Sherborn minister part of team winning $100,000 Forbes grant

Heather Concannon lives the Universalist Unitarian creed.

She’s the assistant minister of youth and families at the UUAC First Parish in Sherborn. She’s also a director and resident at the Lucy Stone Cooperative, a UU Community Cooperative housing program in Roxbury.

Earlier this month, Concannon and Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen won a $100,000 grant for being finalists in the Forbes Under 30 $1 Million Change the World Competition. They were among more than 2,500 young adults from around the world in the competition; although they missed out on the $500,000 grand prize, Concannon said she and Nguyen were grateful for the grant.

“It was a gift and a surprise,” she said. “It came across our radar [over the summer] … there was a faith-based opening, and we applied. We heard back that we were one of the finalists, and we went to Philadelphia.

“We’re really excited about what we got from Forbes,” she added. “It was an opportunity to connect with people with similar goals. We made some really neat connections.”

The Lucy Stone Cooperative is part of Unitarian Universalist Community Cooperatives, a Boston based nonprofit that grows cooperative housing communities of spiritual practice, sustainability and social change. A second house, the Margaret Moseley Cooperative in Roxbury, is about to be purchased.

Concannon lives at the Lucy Stone Cooperative, an 11-bedroom habitation with residents ranging from 12 to 70 years old.

“It’s shared ownership,” she said. “We share meals, cleaning, chores and finances. The equity from the Stone Cooperative is going toward the Moseley Cooperative…”

Since starting in 2011, the Lucy Stone Cooperative has had a vacancy rate under 1 percent, with more than 80 people applying for the seven or eight openings.

“We know the demand for this type of living arrangement far, far outstrips the supply,” said Nguyen.

“Housing coops provide affordable housing and a built in supportive community — both things that are needed in our world today,” said Concannon.

Funding for the cooperative program comes from rent, community investors and donations. Any excess money from rent is used for upkeep or to further the organization’s mission. UUCC also uses an innovative funding strategy to grow its organization.

“We recognize that our community extends beyond the walls of this house,” said Nguyen. “Many people want to invest with their values but don’t know how. We offer them a place to do that. UUCC has raised over $240,000 in low-interest investments from supporters — many of whom are Unitarian Universalists or members of the coop community — to purchase their second house.”

Concannon said the grant may be used for “organizational development.”

“It opens up a lot of possibilities,” she said.

Concannon graduated from Simmons College in 2011. The post at UUAC First Parish is her first assignment in the ministry.