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Original Blessing Fundraising Campaign

Original Blessing is a new Unitarian Universalist congregation in Brooklyn NY. We are looking for financial support until our pledging becomes more sustainable.

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Original Blessing Fundraising Campaign

Original Blessing Fundraising Campaign

Original Blessing Fundraising Campaign

Original Blessing Fundraising Campaign

Original Blessing Fundraising Campaign

Original Blessing is a new Unitarian Universalist congregation in Brooklyn NY. We are looking for financial support until our pledging becomes more sustainable.

Original Blessing is a new Unitarian Universalist congregation in Brooklyn NY. We are looking for financial support until our pledging becomes more sustainable.

Original Blessing is a new Unitarian Universalist congregation in Brooklyn NY. We are looking for financial support until our pledging becomes more sustainable.

Original Blessing is a new Unitarian Universalist congregation in Brooklyn NY. We are looking for financial support until our pledging becomes more sustainable.

Original Blessing UU
Original Blessing UU
Original Blessing UU
Original Blessing UU
1 Campaign |
Brooklyn, United States
$30,665 USD 154 backers
102% of $30,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

Who is Original Blessing

Original Blessing began as an idea when a group of friends came together to as what it would be like if we could create a Unitarian Universalist community that put a transformative spiritual experience at the core of our mission. Several of us had worked locally and nationally on a diverse range of social justice issues and we had come to believe that understanding the suffering we face, intellectually anyway, was not enough. If we were going to experience ourselves as sacred beings, if we were going to experience the Earth as our sacred home, as the source upon which we all depend, we needed a place where, communally rather than individually, we could seek to be transformed by the spirit, by God, by something that is larger than us, whatever the name.

Over the course of a year we played and worked, prayed and danced as we developed the ideas that would serve as the foundation for this new community. Six months ago, we officially launched Original Blessing, a spiritually ambitious movement seeking a relationship with God so we can transform the world through creative worship, social justice and compassionate community. 

As we developed the mission and vision of Original Blessing, we also worked with several fundraising and church plant consultants to create a business plan that will bring us to financial sustainability within a few years. It is a model, we believe, that can be replicated and used by other UUs hoping to start new congregations. But don't just take our word for it. Here is what Wayne Clark, PhD., Director of Congregational Stewardship for the UUA and author of Beyond Fundraising, had to say about it:

For the past 15 years, I have been the Director of  the Congregational Stewardship Network for the Unitarian Universalist Association. During that time my 10 stewardship consultants and I have had the opportunity to review hundreds of congregational strategic plans.

The Original Blessing plan is clearly the best plan that I have seenI am so supportive off the Original Blessing plan that, with their permission, I will distribute the plan to my stewardship consultants. The plan will be placed at the top of my list of examples that I will make available to our UU congregational leaders.

What We Need & What You Get

We have about 40 regularly attending adults and 10 children, which is a great start, but as many of you know it takes some time for people to give at a level that sustains a congregation. Over the next four years we need to raise around $300,000, but in this campaign we are just asking for $30,000. Of course, if we raise the whole $300,000 now it would make our lives a lot easier so feel free to give big.

The First Unitarian Society of Brooklyn has provided us with a $75,000 grant, which is a huge vote of confidence and we are incredibly grateful to them. Doing well in this Indiegogo campaign will give them the confidence to support us with another round of funding. 

We are a mission driven community, which means we are investing in our vision by hiring the staff we think is needed to build a congregation that will grow fast and with purpose. We are watching every penny and our staff works for less than they could get elsewhere because they really believe in what we are doing. Our budget is just about $110,000, which is a bargain for what we deliver. Still the money goes quickly. 

We know that many of you are passionate about Unitarian Universalism and would support us regardless, but we'd also like to offer you some amazing gifts that not only reflect what is going on at Original Blessing, but will also inspire you to visit the next time you come to New York.

