The Rev. Rod Fund for Youth and Young Adults
(formerly The Dawning Future—Youth and Young Adult Subsidy)

The Rev. Rod Fund for Youth and Young Adults provides financial assistance to Unitarian Universalist youth (14-19), young adults (18-35) and youth advisors to help them attend regional, national and continental conferences and faith development events. Attending these events is an important way for youth and young adults to build connections and to find space for spiritual enrichment and growth. Subsidies help make events more financially accessible and inclusive to as many people as possible, though we encourage applicants to seek other partial sources of funding as well.

The Rev. Rod Fund is funded by donations and event revenues. We are grateful for the generosity of our members and supporters.

Application Process:

Applications are accepted year round and applicants will be chosen on a first come, first served basis per event (after other criteria has been considered). Please apply through the online form below, which asks about your involvement in UU communities, and financial considerations.

Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, depending on the funds that are available each year, and generally limited to $400 per applicant per year.

What to know before applying:

  • Applications must be received at least 3 weeks before the event or by the specified deadline (sooner is better).
  • Generally, funding is awarded for event registration and travel costs only. We may request registration confirmation and/or travel receipts as part of the subsidy process.  
  • Payment is made by direct online bank transfer. Please allow up to 3 weeks turnaround time for payment, once subsidy is approved.
  • Unused subsidies (for instance if the applicant cannot attend due to unforeseen circumstances) are to be returned to the CUC so that others can benefit from funding.

Criteria:

  • Must be a youth (14-19) or a young adult (18-35) who is active in a congregation or regional, national or continental UU community.
  • Youth advisors of any age may apply for subsidies to attend youth events or youth advisor trainings. However, priority will be given to those who are young adults.
  • Must be a Canadian, or involved in a Canadian congregation or community (Americans can access scholarships through the UUA)

Because we have limited funds, priority is usually given to applicants who:

  • Are seeking partial funding from a variety of sources (asking their congregation, friends and family support, holding fundraisers, etc.).
  • Have expressed financial limitations that would prevent them from attending the event without funding
  • Are first time applicants; or who have not received funding in previous years
  • Have never been to a conference or training of this kind before
  • Must leave their region to attend the event  (i.e., a national or continental opportunity).

Qualifying Events:

Examples of events and trainings that this subsidy could be applied to include, but are not limited to:

  • Youth cons (including Regional Youth Cons, CanUUdle and OWL weekends)
  • Young adult gatherings (including Chorus and the Unicamp Young Adult Retreat)
  • CUC National Conference, AGM and Regional Gatherings
  • Trainings and skill development opportunities (peer chaplaincy, youth advisor, leadership or spirituality development trainings)
  • OWL facilitator and Lay Chaplain trainings
  • UU@UN Spring Seminar
  • UUA events and trainings (Meaning Makers, Summer Seminary, Thrive, Youth Ministry Revivals, Goldmine and General Assembly)

Please contact the subsidy selection committee if you have questions: subsidies@cuc.ca.