UTO Grants Archives – The Episcopal Church

United Thank Offering: Over $1M awarded for projects welcoming ‘the stranger’

Office of Public Affairs — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:34:27 +0000

The Episcopal Church Executive Council approved more than $1 million in United Thank Offering grants supporting 20 innovative mission and ministry projects during its April meeting.

The funds come from the United Thank Offering’s yearly Ingathering, which includes monies collected in “blue boxes” at Episcopal churches, designated as thank offerings. This year’s total includes a special matching challenge grant to raise funds for the ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East.

This is the second of a three-year United Thank Offering grant focus on Matthew 25. This year’s grants fund projects that explore new, meaningful ways to welcome people with differences that cause isolation, as well as projects that encourage truth-telling, acknowledging historic trauma, and establishing a path toward healing. The 2023 grants supported projects related to the worldwide incarceration crisis.

“Everyone has felt left out at some point in their life, but Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 are all about people who are regularly left out or underserved in mainstream societies,” said Sherri Dietrich, board president of the United Thank Offering. “This year’s grants will support some really thoughtful projects that specifically focus on including these people, projects that will change the lives of people around the world and could become models for other churches and groups to use in projects of their own.”

The UTO Board received about $3.1 million in requests from 57 applications. It was able to fund 20 projects within The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion, including four historical grants.

Grant recipients are listed below by category. Read details about each project.

Episcopal Church Awards

Episcopal Diocese of Chicago – Community-Based Accompaniment for People Seeking Asylum: $40,495
Episcopal Diocese of Cuba – Shortening Distances, Bridging Gaps: Labor Missionary Without Barriers: $19,660
Episcopal Diocese of Easton – Easton English School at Trinity: $30,000
Episcopal Diocese of Eau Clare – Province V: Engaging Gender Complexity: $55,000
Episcopal Diocese of Ecuador Litoral – Inclusion, Equality, and the Opportunity to Learn Together: $55,000
Episcopal Migration Ministries – Rainbow Asylum Ministry: $55,000
Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota – Shepherd’s Tale: $43,150
Episcopal Diocese of Venezuela – José Gregorio Hernández Pastoral Health Project: $55,000

Anglican Communion Awards

Bilateral Partner: Brazil, Diocese of Recife – People are Made to Shine!: $55,000
Covenant Partner: Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America, Diocese of Guatemala – House of Love for the Chronically Ill: $54,000
Congo, Diocese of Bukavu – Multi-Service Center for the Holistic Care of Women Victims of Violence: $54,938
Kenya, Diocese of Bondo – St. Timothy’s Children’s Hope Center: $48,900
Korea, Diocese of Busan – Empowerment through Café Inclusion: $9,200
Korea, Diocese of Daejeon – Another Home, One Family: $55,000
Mozambique and Angola, Diocese of Rio Pungue – Construction of a Welcome Center: $55,000
Tanzania, Diocese of Tabora – An Inclusive Shelter & Empowerment Center: Building for the Marginalized and Disadvantaged: $48,500

Historical Grant Awards

The Archives of The Episcopal Church – Records of the Women of the Church: Preservation and Digitization Project: $35,000
Global Partnerships – Discernment for the Second Half of Life: $45,000
Episcopal Migration Ministries – The Great EpisGOpal Race: $1,729.96
Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East – 2024 Challenge Grant for Jerusalem: $187,260.82

Since 1889, the United Thank Offering has awarded more than 5,400 grants for over $144 million. Download the “Full List on UTO Grants 1883-2024” on this page. Learn more about the United Thank Offering.

La Ofrenda Unida de Gracias otorga más de 1 millón de dólares para proyectos que acogen «al forastero»

El Consejo Ejecutivo de la Iglesia Episcopal aprobó más de $1 millón [dólares estadounidenses] en subvenciones de la Ofrenda Unida de Gracias para apoyar 20 proyectos innovadores de misión y ministerio durante su reunión de abril.

Los fondos provienen de la Recolección anual de la Ofrenda Unida de Gracias, que incluye dinero recaudado en «cajas azules» en las iglesias episcopales, y que se designan como ofrendas de gracias. El total de este año incluye una subvención especial complementaria al objeto de recaudar fondos para los ministerios de la Diócesis Episcopal de Jerusalén y el Medio Oriente.

