Giving ordinary people the tools to become compelling leaders.
Our Mission
Inland Congregations United for Change is a faith-based 501(c) (3) non-profit community organization serving San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. ICUC empowers people of faith to transform and revitalize the Inland Empire by working in the civic arena for the common good.
The mission of ICUC is to assist communities of faith who desire to initiate or deepen social ministry within their congregation. Professional community organizers train congregation members in the principles of faith-based civic engagement and coach leaders through self-selected, relevant and practical community organization efforts. Through these efforts, individual participants develop public leadership skills and become catalysts of positive change within their congregations, neighborhoods and cities.
Our Values
FAMILY
Families are the reason we exists and the driving force behind our organizing. In a world where family, whether biological or chosen, is seldom treated as a priority, ICUC becomes a voice for them.
JUSTICE
Within all our traditions, there is commitment to justice. We seek equitable and just opportunities for those most in need. ICUC is a way of putting this belief into action.
DIVERSITY
The strength of a community comes from embracing diversity. The wealth of different backgrounds and experiences leads us in creative new directions. We are intentionally building an organization that is diverse in our ethnic, denominational, and economic backgrounds.
ACTION
We have a commitment to the belief that decision-making should be by and for the people. We believe in taking responsibility and participating in community life. Our members listen to concerns in their communities and then research, discuss, and plan how issues can be resolved.
Who we are
Congregations
Schools
Families
Our Story
Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) was founded by a coalition of multi-faith clergy and faith-leaders in the city of San Bernardino in 1991. Since its roots, it has been an interfaith non-profit that has used its influence to organize around education. Over the years, the organizing has expanded to other regions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties and to other issues such as youth involvement, immigration, voter engagement, criminal justice reform and policing.
At its core, ICUC believes that “the first revolution is internal.” Because of this, the organization has historically given ordinary people the tools to create their own critical analysis of the ways in which societal power structures create injustice. ICUC also provides our communities with the tools to push back against this oppression and demand that the people have a seat at the decision-making table.
Throughout the years, this has led to many wins for disenfranchised folk who primarily experience the pangs of systematic oppression. At the front-line of ICUC’s organizing are youth, immigrants, parents, people of color, and formerly incarcerated leaders. Collectively, their leadership creates a counter-narrative that pushes back on the negative portrayals of their identities and, instead, empowers them to come together to create a world that respects the basic human needs of everyone.
In the Media
- December 6, 2018 ICUC LEADERS PRESENT IDEAS TO END THE BORDER CRISIS TO CONGRESSMAN RAUL RUIZ
- December 4, 2018 These San Bernardino organizations will help the city curb violence
- November 14, 2018 I Am More Than My Criminal Record
- July 24, 2018 Civil rights coalition delivers petition with 75,000 signatures demanding firing of San Bernardino County prosecutor
- July 23, 2018 Two community organizing groups to receive local CCHD grants
- July 10, 2018 Update: Gang prosecutor’s ‘racist’ and ‘hateful’ comments are condemned at rally
- April 20, 2018 STUDENTS: Why I’m Walking Out of School for National Walkout Day
- April 20, 2018 ‘These two guys, right, they…started shooting’: For today’s students, Columbine is a shadow from history class that won’t go away
- April 20, 2018 On Columbine anniversary, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino students walk out with a message
- April 18, 2018 Here’s what students in Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino plan for April 20 National School Walkout
- March 22, 2018 March For Our Lives protest planned for San Bernardino
- February 15, 2018 Homicide in the City of San Bernardino
- October 6, 2017 Mental Health Services Are Necessary, Not Optional