UUSJ Board Nominations

Call for Applicants:

Help us carry the flame of peace, love, and social justice to Washington, D.C.!

Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) is changing into a national group with more UU support outside the D.C. area, which was UUSJ’s historical geographic footprint and principal base of support for over 20 years. We’re looking for new members for our Board of Trustees to help us continue building a dynamic, effective social justice advocacy organization that represents our UU values at the U.S. Capitol and White House!

We’re looking for people with great communication and collaboration skills, a passion for social justice, a commitment to UU values, and an interest in or experience making federal policy. We want to make our nation more just, compassionate, and sustainable. Experience with organizations in transition is a plus.

Marginalized and disenfranchised folks to the front!

What we do:

  • Advocate, educate, and witness at the national level for just, compassionate, and sustainable federal policies
  • Focus on priorities (currently four): economic justice, immigration justice, environment and climate justice, and healthy democracy
  • Meet with Members of the U.S. Congress or their staff to advocate on priority UUSJ issues (virtually and more often during the pandemic)
  • Solicit letters from UUs around the country to Senators and Congresspersons on our priority issues via our “Write Here! Write Now!” (“WHWN”) program and deliver them to Congressional Staff
  • Issue “Action Alerts” on policy issues, asking for emails to the U.S. Congress   
  • Make public comments on federal regulations and rules while organizing related campaigns for individuals and congregations where possible
  • Join and help author sign-on letters within the coalitions UUSJ is participating in services to Mission and our issues of policy concern
  • Organize briefings, seminars, webinars, conferences, and Town Hall meetings to discuss federal public policy issues and train UUs as volunteer advocates
  • Marshal for and participate in witness events for federal public policy issues
  • Work in coalition with other faith-based and impacted community groups

Recent achievements:

Recent activity:

  • Co-sponsorship of a UU National Conference in D.C. during 2023 on the 2023 Farm Bill proposal and related negotiations.
  • Production of multiple Action Alerts and Write Here! Write Now! (WHWN) letter-writing campaigns contributing to more than 1,827 visits to, 446 meetings with, and 10,393 letters delivered to Capitol Hill offices since our advocacy day started in 2017
  • Policy talks and briefings on topics and with speakers, such as Challenging Lifetime Voting Bans: Hopkins v Watson with Patrick Berry, Brennan Center; Securing a Multiracial Democracy with Author Steve Phillips; The Power To Heal; Saving Democracy with Author David Pepper; The PUPP Act with “My Dog is My Home” and UU Animal Ministry; Recognizing and Resisting Fascism, with Rev. Cecilia Kingman; Tyranny of the Minority Book Presentation by Authors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt; Fascist Campaign in Full View with Dale Anderson; the SCERT Act with Brie Sparkman, CREW; Summer Bridge Mobilization to Phase Out Fossil Fuels; Fair Farm Bill with Jim Walsh, Food & Water Watch; Reflections on Federal Matters with UUA President, Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, and more. See our UUSJ YouTube Channel for more.
  • UUSJ clarified the moral owners to which UUSJ is accountable, established new Values, Mission, Vision, and Ends, adopted Bylaws and Policies to reduce the Board to 11 (from over 20) members elected at large, focus the Board on policy setting and reviewing staff implementation, and empower the Executive Director and volunteer and paid staff to carry out UUSJ’s mission 
  • Witness at events of national import to UUs such as the Poor People’s Campaign and Climate Strike(s), and mobilizations in support of asylum seekers and DACA recipients
  • For more, see our most recent Annual Reports for Fiscal/Church Year 2022-2023 and 2021-2022

What the UUSJ board is responsible for:

  • Determine and periodically review the Mission, Vision, and goals (“Ends”) of UUSJ
  • Set UUSJ’s policy priorities and direction; approve public policy positions
  • Appoint, evaluate, and terminate the Executive Director of UUSJ
  • Approve policies and procedures for the operation of UUSJ 
  • Approve the budget and membership dues of UUSJ
  • Elect new Trustees and elect Board Officers for any given year
  • Designate both board committee chairs and members for any given year

What UUSJ board members do:

  • Use their experience and skills to support UUSJ’s Mission, Vision, Values, and implementation  
  • Establish policies for UUSJ and provide guidance to the Executive Director 
  • Measure the Executive Director’s implementation of Board policies and progress towards achieving the Ends and goals of UUSJ
  • Prepare for and attend (in person or online) four or more Board meetings per year (approx. 2.5 hours each) 
  • Serve on one or more Standing Committees (Finance, Membership, Development, & Nominating) with occasional meetings (in person or online)
  • May serve as an officer (Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary) with occasional meetings as an Executive Committee, handling only “routine administrative matters.”
  • Help with fundraising, including events (time commitment and role may vary).
  • Develop and maintain relationships with moral owners  
  • May participate in, but may not lead, advocacy or other UUSJ events; these are organized by the UUSJ Executive Director, paid staff, and volunteer staff

The kinds of people we’re looking for:

  • Passion for social justice advocacy, education, and/or witnessing
  • Commitment to UU values
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills
  • Experience in organizational change and transition
  • Experience with social justice environment, particularly in a faith-based context
  • Enthusiasm for our mission, vision, and values
  • Willing to help with fundraising

People We Particularly Encourage to Apply:

  • People from throughout the US 
  • Black/Indigenous/People of Color
  • Women, LGBTQ2, and gender non-conforming folks
  • Younger people, as well as aging adults and retired folks
  • Persons with disabilities
  • Members of communities hit hardest by unjust policies (“impacted communities”)
  • People who struggle economically

Contact Us: