UU Santa Monica

What UU Santa Monica does

UU Santa Monica (legal name: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Monica) is a 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit founded in 1927, operating a liberal religious congregation from its historic sanctuary at 1260 18th Street in Santa Monica, California. The congregation is 100% self-supporting, funded entirely through annual member pledges, weekly offerings (of which 50% are redirected to community partners via the Generous Congregation program), facility rentals, and online donations processed through Vanco, text-to-give, and Zelle. Core offerings include Sunday worship services (in-person and livestreamed via Facebook and YouTube), Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE) using Spirit Play and Our Whole Lives curricula, adult lifelong learning groups (Chalice Circles, book groups, meditation, humanist AAHS), and an extensive social justice program spanning climate action, racial justice, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and economic justice.

The congregation maintains a small operational staff of approximately 15-20, including a settled minister, congregational administrator, office coordinator, sexton, pianist, and section leaders for soprano, alto, and bass. Technology infrastructure is intentionally lightweight: livestreaming on Facebook and YouTube, Zoom for virtual groups, a website with event management and Google Calendar integration, and a proprietary digital hymnal subscription service ("Sing Out Love"). The go-to-market motion is community-led — members invite seekers, visitor meetups occur on the first Sunday of each month, and a nine-week Faith Forward course serves as the primary conversion funnel into membership. The congregation holds Welcoming Congregation (2003), Green Sanctuary (1997/2017), and Peace Site (1986) designations, and adopted the UUA's Proposed 8th Principle in June 2024.

Revenue is driven by a subscription-recurring pledge model with annual billing cadence, supplemented by transactional streams (rentals, event fundraising, text-to-give). The customer base consists of congregants and seekers in the Westside Los Angeles area, with digital streaming extending geographic reach globally at no marginal cost. The congregation is currently in a stabilization phase following the April 2026 call of Rev. Diana Smith as settled minister, ending an extended Developmental Ministry period that began after Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur's 2017 departure.

Name

UU Santa Monica

Legal name

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Monica

Website

https://uusm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UU Santa Monica is a 100% self-supporting Unitarian Universalist congregation founded in 1927, serving members and seekers in Westside Los Angeles through Sunday worship, religious education, adult programs, and social justice activism from its historic Santa Monica campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Pledges / Stewardship (Recurring Donations): Annual pledge drive where members commit to recurring financial support. Pledges represent the primary sustainable revenue source for operational expenses and programs. The congregation is 100% self-supporting with no outside financial backing.
2. Sunday Offerings: Weekly Sunday collection. Half of non-pledge offerings support local social justice organizations (Generous Congregation program); half supports church operations.
3. Campus Rentals: Income from renting out facilities (Forbes Hall, classrooms, sanctuary) for community events, meetings, and activities.
4. Text-to-Give and Online Donations: Mobile giving via text message and Vanco online platform. One-time and recurring donation options.
5. Special Fundraising Events: Annual pledge drive campaigns, memorial brick purchases, and Dining for Dollars programs.
6. Amazon Wishlist and Shopping Programs: Support through Amazon Wishlist for nursery supplies, Ralphs Community Contributions program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UU Santa Monica is a Unitarian Universalist congregation that delivers Sunday worship services, religious education for children and youth, adult lifelong-learning groups, social justice programming, pastoral care, and community fellowship at its historic Santa Monica sanctuary and via livestream. Programs are offered free of charge to congregants and visitors, funded by voluntary member pledges and donations.