Esta es la segunda de una subvención trienal de la Ofrenda Unida de Gracias que se centra en Mateo 25. Las subvenciones de este año financian proyectos que exploran formas nuevas y significativas de acoger a personas con diferencias que provocan aislamiento, así como proyectos que alientan a decir la verdad, reconocer los traumas y establecer un camino hacia la recuperación. Las subvenciones de 2023 respaldaron proyectos relacionados con la crisis mundial de encarcelamiento.

«Todo el mundo se ha sentido excluido en algún momento de su vida, pero las palabras de Jesús en Mateo 25 se refieren a personas que habitualmente son excluidas o desatendidas en las sociedades tradicionales», dijo Sherri Dietrich, presidente de la junta directiva de la Ofrenda Unida de Gracias. «Las subvenciones de este año apoyarán algunos proyectos realmente reflexivos que se centran específicamente en incluir a estas personas, proyectos que cambiarán las vidas de personas en todo el mundo y podrían convertirse en modelos para que otras iglesias y grupos los utilicen en sus propios proyectos».

La Junta de la OTU recibió alrededor de 3,1 millones de dólares en 57 solicitudes. Pudo financiar 20 proyectos dentro de la Iglesia Episcopal y la Comunión Anglicana, incluidas cuatro subvenciones históricas.

Los beneficiarios de las subvenciones se listan a continuación por categorías. Léanse detalles acerca de cada proyecto.

Subvenciones de la Iglesia Episcopal

Diócesis Episcopal de Chicago – Acompañamiento comunitario para personas que buscan asilo: $40.495.
Diócesis Episcopal de Cuba – Acortando distancias, salvando brechas: Trabajo misionero sin barreras: $19.660.
Diócesis Episcopal de Easton – Escuela de Inglés Easton en La Trinidad [Trinity]: $30.000.
Diócesis Episcopal de Eau Clare – V Provincia: Abordando la Complejidad de Género: $55.000.
Diócesis Episcopal del Ecuador Litoral – Inclusión, Igualdad y Oportunidad de Aprender Juntos: $55.000.
Ministerio Episcopal de Migración – Ministerio de Asilo Arcoíris: $55.000.
Diócesis Episcopal de Dakota del Sur – Shepherd’s Tale: $43.150.
Diócesis Episcopal de Venezuela – Proyecto Pastoral de Salud José Gregorio Hernández: $55.000

Subvenciones de la Comunión Anglicana

Asociada bilateral: Brasil, Diócesis de Recife – ¡La gente está hecha para brillar!: $55.000.
Asociada de Pacto: Iglesia Anglicana de la Región Central de América, Diócesis de Guatemala – Casa de Amor para los Enfermos Crónicos: $54.000.
Congo, Diócesis de Bukavu – Centro multiservicio para la atención integral de mujeres víctimas de violencia: $54.938.
Kenia, Diócesis de Bondo – Centro de Esperanza para Niños de San Timoteo [St. Timothy]: $48.900.
Corea, Diócesis de Busan – Emancipación a través de la inclusión del Café: $9.200.
Corea, Diócesis de Daejeon – Otro hogar, una familia: $55.000.
Mozambique y Angola, Diócesis de Rio Pungue – Construcción de un Centro de Bienvenida: $55.000.
Tanzania, Diócesis de Tabora – Un centro inclusivo de refugio y emancipación: edificio para los marginados y desfavorecidos: $48.500.

Subvenciones históricas

Archivos de la Iglesia Episcopal – Registros de las Mujeres de la Iglesia: Proyecto de Preservación y Digitalización: $35.000.
Asociaciones Globales – Discernimiento para la Segunda Mitad de la Vida: $45.000.
Ministerio Episcopal de Migración – La Gran Carrera EpisGOpal: $1.729,96
Diócesis Episcopal de Jerusalén y Medio Oriente – Subvención Desafío 2024 para Jerusalén: $187.260,82.

Desde 1889, la Ofrenda Unida de Gracias ha otorgado más de 5.400 subvenciones por más de 144 millones de dólares. Descargue la «Lista completa de subvenciones de la UTO 1883-2024» en esta página. Obtenga más información acerca de la Ofrenda Unida de Gracias.

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United Thank Offering matching grant nets $187K for Jerusalem diocese

Office of Public Affairs — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:53:56 +0000

Thanks to generous gifts to a recent United Thank Offering matching challenge, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem will receive more than $187,000 to help meet immediate needs and ease suffering in the Holy Land.

In partnership with the upcoming Good Friday Offering, the United Thank Offering invited gifts during November and December—promising a match up to $100,000—to help sustain outreach efforts in the diocese, which operates across several countries or territories and includes churches, schools, medical facilities, and other ministries.

