based organization in the same city with similar social justice orientation, though it operates as a seminary rather than a congregation.
• Pilgrim Congregational Church (Oak Park): Open and affirming progressive Christian congregation in the Chicago suburbs. Comparable as a small-to-mid-sized progressive congregation with similar justice-oriented identity, though denominationally distinct (UCC vs. UU).

Others

• Breeze ChMS: Church management software vendor whose platform powers Second Unitarian's giving, member management, and event registration. Relevant as the technology infrastructure enabling the church's pledge and rental operations.

Direct peers

• Unity Temple (Frank Lloyd Wright): Historic Unitarian Universalist congregation in Oak Park (greater Chicago) housed in a Frank Lloyd Wright National Historic Landmark. Comparable as a UU congregation in the Chicago region with significant architectural and historical identity, also generating revenue through space rentals.
• Third Unitarian Church of Chicago: Closely named Chicago UU congregation with similar progressive identity and community programming. Compares directly as a same-faith, same-city peer with mirrored operating model.
• DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church: Chicago-area UU congregation that recently hired Second Unitarian's outgoing Director of Music Carl Kennedy. Comparable as a progressive UU congregation in the same metropolitan area with similar music program and worship style.
• Evanston Unitarian Universalist Congregation: Suburban Chicago-area UU congregation with similar progressive, social justice-oriented identity and lifespan religious education programming. Directly comparable mid-sized UU peer serving the same metropolitan area.
• First Unitarian Church of Chicago: The largest and oldest Unitarian congregation in Chicago, also affiliated with UUA. Directly comparable as a UU worship community with similar programming, social justice mission, and operating model in the same metropolitan market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@secondunitarian
• Facebookfacebook.com/covenantearthandsky
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/second-unitarian

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Second Unitarian Church of Chicago