Our Disaster Relief Fund is part of a covenant—a covenant between the UUA and congregations, between congregations who give generously and those in need, and with our community partners. Through aiding our congregations, their members and their community partners, we are able to embody our faith and values.

Funds Are Available

Thanks to the generosity of UUs around the country, we are once again accepting grant applications from congregations impacted by disaster. Your response to our request for funding in the wake of Hurricanes Helene, Milton, and Debby have allowed us to respond to the requests from our southeastern congregations, and to have funds available to help in the aftermath of other disasters. Gifts received are applied to the disasters as they happen, and we continue giving until the congregations no longer have any need for funding--then the funds are kept for the next response.

For congregations that are impacted by disasters, please complete the DRF Grant Application. (Updated January 9, 2025) 

Donate to the Disaster Relief Fund

Thankfully, people are hungering to give to the directly impacted areas from Hurricane Helene. Please consider having your congregation take a special collection to support our congregations, their members, and their communities. We are at the lowest level of available funds since we began this project in 2017. We are in conversation about how to ensure the sustainability of the fund, which relies upon donations from congregations and individual UUs. While we are in discernment, we will still gratefully receive donations to the fund. Donate to the Disaster Relief Fund.

Learn more about how your congregation can take up a collection to support the Disaster Relief Fund.

​​Disasters impact our congregations and their communities with increasing rapidity. From natural disasters like wildfires that scorch everything in their path and hurricanes that bring destruction through winds and water, to widespread human caused disasters like the collapsing infrastructure that we saw in Flint's water crisis, our congregations, our people, and our communities sustain the impact. Your donation to the UUA Disaster Relief Fund allows the UUA to respond flexibly on your behalf to tragedies that overtake us.

With your donations, we are able to provide assistance to congregations, their members, and their communities. Disaster Relief Fund grants are designed to respond to widespread damage that has received a disaster declaration from FEMA or local government sources. Some of the expenses Disaster Relief Fund grants can be used for are:

• Damage to congregations’ buildings, and relocation to temporary locations
• Damage to members/friends homes, and relocation expenses,
• Donations to local partner organizations that serve the community at large, particularly those who would not be eligible for other funding

Earmarking Donations

Donors often ask if they can "earmark" their donations to a particular disaster. When donations are earmarked for a specific cause, they cannot be used for anything else, even if the initial purpose no longer exists. For the Disaster Relief Fund, we will support our congregations and their communities as long as there are requests for funding for any specific disaster, and then, when there is no longer a need, the donations that were in response to that particular disaster but are no longer needed are used to help people in the wake of future disasters. If they are earmarked, those leftover funds could not be used but would need to be kept in perpetuity.

Questions about applying for a Disaster Relief Fund grant can be sent to Lisa Presley, Congregational Life Consultant, at lpresley@uua.org. 

How Are Donations Disbursed?

Staff from all five UUA regions and the Stewardship and Development department work together to expediently review applications and disburse funds. Congregations and recognized UU non-profit entities receiving grants will have discretion to disburse the grant in the way they choose. ​Read how some Disaster Relief Fund grants have been used.

Other Sources of Funding

In addition to funding from the UUA’s Disaster Relief Fund, you may be eligible for funding from FEMA for natural disasters. They have programs specifically for Places of Worship (private non-profits) that you can find on the FEMA website.

There is also a YouTube video about the process.