The church’s Good Friday Offering, in its 102nd year, also goes toward Episcopal and Anglican siblings in Jerusalem and the Middle East. This year’s offering includes an online concert of sacred music, which will be livestreamed on The Episcopal Church’s Facebook page and website at 3 p.m. ET March 29.

“We are extremely grateful for the ministry of the United Thank Offering, as it has supported our service to Christ here in the Holy Land for many years—particularly since Oct. 7,” said Archbishop Hosam Naoum, bishop of the diocese, referring to the start of recent conflict in the region.

“The staff and volunteers of our Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza have worked around the clock to alleviate the suffering of hundreds of patients brought through its gates each week,” Naoum said. “Please continue to pray and advocate on behalf of all those who suffer throughout the Holy Land, even as we seek a just and lasting peace in the very land where our Lord Jesus Christ took up his cross for our sake.”

United Thank Offering Board President Sherri Dietrich said the challenge grant goal of $100,000 was the highest goal the board has set, surpassing a 2019 challenge of $60,000.

“We knew many people wanted to do something to help Israel and Palestine but didn’t know what to do,” she said. “We are very happy to have received many donations from new donors, as well as offerings from faithful United Thank Offering participants.”

She noted the generous response to the grant challenge is “overwhelming.”

“I know the Diocese of Jerusalem and the people who benefit from this grant will be so grateful for your gifts, as is the United Thank Offering Board,” she said.

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Matching grant challenge to support ministries of Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

Office of Public Affairs — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 14:26:35 +0000

UPDATE (12.5.23): This release was revised to reflect a deadline extension to Dec. 31.

The United Thank Offering—in partnership with the Good Friday Offering—will match up to $100,000 of donations given through Dec. 31 to help sustain outreach ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which operates across several countries or territories and includes churches, schools, medical facilities, and other ministries.

“United Thank Offering has supported the diocese with over $1 million in grants since 1973, thanks to the generosity of Episcopalians everywhere,” said UTO Board President Sherri Dietrich. “We know people want to help those projects continue their work through and after the current heartbreaking conflict; this challenge grant will allow us all to make a powerful contribution to those impacted by this conflict.”

Matched donations to the United Thank Offering will be given in 2024 as a grant to the diocese to disburse where the needs are greatest.

The impact of the conflict in the region is “grave,” impacting the diocese’s guesthouses, medical centers, training centers, schools, and more, noted Sawsan Arani-Batato, programs development officer. “Sustaining our institutions is an urgent need for the diocese, and this initiative responds directly to this need.”

The Good Friday Offering of The Episcopal Church has been funding work in the region for more than 100 years. “It is a privilege and honor to partner with the United Thank Offering in continuing our joint history of caring, loving, and supporting the needs of the people of God,” said Archdeacon Paul Feheley, Middle East partnership officer for The Episcopal Church.

Learn more about the challenge grant.

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United Thank Offering invites 2024 annual grant applicants

Office of Public Affairs — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:46:39 +0000

The United Thank Offering Board is pleased to announce the availability of its 2024 UTO Annual Grants, with a focus on projects that welcome and include “the stranger.” Application deadlines are Dec. 1 for Anglican Communion partners and Jan. 19 for dioceses of The Episcopal Church.

More information—including criteria for applicants, sample budgets and timelines, and helpful hints—as well as application and other forms are available online in English and Spanish. Instructional videos created by the UTO grants committee will be posted online.

In addition, informational webinars will be held throughout the fall, as well as monthly open office hours for staff to work directly with applicants on their materials. See dates and registration links.

This is the second of a three-year United Thank Offering grant focus on those whom society has left out and behind, in the spirit of Matthew 25:36. The 2023 grants—recently approved—support 22 projects related to the worldwide incarceration crisis. The 2024 grants will fund projects that welcome people with differences that cause isolation and that encourage truth-telling, acknowledging historic trauma, and establishing a path toward healing.

Applications may be submitted in advance of the deadlines for review and feedback. View timeline of important dates.

Learn more about the United Thank Offering, a ministry of The Episcopal Church.

La Ofrenda Unida de Gracias invita a solicitantes de subvenciones anuales de 2024

La Junta Directiva de la Ofrenda Unida de [Acción de] Gracias (UTO por su sigla en inglés) se complace en anunciar que las subvenciones anuales de la UTO para 2024, que se centran en proyectos que acogen e incluyen «al forastero», se encuentran actualmente disponibles para optar por ellas. Las fechas límite de solicitud son el 1 de diciembre para los socios de la Comunión Anglicana y el 19 de enero para las diócesis de la Iglesia Episcopal.