You Will Change Our Faith Community

We believe that crowd-funding is the way of the future. There are a lot of new, innovative projects being developed by young Unitarian Universalists, in particular, that will make a huge difference in how we engage as people of faith in our nation and in our world. We believe that Unitarian Universalism can be a spiritual solution to the problems we are facing in the world. Helping us and others build these transforming communities is as important as many of the other organizations we donate to. By championing crowd-funding the really innovative and passionate projects have a chance of succeeding in a space that just didn't exist before. A successful campaign here will inspire the next truly great project. 

Other Ways You Can Help

In addition to any financial contributions you can make, you can also help us by:

  • Emailing this campaign to your minister and friends in your congregation and asking them to support us
  • Post about it on Facebook and Twitter and your blog if you write one
  • Indiegogo also has some share tools if you'd like to experiment with those. 

Thank you so much for your help. We love our community and really appreciate you giving us a chance.

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Choose your Perk

You're the best! Thank you.

$5 USD
A heartfelt thank you. Every little bit helps and we are so grateful for your support.
18 claimed

Pema Chodren is so 2013

$50 USD
A heartfelt thank you. You are building a congregation. + an mp3 download of 1 meditation from a series Rev. Ian White Maher is recording based on the spiritual themes we are exploring at Original Blessing, like Solitude, Darkness, Mercy, Eros, Fertility, Incarnation, Healing and others.
Estimated Shipping
August 2014
10 claimed

Free Hugs

$75 USD
A heartfelt thank you. You are building a congregation. + an mp3 download of 1 meditation from a series we're recording based on our spiritual themes + an Original Blessing t-shirt with our logo and phrase "The Whole Universe is in Love with You" printed on it. People will walk up to you and say "you mean I'm loved absolutely with no exceptions?" And you can give them a hug and look right in their eyes and say "Yup. No exceptions" Boom. Instant friend.
Estimated Shipping
August 2014
22 claimed

The Whole World In Your Arms

$150 USD
A heartfelt thank you. You are building a congregation. + an mp3 download of 2 meditations + an Original Blessing t-shirt + an Original Blessing tote bag with our logo and phrase "The Whole Universe is in Love with You." We all know the Farmer's Markets are the places to be seen these days. They practically are the UU red carpet. Jennifer Lawrence will be leaning in to get a selfie with you. We guarantee it.* *Actually, we don't guarantee the selfie part, but it totally could happen.
Estimated Shipping
August 2014
6 claimed

Comfort Me, Oh My Soul

$300 USD
A heartfelt thank you. You are building a congregation. + an mp3 download of 3 meditations + an Original Blessing t-shirt + an Original Blessing tote bag + a mix of the music we play at Original Blessing. Let me tell you, we can sing and clap and stomp. We totally understand if you want to rock out to this cd in your car, but we are not responsible for any speeding tickets you get. Sorry.
Estimated Shipping
August 2014
8 claimed

I'm a Belieber...wait, no...

$500 USD
I'm a Believer! Yeah, that's more like it. A heartfelt thank you. You are building a congregation. + an mp3 download of 5 meditations + everything else listed above + a book of meditations written by our Lay Ministers Five of our members are engaged in a two-year spiritual development process and each week one of them preaches about their journey from the pulpit. You will laugh, you will cry, you will be amazed at how powerfully UUs can speak about their experience with the Divine.
Estimated Shipping
August 2014
1 claimed

OMG! We Are Crazy About You!

$1,000 USD
Whaaat? You're amazing! A heartfelt thank you. You are building a congregation. + an mp3 download of all the meditations + an Original Blessing t-shirt + an Original Blessing tote bag + a mix of the music we play at Original Blessing. + a book of meditations written by our Lay Ministers + a set of prayer beads with an Original Blessing charm made by a local Williamsburg jeweler. Commune with the Divine and bless the whole world with metta with Original Blessing at your fingertips.
Estimated Shipping
August 2014
2 claimed

What's Up, Diamond Jim?

$10,000 USD
Two tickets to NYC from anywhere in the continental US (and maybe even further), two nights in a sweet, local B&B, two tickets to an amazing Broadway show and a tour of our amazing city. But come ready to rock. We're gonna have a great time together. Oh, yeah, and everything we mentioned above. Original Blessing swag for days.
Estimated Shipping
August 2014
0 claimed
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