Product overview

UU Santa Monica is a Unitarian Universalist congregation offering a comprehensive suite of spiritual, educational, and community programs centered around liberal religious values. The core offerings include Sunday worship services (in-person and livestreamed), Children & Youth Religious Education, Adult Groups, and Social Justice/Faith in Action programs. The church operates as a 100% self-supporting community with online giving capabilities. Services are delivered through the physical sanctuary campus at 18th and Arizona in Santa Monica, supplemented by digital platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom for remote participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly Sunday morning worship services held at 10:30 AM in-person at the historic Byers-designed sanctuary or livestreamed via Facebook and YouTube, including sermons, meditation, music, chalice lighting, and values-based stories for all ages.
• Children & Youth Religious Education (CYRE) Religious education programs for children and youth ages 0-18, including nursery care, Spirit Play curriculum (K-3rd grade), RE in Action (4th-8th grade), Coming of Age, Building Bridges, and Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education.
• Social Justice & Faith in Action Programs Collective activism including Green Living/Climate Action, Hunger Task Force (Lunches for Bunches), Animal Ministry, LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Peace & Social Justice Committee, UU the Vote, Anti-Racism & Anti-Oppression initiatives, and Generous Congregation charitable giving program.
• Adult Groups & Lifelong Learning Programs including Chalice Circles, Men's Group, Nonfiction Book Group, Wellsprings Open Meditation, UU Santa Monica Choir, Humanists (AAHS), Pastoral Care Ministry, Camp de Benneville Pines, and Leadership Development.
• Sermons & Worship Recordings On-demand archive of past sermon videos and audio recordings available 24/7, organized by speaker, topic, monthly theme, and year; powered by Series Engine.
• Online Giving & Donations Multiple donation methods including online giving via Vanco, text-to-give, Zelle transfers, check mailing, and Amazon wishlist for nursery supplies, plus the Memorial Bricks program.
• Faith Forward Membership Course Nine-week course for visitors and new members covering worship, equity activism, UU history, multireligious holidays, campus tour, and Q&A with the minister, available in fall and spring sessions.
• Camp de Benneville Pines Retreats Annual UU Santa Monica camp weekend in October and week-long camps for families, men, women, young adults, artists, and yoga enthusiasts in the San Bernardino Mountains, with youth summer and winter camp sessions available.
• Music Ministry Director of Music leads the choir with weekly rehearsals and Sunday services, supported by section leaders (soprano, alto, bass), a pianist, and special musical programs.
• Campus Facility Rentals Rental of Forbes Hall, Cottage classrooms, sanctuary, and Memorial Garden for community events, meetings, weddings, memorial services, and other gatherings when not in use for congregation activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving community for over 90 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenominational affiliation. The congregation aligns with UUA's Seven Principles, participates in General Assembly, and receives programmatic support. UUSM is an official member congregation.
• Camp de Benneville PinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRustic mountain retreat owned by all UU congregations in Southern California/Arizona/Nevada. UUSM hosts annual camp weekend and promotes youth camps. The August 2026 Generous Congregation supports this camp.
• CLUE (Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based coalition for economic justice. PSJ committee partners with CLUE on labor and economic issues campaigns.
• Sunrise Movement LAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate activism organization. Green Living Committee collaborates with Sunrise Movement on climate justice organizing, training, and programs.
• Black Lives Matter Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSJ committee partners with BLM LA on racial justice initiatives and activism.
• Reclaim Our VotecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoter engagement initiative. PSJ committee participates in postcard writing and voter mobilization campaigns.
• Citizens' Climate LobbyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate advocacy organization. Green Living Committee organizes and hosts training and programs.
• #HealthyLAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth advocacy coalition. PSJ partners on related community health initiatives.
• 8th Principle UUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization promoting the Proposed 8th Principle for dismantling racism. UUSM adopted this principle in June 2024.
• UU Humanist AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization for humanists within UU. UUSM's AAHS group connects with UUHA for programming and resources.
• Unitarian Universalist Animal MinistryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization with 45 chapters. UUSM has an active Animal Ministry group that participates in monthly pet food drives and education.
• Santa Monica Bay Interfaith CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Rev. Ernie Pipes and Rabbi Lawrence Block in 1956. UUSM participates in interfaith dialogue and community initiatives.
• VancocoreTechnology or IntegrationSecure payment processing platform for online donations. Powers the church's online giving portal.
• Westside Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal food bank. UUSM collects food donations and participates in Lunches for Bunches program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Unitarian Universalist Association: The national denominational body of which UUSM is a member congregation; provides programmatic support, credentialing, and shared resources, but is not a direct competitor.
• Vanco Payment Solutions: Technology vendor that powers UUSM's online donation platform; comparable in the sense that other religious organizations rely on similar donation-infrastructure providers to scale pledge and offering revenue.

Direct peers

• First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles: A larger historic Unitarian Universalist congregation in Los Angeles serving a similar progressive, values-driven demographic with comparable worship, RE, and social-justice programming. Highly comparable on theology, governance model, and member profile.
• Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church (Pasadena): Another Southern California UU congregation with comparable size, programming breadth, and progressive social-justice orientation, offering a directly comparable peer for member acquisition and program benchmarking.
• Mt. Hollywood Congregational Church (UCC): A progressive mainline congregation in Los Angeles with a comparable welcome-theology, social-justice emphasis, and community-driven member engagement model.
• All Souls Church of San Diego: A historic Unitarian Universalist congregation with similar sanctuary-based worship, religious education, social-justice advocacy, and self-supporting financial model in another Southern California metro.
• Pacific Unitarian Church: Another Southern California UU congregation with similar congregational polity, progressive values programming, and self-supporting pledge-based funding model.

Regional players

• St. John's Episcopal Church, Santa Monica: A historic mainline liberal Christian congregation located blocks away in Santa Monica with a comparable member demographic (progressive, Westside LA families), directly competing for the same local seeker pool.

Broad incumbents

• First Congregational Church of Los Angeles: A larger historic mainline progressive Christian (UCC) congregation in LA offering worship, RE, and social-justice programs; overlaps UUSM's value proposition and target audience but draws from a broader theological tradition.
• Wilshire Boulevard Temple: A large, established liberal religious institution in Los Angeles serving a similarly progressive, values-driven urban demographic; comparable on inclusivity credentials and programming breadth, though from a different faith tradition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UUSantaMonica
• Facebookfacebook.com/uusantamonica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uusantamonica
• Instagraminstagram.com/uusantamonica

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 UU Santa Monica