Más información —incluidos los criterios para los solicitantes, ejemplos de presupuestos y cronogramas, y consejos útiles— así como solicitudes y otros formularios se pueden obtener en línea en inglés y en español. Los videos didácticos creados por el comité de subvenciones de la UTO también se publican en línea.

Además, seminarios informativos en la red tendrán lugar durante todo el otoño, así como horarios de oficina mensuales para que el personal trabaje directamente con los solicitantes en sus materiales. Véanse fechas y enlaces de inscripción.

Esta es la segunda de una subvención de tres años de la Ofrenda Unida de [Acción de] Gracias que se centra en aquellos a quienes la sociedad ha marginado y dejado a la zaga, en el espíritu de Mateo 25:36. Las subvenciones de 2023, aprobadas recientemente, apoyan 22 proyectos relacionados con la crisis mundial de encarcelamiento. Las subvenciones de 2024 financiarán proyectos que acojan a personas con diferencias que provocan aislamiento y alienten a decir la verdad, reconocer traumas históricos y establecer una vía hacia la recuperación.

Las solicitudes pueden enviarse antes de las fechas límite para su revisión y comentarios. Véase el cronograma de fechas importantes.

Infórmese más acerca de la Ofrenda Unida de Gracias, un ministerio de la Iglesia Episcopal.

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United Thank Offering: Over $1M awarded for projects addressing incarceration crisis

Office of Public Affairs — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:15:43 +0000

More than $1 million in United Thank Offering grants—designated for 22 projects related to the worldwide incarceration crisis within The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion—was approved by the church’s Executive Council during its June meeting.

The funds came from the United Thank Offering’s 2022 Ingathering, where monies collected in UTO “blue boxes” at Episcopal churches throughout the year are gathered as thank offerings.

This year’s focus for grant applications was projects addressing the worldwide incarceration crisis, specifically preventative programs and intervention, prisoner support outreach, prison reform work, or post-prison reentry.

“The worldwide incarceration crisis affects us all, whether or not we know someone directly affected by incarceration,” said UTO Board President Sherri Dietrich. “Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 and the Way of Love encourage us to work for justice in the world and to respect the dignity of every human being, including prisoners and their families. The grants UTO funded this year will create that ministry in new places around the world.”

The UTO Board received about $2.6 million in requests from 49 applications. It was able to fund eight projects within The Episcopal Church and one project from a diocese that receives a block grant from General Convention; 12 projects within the Anglican Communion; and three historical grants.

Grant recipients are listed below by category. Read details about each project.

Episcopal Church Awards

Episcopal Diocese of Arizona — Building Bridges: $55,000
Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem — Cyprus House Bakery: $50,000
Episcopal Diocese of Chicago — St. Leonard’s Ministries and St. Andrew’s Church: Community Gathering Space: $100,000
Episcopal Diocese of Ecuador Litoral — Sowing Love and Education: $79,604.14
Episcopal Diocese of Iowa — Well Time 2.0: Empowering Reentry: $22,048
Episcopal Diocese of Maryland — Partner for Success: $31,408
Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma — Diocesan Justice Liaison Project: $50,299
Episcopal Diocese of Western New York — Enhancing Human Rights through Clergy Jail Monitoring: $37,500

Anglican Communion Awards

Bilateral Partner: Brazil, Missionary District — Young People Republic of Compassionate Anglicans of Campo Verde: $55,000
Bilateral Partner: Brazil, Southern Diocese — Guitar and Flute Apprentices for Socially Vulnerable Children: $1,207
Covenant Partner: Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America, Diocese of Costa Rica — Enabling Recreational Space in the area of Siquirres: $55,000
Covenant Partner: Mexico, Diocese of Cuernavaca — Itinerant Church: Brother Filemon: $39,040
Burundi, Diocese of Buhiga — Construction of Buhiga Social Integration Center: $55,000
Kenya, Diocese of Butere — ACK Butere Tailoring School: $56,102.45
Kenya, Diocese of Thika — Youth Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation Program: $51,288.87
Middle East, Diocese of Jerusalem — Improving the Wellbeing of the Vulnerable Prisoners in Palestine: $54,000
Tanzania, Diocese of Kondoa — Empowering Clothing: Adolescent Girls and the Elderly: $55,000
Tanzania, Diocese of Tanga — Establishment of Palliative Care Services in Prisons: $53,928.98
West Africa, Diocese of Ghana — Ankaful Prison Support Outreach: $38,422

Historical Grant Awards

Presiding Bishop in Partnership with the Diocese of Zambezia — Church Versus Criminality: $50,600
Emery Trust No. 335 Award — Episcopal Service Corps: Resiliency Training and Education: $81,000
The Great EpisGOpal Race — Episcopal Migration Ministries: Neighbor to Neighbor: $8,152.10

Every penny given to the United Thank Offering is given away to support innovative mission and ministry. Since 1889, UTO has awarded more than 5,400 grants for over $142 million. Click the “Resources” tab on this page to view a complete list of all UTO grants. Learn more about the United Thank Offering.

