The UU Organizations Retirement Plan (UUORP) is an IRS-qualified 401(a)/401(k) defined contribution, multiple employer church retirement plan sponsored by the UUA. The UUA maintains the Plan to enable employees of UU congregations, organizations, and community ministers to accumulate funds for retirement. The Plan currently serves 560+ participating employers and more than 4,400 plan participants.
A Plan Built on UU Values
The UUORP is not a typical workplace retirement plan. It is designed to reflect the UU commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of every person — which means every employee counts, regardless of their role, hours, or tenure.
Unlike many private-sector retirement plans that exclude part-time or seasonal workers, the UUORP extends participation to everyone. Every W2 employee age 18 or older must be enrolled in the Plan and given the opportunity to make pre-tax salary deferral contributions. Employees who have satisfied the Year of Eligibility Service (YOES) requirement must receive the employer contribution per their employer’s participation agreement. No employee may be excluded based on hours worked, job title, or employment status.
This is one of the ways participating employers live out UU values in practice — ensuring that every person who serves your organization has access to retirement security.
Questions about enrollment requirements? Contact us at retirementplan@uua.org — we’re glad to help you make sure your organization is meeting its obligations.
Plan Governance
The UUA Retirement Plan Committee serves as Plan Administrator and, along with its delegates, has the authority to administer the UUORP and implement all Plan provisions. The UUA serves as Plan Sponsor.
Plan Recordkeeper and Financial Advisor
Empower serves as the Plan’s recordkeeper, maintaining participant accounts and processing contributions submitted by participating employer remitting admins. Both employers and participants interact with Empower directly — employers through the Plan Service Center (PSC) to remit contributions and post hours worked, and participants via the employee web to manage their accounts, select their salary deferral elections, choose their investments, and utilize various financial planning tools.
Participants can access their accounts at uuaempower.com and have unlimited access to point-in-time financial advice at no additional cost.
To speak with an Empower representative, call the UU-dedicated toll-free line: 833-UUA-2023 (833-882-2023), available Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. ET and Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. ET.
Fiducient Advisors serves as the Plan’s independent financial advisory firm, assisting the Retirement Plan Committee with investment oversight, asset allocation, and monitoring of the investment lineup available to participants.
Getting Started
- Thinking about joining the Plan? Visit Joining the UU Organizations Retirement Plan.
- Current participating employer? Visit Employer Resources for administration tools and resources.
- Plan participant? Visit Participant Resources to manage your account.