We cannot do our work without you.
Your financial support will help us prepare the next generation of progressive faith leaders who are critically needed in our world.
Below are the areas where you can make a difference. Set up a recurring gift, make a one-time gift online, or explore more ways to support Meadville Lombard.
Scholarships
Thanks to generous gifts from individuals and organizations who support Meadville Lombard and our mission, we have been able to give financial support to more of our students. In the 2021/2022 academic year, 72% of degree-seeking students received some form of institutional financial aid. Yet, we are still behind.
As a recognized leader among accredited theological schools, Meadville Lombard attracts some of the most extraordinary people who are called to serve in various forms of ministry. But more often than not, we lose applicants to other seminaries and theological schools with deeper financial resources to give out better scholarships, even when our program was the first choice for the applicant.
Will you help more of those exceptional individuals be able to enroll in our programs? Can you help us offer more financial support to our students?
Meadville Lombard provides two forms of scholarships: merit-based and need-based.
Each year, Meadville Lombard offers at least one full-tuition, merit-based scholarship and a number of smaller, merit-based scholarships to full-time students enrolled in a degree program. Donors can contribute funding to existing scholarships or start their own named scholarship with a large endowed gift.
Named scholarships are a great way to honor a loved one or your passion for the movement to leave a legacy for generations to come.
Programs & Initiatives
Meadville Lombard provides resources not only to Meadville Lombard students and faculty, but also to religious professionals, members of the broader Unitarian Universalist community, and scholars of all (or no) faiths. Two examples of such programs are our Library & Archives and the Fahs Collaborative.
Library & Archives
Our Library and Archives provide resources not only to Meadville Lombard students and faculty, but also to religious professionals, members of the broader Unitarian Universalist community, and scholars of all (or no) faiths.
The Wiggin Library holds over 35,000 volumes, specializing in Unitarianism, Universalism, and Unitarian Universalism. This rich collection documents not just UUism, but the broad tradition of liberal religion. Our complete library catalog is accessible to search online and is available to faculty, students, and community members.
The Archives and Special Collections have over 400 physical and digital archival collections, with topics ranging from Puritanism to Paganism and everything in between. At Meadville Lombard, archiving is a form of justice-making work. From preservation to digitization, we work to make the richness and diversity of UU history freely and easily available to anyone who seeks it. We have been collecting history for over 175 years and hold materials from students and scholars, laity and ministers, and congregations and organizations around the world. As the only exclusively UU archive, we take seriously the trust our community has placed in us to preserve our shared history.
Fahs Collaborative
Sophia Lyon Fahs was an early 20th-century Unitarian religious educator who pushed the boundaries of institutional religious life. She asserted that the church’s function is “to teach us how to put religious and ethical qualities into all kinds of experience.” Fahs Collaborative continues her legacy.
We bring together unlikely actors and new ideas, developing resources and practices that deepen faith, build resilience, honor diversity, and strengthen communities. Our work is to help faith transform lives and the world we share—for good. Together, we are forging the future of faith formation.
Fahs Collaborative curricula support learning that makes a difference. Our curriculum catalogue includes Beloved Conversations, Creating Theology Together, Sophia Fahs Sunday, and We Who Defy Hate. We also offer Curriculum Incubator services to help innovators develop new faith formation approaches.
The MacLean Religious Ed Special Collection includes 200+ years of Unitarian Universalist religious education artifacts and curricula, and its continued growth is supported by the Fahs Collaborative. Scholars and educators are invited to use the materials to support research, teaching, and learning.
Faculty, Research, and Courses
Meadville Lombard's faculty is comprised of leading scholars, activists, congregational and community ministers, and lay leaders in Unitarian Universalism. Learn more about these exceptional educators and their work here.
Active Professorships
- Angus MacLean Professorship of Religious Education held by Dr. Mark A. Hicks
- Rev. Dr. J. Frank and Alice Schulman Chair in Unitarian Universalist History held by Dr. Nicole Kirk
- Lee Barker Professorship of Leadership Studies held by Dr. Elyse Ambrose, Visiting Assistant Professor of Ethical Leadership and Society and Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow
*Dr. Michael Hogue is a tenured Professor of Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion. The operating fund resources his innovative theological scholarship.
Make a gift online
If you would like to direct your gift to a specific initiative, department, or program, please indicate it in the "Additional Comments" field at the bottom of this form. Donations that are not designated will be put toward the area of greatest need.