Ofrenda Unida de Gracias: Se otorgaron más de $1 millón para proyectos que abordan la crisis del encarcelamiento

El Consejo Ejecutivo de la Iglesia Episcopal aprobó, en su reunión de junio, más de $1 millón en subvenciones de la Ofrenda Unida [de Acción] de Gracias, designadas para 22 proyectos dentro de la Iglesia Episcopal y en la Comunión Anglicana relacionados con la crisis mundial del encarcelamiento.

Los fondos provinieron de la Recolección de 2022 de la Ofrenda Unida [de Acción] de Gracias, en que el dinero que se recauda en las iglesias episcopales durante todo el año en las «cajas azules» de la UTO (por su sigla en inglés) se reúne como ofrenda de acción de gracias.

El enfoque de este año para las solicitudes de subvenciones fueron los proyectos que abordan la crisis mundial del encarcelamiento, específicamente los programas preventivos y la intervención, el apoyo a los presos, así como la labor en pro de la reforma penitenciaria o la reinserción [a la sociedad] luego de la prisión.

«La crisis mundial del encarcelamiento nos afecta a todos, ya sea que conozcamos o no a alguien directamente afectado por el encarcelamiento», dijo Sherri Dietrich, la presidente de la Junta Directiva de la UTO. «Las palabras de Jesús en Mateo 25 y el Camino del Amor nos animan a trabajar por la justicia en el mundo y a respetar la dignidad de todo ser humano, incluidos los presos y sus familias. Las subvenciones que la UTO financió este año crearán ese ministerio en nuevos lugares alrededor del mundo».

La Junta Directiva de la UTO recibió 49 solicitudes por cerca de $2,6 millones, y pudo financiar ocho proyectos dentro de la Iglesia Episcopal y un proyecto de una diócesis que recibe una subvención global de la Convención General; 12 proyectos en el ámbito de la Comunión Anglicana y tres subvenciones históricas.

Los beneficiarios de las subvenciones se enumeran a continuación por categoría. Léanse aquí los detalles acerca de cada proyecto.

Subvenciones en la Iglesia Episcopal

Diócesis Episcopal de Arizona — Tendiendo puentes [Building Bridges]: $55.000
Diócesis Episcopal de Bethlehem — Pastelería Casa Chipre [Cyprus House Bakery]: $50.000.
Diócesis Episcopal de Chicago — Ministerio de San Leonardo e Iglesia de San Andrés: espacio de reunión comunitaria [St. Leonard’s Ministries and St. Andrew’s Church: Community Gathering Space]: $100.000.
Diócesis Episcopal de Ecuador Litoral — Sembrar Amor y Educación [Sowing Love and Education]: $79.604,14.
Diócesis Episcopal de Iowa — Well Time 2.0: Potenciar la Reinserción [Empowering Reentry]: $22.048.
Diócesis Episcopal de Maryland — Asociado para el Éxito [Partner for Success]: $31.408.
Diócesis Episcopal de Oklahoma — Proyecto de Enlace de Justicia Diocesana [Diocesan Justice Liaison Project]: $50.299.
Diócesis Episcopal de Nueva York Occidental— Expandir los Derechos Humanos mediante la Supervisión Clerical de la Cárcel [Enhancing Human Rights through Clergy Jail Monitoring]: $37.500.

