Congregation Based Community Organizing…

From the UUA Website

Congregation Based Community Organizing (also called Faith-Based or Broad-Based) is a movement that seeks to establish inter-faith, cross class, multi-ethnic and multi-racial grassroots organizations for purposes of increasing social integration and power in civil society and for making civic, regional and state-wide changes for social improvement. By “civil society,” we mean the voluntary sector, including religious institutions.

CBCO groups see their “primary role to develop participants’ leadership skills, build a strong web of relationships through congregations and other institutions, and turn those relationships into civic power capable of making changes to promote the public good.” (Interfaith Funders, 2001).

Three CBCO Networks Currently Organizing in California:

• PICO California
• Gamaliel Foundation
• IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation)

A few UU congregations in California are active parts of these networks, and can speak to the opportunities, benefits, and challenges of CBCO style interfaith organizing.

PICO California networks:

UU Church of Long Beach
Member of ICO ( Interfaith Community Organization)

UU Church of Palo Alto
Member of PIA (Peninsula Interfaith Action)

First UU of San Diego
Member of SDOP (San Diego Organizing Project)

UU’s of San Mateo 
Member of PIA (Peninsula Interfaith Action)

First Unitarian Church of San Jose 
Member of PACT (People Acting in Community Together)

Gamaliel Foundation networks:

First Unitarian Church of Oakland
Member of OCC (Oakland Coalition of Congregations)

Industrial Areas Foundation networks

UU Society of San Francisco 
Member of BAOC (Bay Area Organizing Committee)
Phone Number: 415-751-6174 or 415-474-0508