Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto (UUCPA): Membership Engagement Coordinator
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto (UUCPA) is seeking a Membership Engagement Coordinator who is passionate about helping newcomers find their place in the community. This role involves warmly following up with visitors, making introductions, and guiding them to groups or classes where they will feel at home. As many congregations focus on welcoming and retaining new members in a post-pandemic world, UUCPA has developed a clear understanding of how visitors move toward membership and what helps them stay. Their research indicates that newcomers who connect with a small group are significantly more likely to join, but they need someone dedicated to facilitating these vital connections.
About Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto (UUCPA):
The Unitarian congregation in Palo Alto, which officially began on April 13, 1947, with 27 members, has a rich history rooted in the community's commitment to liberal values and social justice. Initially supported by the minister of the San Jose Unitarian Church, the congregation grew under the leadership of its first settled minister, Rev. Felix Danford Lion, who emphasized the importance of freedom during a time of political repression in the early 1950s. The congregation first met in the Women’s Club and later the Palo Alto Community Center before purchasing a five-acre site on Charleston Road in 1954 for $30,000, funded entirely by their own resources. The striking buildings designed by architect Joseph Esherick were dedicated in 1958, with the Main Hall serving as a versatile space for worship and community events, reflecting the congregation’s prioritization of people and community engagement over expanding their physical real estate.
Responsibilities
Reach out personally to each first-time visitor within a couple of days of their visit — a real conversation.
Introduce newcomers to the leaders of groups and classes that match what they are interested in, and follow through to make sure the introduction actually landed.
Check back in with visitors about a month later to hear how things are going and where the gaps are.
Keep visitor information accurate and current in our database, and run the standard reports that tell us how the welcome is working.
Tell us when something in our process is not working. We would rather hear it than not
Looking For:
Warmth. You are comfortable starting a conversation with someone you have never met, and people tend to relax around you.
Follow-through. You can work a list of people week after week without being reminded, and you close the loop.
Enough familiarity with Unitarian Universalism to answer a newcomer’s real questions — what UUism is, what happens in a service, what is on offer for children, how to get involved. Being a UU is a plus. We will make sure you know the UUCPA-specific answers.
Comfort with a database (we use Realm) and discretion with people’s personal information.
Experience in membership, hospitality, volunteer coordination, community organizing, or something equivalent is helpful but not required.
Compensation
$32 per hour.
Approximately 11 hours per week. The schedule is flexible and the role can be performed remotely.
To Apply
Please send a note about yourself and why this appeals to you, along with a resume, to apply@uucpa.org. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto welcomes applicants of every race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, and background.