Subvenciones en la Comunión Anglicana

Asociado bilateral: Brasil, Distrito Misionero: República Juvenil de Anglicanos Compasivos de Campo Verde: $55.000.
Asociado bilateral: Brasil, Diócesis del Sur — Aprendices de guitarra y flauta para niños socialmente vulnerables: $1.207.
Asociado del Pacto: Iglesia Anglicana de la Región Central de América, Diócesis de Costa Rica — Habilitación de un espacio recreativo en la zona de Siquirres: $55.000.
Asociado del Pacto: México, Diócesis de Cuernavaca — Iglesia Itinerante: Hermano Filemón: $39.040.
Burundi, Diócesis de Buhiga — Construcción del Centro de Integración Social de Buhiga: $55.000.
Kenia, Diócesis de Butere — Escuela de Sastrería ACK Butere: $56.102,45.
Kenia, Diócesis de Thika — Programa para la Prevención de la Delincuencia Juvenil y de Rehabilitación: $51.288,87.
Oriente Medio, Diócesis de Jerusalén — [Programa para] Mejorar el Bienestar de los Presos Vulnerables en Palestina: $54.000.
Tanzania, Diócesis de Kondoa — Ropa que Confiere Poder: Muchachas y Personas Mayores [Empowering Clothing: Adolescent Girls and the Elderly]: $55.000.
Tanzania, Diócesis de Tanga — Establecimiento de Servicio de Atención Paliativa en Prisiones: $53.928,98.
África Occidental, Diócesis de Ghana — Programa de Apoyo a la Prisión de Ankaful: $38.422.

Subvenciones históricas

El Obispo Primado en asociación con la Diócesis de Zambezia: la Iglesia versus Delincuencia: $50.600.
Subvención No. 335 del Fondo Emery: Cuerpo de Servicio Episcopal: Adiestramiento y capacitación en la resistencia: $81.000.
El Gran Evento EpisGOpal: Ministerio Episcopal de Migración: De vecino a vecino [Neighbor to Neighbor]: $8.152,10.

Cada centavo que se entrega a la Ofrenda Unida de Acción de Gracias se dona para apoyar una misión y un ministerio innovadores. Desde 1889, la UTO ha otorgado más de 5400 subvenciones por más de $142 millones. Pulse la pestaña que dice «Resources» en esta página para ver una lista completa de todas las subvenciones de la UTO. Infórmese más acerca de la Ofrenda Unida de [Acción de] Gracias .

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United Thank Offering invites 2023 annual grants

Office of Public Affairs — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 14:44:44 +0000

Five webinars will provide info, answer questions

The United Thank Offering (UTO) Board is pleased to announce the availability of its 2023 UTO Annual Grants, with a focus on the worldwide incarceration crisis. These grants are awarded for projects in The Episcopal Church and throughout the Anglican Communion, each year with a different focus.

Grant application deadlines are 5 p.m. ET Jan. 6, for Anglican Communion partners, and 5 p.m. ET March 10, for dioceses of The Episcopal Church.

More information—including criteria for applicants, sample budgets and timelines, and helpful hints—as well as application and other forms are available online in English and Spanish.

The United Thank Offering was founded to support innovative mission and ministry in The Episcopal Church and to promote thankfulness and mission in the whole church. One hundred percent of UTO thank offerings—given by individuals and churches—are granted the following year. These awards support a wide range of projects, positions, educational resources, and more.

For the next three years, the United Thank Offering, in the spirit of Matthew 25:36, will focus on those whom society has left out or behind. The 2023 grant focus will be on innovative mission and ministry projects addressing all aspects of global incarceration, specifically preventative programs and intervention, prisoner support outreach, prison reform, or post-prison re-entry into society.

Informational webinars
Register to learn more about the application process and ask questions during the following webinars:

Sept. 20, 7 p.m.: Spanish Language Webinar
Email UTO staff officer Heather Melton for registration form beginning Sept. 1.

Oct. 11, 7 p.m.: How to Understand the 2023 Focus
Register online

Nov. 15, noon and 7 p.m.: Helpful Hints Regarding the Budget and Application
Noon registration
7 p.m. registration

Jan. 10, noon and 7 p.m.: Helpful Hints Regarding the Timeline and a Complete Application
Noon registration
7 p.m. registration

Feb. 14, 12 p.m.: Drop-in Q&A time
Register online

La Ofrenda Unida de Acción de Gracias convoca a las subvenciones anuales de 2023.

Cinco seminarios web proporcionarán información y responderán a preguntas

La Junta de la Ofrenda Unida de [Acción de] Gracias (UTO, por su sigla en inglés) se complace en anunciar la disponibilidad de sus Subvenciones anuales de la UTO 2023, que se centran en la crisis de encarcelamiento a nivel mundial. Estas subvenciones se otorgan para proyectos en la Iglesia Episcopal y en toda la Comunión Anglicana, cada año con un enfoque diferente.

Los plazos límites para la presentación de solicitudes de subvención son las 5 p.m. (HE) del 6 de enero, para socios de la Comunión Anglicana, y 5 p.m. (HE) del 10 de marzo, para diócesis de la Iglesia Episcopal.

