Mission
As a wing of our Fellowship, the UUFSMA Social Justice Foundation seeks to serve our local multicultural community through funding and actions that further social justice.
As a wing of our Fellowship, the UUFSMA Social Justice Foundation seeks to serve our local multicultural community through funding and actions that further social justice.
YES! Count on my GIFT FOR GOOD for the UUFSMA Social Justice Foundation.
HOW TO DONATE to the UUFSMA Social Justice Foundation, click on the button below:
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(There is a 3% fee for this service. Please consider adding the fee to your donation.)
(There is a 3% fee for this service. Please consider adding the fee to your donation.)
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As one of its top priorities, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Miguel de Allende, MX, has always advanced a high commitment to social justice/action in the broader San Miguel community and its surrounding villages. The educational, health and living condition needs of this city’s marginalized people cannot be overstated. For this reason, the UUFSMA is casting a wider net to generate funds to help meet the needs of carefully vetted NGOs serving these communities. Hence, the establishment of the UUFSMA Social Justice Foundation will succeed the previously locally-funded-only Social Action Committee.
The Foundation has urgent needs for additional liaison stewards to these NGOs, for folks with fundraising and grant-writing skills, and for general “hands-on” volunteers to foster a brighter future for underserved citizens in and around San Miguel de Allende. Why has the Foundation been created? The UUFSMA Board determined that a Foundation dedicated to fundraising and grant-giving will increase our grant-giving capacity and enable us to be even more generous with our local NGO’s. The Foundation will seek funds from UU congregations in the U.S. and Canada as well as from global social justice funding organizations. Will the Foundation be a separate entity or part of UUFSMA? The Foundation is part of UUFSMA but - other than oversight by the Fellowship’s Board - will be run independently. The Foundation’s bank account is separate and donations to the Foundation will not be used for the Fellowship. Who will run the Foundation? The Board has chosen a five-member Governance Committee serving alternating terms of one or two years. (See below) What kind of support will the Fellowship provide the Foundation? Initially the Foundation will use UUFSMA administrative staff and may contract for a short-term consultant to verify founding processes and design a fundraising plan for future years. What else will change about how UUFSMA provides grants to NGOs? The Foundation will allocate grants based on funds on hand as opposed to pledges, as has been done in the past. How does the Foundation generate Funds? The Foundation secured early funds though a Founding Donors Campaign. Other plans include tapping into UU and other global funding sources for social action, funding from visiting ministers’ congregations, and establishment of a volunteer grant writing team. What about other volunteer opportunities for social action? The Fellowship will develop a Community Action Committee to foster volunteerism and implement social action projects outside the Foundation’s grant giving. Who do I contact if I want to volunteer with the Foundation? If you have fundraising/grant-writing or other skills you would like to offer, please contact one of the Foundation Governors: Paula Peace (Chair), [email protected] Rosemary Harman, [email protected] Melinda Maginn, [email protected] Jane Wilkinson, [email protected] Donn Zellet, [email protected] |
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Beginning March 15, 2024, and continuing as project needs arise thereafter, we will accept grant applications from NGOs.
Info on 2024 Grants
UUFSMA Foundation Grant Request:
For more information, please contact us. We welcome your interest in supporting the community that supports us!
Contact the UUFSMA Social Justice Foundation at [email protected].
Contact the UUFSMA Social Justice Foundation at [email protected].
Founding Donors
In Honor of Ms. Betse Davies
From Paula Peace, February 2024
The work of this Foundation has begun thanks to the generosity of our Founding Donors. These individuals were the first to embrace the vision and the possibility of how a social justice foundation could expand our reach and improve our work for justice in this community, and they responded with generous gifts to the Foundation. These early gifts were important during the tricky transition time between 2023 funding from the Fellowship and the February 2024 launch of a separate campaign for the Foundation.
In pursuing those early gifts, I was fortunate to find the perfect partner for the ask in the articulate and passionate Michael Murphy. Together we approached each potential donor. But, we needed one beloved social justice leader to give an important blessing, so we went to Betse Davies.
The work of this Foundation has begun thanks to the generosity of our Founding Donors. These individuals were the first to embrace the vision and the possibility of how a social justice foundation could expand our reach and improve our work for justice in this community, and they responded with generous gifts to the Foundation. These early gifts were important during the tricky transition time between 2023 funding from the Fellowship and the February 2024 launch of a separate campaign for the Foundation.
In pursuing those early gifts, I was fortunate to find the perfect partner for the ask in the articulate and passionate Michael Murphy. Together we approached each potential donor. But, we needed one beloved social justice leader to give an important blessing, so we went to Betse Davies.
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For the few members who may not yet know Ms. Betse Davies, she is one of our earliest members of our Fellowship and is renowned for her numerous long-term contributions to a dozen NGOs here in SMA.
For instance, Betse was one of the five founders of Jóvenes Adelante and a scholarship fund has been established in her honor. She started as a tour guide for Patronato Pro Niños, then served as head of the organization for more than 20 years. She served for years on the UUFSMA Social Action Committee, where she was the steward with Niños Con Autismo and the EEE school for the deaf, among others. Betse was named Rotary Citizen of the Year in 1991. Altruism was built into her life in her college days at Ohio State where Betse, like her mother before, was named into the women’s honor board. She learned to serve at an early age and – today at the age of 97 – continues her active life of service. So, we proudly announce that we did receive that important vote of confidence from Betse – and her partner Jim Harper – along with a generous check. Betse’s leadership was just the inspiring lead gift which we needed. We are proud to have Betse as a decades-long member of UUFSMA and are proud to recognize her by naming the new Foundation’s important Founding Donors project in her honor. |
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Betse Davies & Jim Harper, our lead gift
Cynthia Claus
Bill Dalsimer & Janet Freed
Dianne Dailey & Bob Doupe
Anne Geyer
Eleanor Goodwin
Rosemary Harman & Al Alford
Michael & Kathy Murphy
Mary Murrell & Douglas Zachary
Paula Peace & Michael Moore
Tom Rosiello & Malcolm Halliday
Phyllis Vince & Kim Van Kapel
Jane Wilkinson
Donn Zellet & Nora Cohen
Cynthia Claus
Bill Dalsimer & Janet Freed
Dianne Dailey & Bob Doupe
Anne Geyer
Eleanor Goodwin
Rosemary Harman & Al Alford
Michael & Kathy Murphy
Mary Murrell & Douglas Zachary
Paula Peace & Michael Moore
Tom Rosiello & Malcolm Halliday
Phyllis Vince & Kim Van Kapel
Jane Wilkinson
Donn Zellet & Nora Cohen