Más información, incluidos los criterios para los solicitantes, ejemplos de presupuestos y cronogramas, y consejos útiles — así como la solicitud y otros formularios se pueden encontrar en línea en inglés y en español.

La Ofrenda Unida de [Acción de Gracias se fundó para apoyar la misión y el ministerio innovadores en la Iglesia Episcopal y para promover la gratitud y la misión en toda la Iglesia. El cien por ciento de las ofrendas de gratitud de la UTO, dadas por individuos e iglesias, se otorgan al año siguiente. Estas subvenciones respaldan una amplia gama de proyectos, puestos, recursos educativos y más.

Durante los próximos tres años, la Ofrenda Unida de [Acción de] Gracias, en el espíritu de Mateo 25:36, se centrará en aquellos a quienes la sociedad ha dejado marginados o rezagados. El enfoque de la subvención de 2023 se centrará en proyectos innovadores de misión y ministerio que aborden todos los aspectos del encarcelamiento global, específicamente programas e intervención preventivos, promoción de apoyo a los presos, reforma penitenciaria o reingreso a la sociedad después de la prisión.

Seminarios informativos en la Red

Inscríbase para obtener más información sobre el proceso de solicitud y hacer preguntas durante los siguientes seminarios web:

20 de septiembre, 7 p. m.: seminario web en español
Envíe un correo electrónico a Heather Melton, funcionario del personal de la UTO para obtener el formulario de inscripción a partir del 1 de septiembre.

11 de octubre, 7 p. m.: Cómo entender el enfoque de 2023
Inscripción electrónica

15 de noviembre, mediodía y 7 p. m.: Consejos útiles respecto al presupuesto y la solicitud.
Inscripción del mediodía
Inscripción de las 7 p.m.

10 de enero, mediodía y 7 p. m.: Consejos útiles sobre el cronograma y una solicitud completa.
Inscripción del mediodía
Inscripción de las 7 p.m.

14 de febrero, 12 p. m.: Hora de preguntas y respuestas sin cita previa.
Inscripción electrónica

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United Thank Offering: Over $1M awarded in creation care grants

Office of Public Affairs — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 18:57:53 +0000

More than $1 million in United Thank Offering grants—designated for 22 projects related to creation care within The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion—was approved by the church’s Executive Council during its April meeting.

The funds came from the United Thank Offering’s 2021 Ingathering, where monies collected in UTO “blue boxes” at Episcopal churches throughout the year are gathered as thank offerings.

This year’s focus for grant applications was “Care of Creation: Turning love into action by caring for God’s creation to protect the most vulnerable—who will bear the largest burden of pollution and climate change—through justice, advocacy, environmental reparations, or the development of fundamental materials.”

The UTO Board received about $1.8 million in requests from 42 applications. It was able to fund eight projects within The Episcopal Church and four projects from dioceses that receive block grants from General Convention; eight projects within the Anglican Communion; and two historical grants.

Grant recipients are listed below by category. Read details about each project.

Episcopal Church Awards

Convocation of Churches in Europe — Embrace Diversity: Refugee Integration through Care of Creation: $54,014
Episcopal Diocese of Alabama — Cherokee Heritage Garden: $54,750
Episcopal Diocese of California — Jubilee Church Farm: $53,888
Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast — Seniors Saving the Earth: $18,720
Episcopal Diocese of Chicago — Climate Justice on the South Side of Chicago: $22,886
Episcopal Diocese of Ecuador Litoral — Reforestation and Creation of Nature Engagement Sites: $55,000
Episcopal Diocese of Honduras — Access to Water for La Santa Cruz and the Muchilena Community: $25,000
Episcopal Diocese of Kansas — Cultivating Earth Stewards: $31,150
Episcopal Diocese of Montana — Reduce Water Usage in 18 Rural Montana Episcopal Parishes: $22,180
Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota — Environmental Reparations: $52,500
Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan — Walking Together: Protecting Our Common Ground: $28,500
Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota — Indoor Riding Area: Cheyenne River Episcopal Mission Camp: $99,541.50

Anglican Communion Awards

Covenant Partner: Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America, Diocese of Panama — Solar panel installation at the Instituto Episcopal San José: $55,000
Covenant Partner: Mexico, Western Mexico — Agriculture & Aquaculture Adapted to Climate Change: $57,973.90
Burundi, Diocese of Buye — Erosion Control through Tree Planting and Contour Lines: $52,470
Congo, Diocese of Goma — Improve Access to Water for the Vulnerable: $52,025
Southern Africa — Food Justice: Action and Advocacy in Southern Africa: $32,040
Southern Africa, Diocese of Grahamstown — Rejuvenating Rivers: Creating Environmental Change Makers Among Youth for a South Africa River System: $39,850
Tanzania, Diocese of Lweru — Reduction of the Impact of Climate Change through Wells and Reforestation: $32,040
Tanzania, Diocese of Southwest Tanganyika — Our Creation, Our Development: $49,227

Historical Grant Awards

Presiding Bishop — Sacred Ground & God’s Creation: Churchwide Social and Spiritual Formation for Creation Care: $89,438.74
Emery Trust No. 335 Award — Missionaries: Exploring History and Looking to the Future: $56,100

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Submit Your 2022 Applications Early

United Thank Offering — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:33:00 +0000

By Joyce Landers, UTO Vice President

The deadline for the 2022 grant applications is fast approaching. All applications must be uploaded by Friday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. The UTO Board strongly encourages all grant applicants to submit their application as early as possible but no later than Feb. 2, the deadline to have your application reviewed to ensure it is complete. Our UTO staff officer, the Rev. Heather Melton, is available to answer questions and provide editorial assistance (email Heather). We encourage you to make use of her assistance so that your application can be as strong and complete as possible. Please be aware of the deadlines on the “helpful hints” page of the application regarding how much help will be available to you. You will be given an opportunity to fix any issues she finds, so make sure that those listed on the application are available. The closer we get to the deadline, the less assistance you will receive. Any applications submitted on the last two days will be processed as received.

The grant submission process is complicated because there are so many people involved in completing the application. Each time a person handles an application, another opportunity is created for a page to be deleted or a signature to be missed. The UTO Board highly recommends that grant writers request the diocesan office staff to send the completed application to them at the same time they upload the application to Formstack. This will provide you the opportunity to identify any issues before the deadline. When you receive the email from Heather saying your application was processed, be sure to click on all the links in the Formstack email to make certain that what was uploaded was what you intended, especially if you submit on the last two days.

It is often tempting to offer additional time to those who submit an incomplete application. We understand what your project means to you and how hard you have worked to prepare your application. Unfortunately, we cannot do that. We are committed to treating all applicants equally, so we must adhere to our deadline. By submitting early, you can ensure that your application will be complete. The UTO Board thanks you for your submission, and we wish you well.

Please be sure to follow UTO on social media. During the final months of the grant process, Heather will post reminders, helpful hints, and information about the grant process on Facebook. She will also post about opportunities to meet on Zoom for an open-office session to work with you on your application. These posts are often in direct response to problems other applicants are experiencing as they complete their applications. As always, we encourage you to submit your application early so that Heather has time to review it and offer feedback. Please try to submit your application no later than one week prior to the deadline so that she can check to ensure your application is complete.

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The Future of Gratitude: Celebrating 40 Years of the Memorial Trust Fund

United Thank Offering — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:17:00 +0000

By Sherri Dietrich, UTO Board President

Forty years ago the women of UTO wisely established the Memorial Trust Fund to allow the UTO Board to grant every penny of the Ingathering to support innovative mission and ministry and no longer offset the cost of the Board or the creation of educational materials. The trust fund has received numerous donations since its inception and now covers almost all the administrative and educational costs of UTO. One of the UTO Board’s goals is to grow the trust so that it covers ALL of our administrative costs.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the trust fund, the UTO Board is encouraging everyone to consider leaving a legacy gift to the fund through their will. We are dedicating a new section of the Memorial Trust Fund book to legacy gifts. The other effort is to raise awareness of the importance of the trust by offering a special gift for the first 100 donations over $100, in honor of the centenary of Julia Chester Emery’s death. Thanks to our partners at the Jerusalem Princess Basma Center, a past UTO grant recipient, we have beautiful wooden boxes with a UTO tile inlaid in the top, made by adults with disabilities through a job training program. We will give the boxes as gifts to the givers of the first 75 donations over $100 given to the Memorial Trust Fund during the 40th anniversary year. We also have gifts for the next 25, so that the first 100 donors will all receive a gift. Our goal is to raise $10,000 for the trust in 2022 to continue to expand the work of UTO.

Please consider all the materials you receive for the cost of shipping alone and make a thank offering to the Memorial Trust Fund this year. The cost to print materials is significant:

Blue Boxes cost 45 cents each
Prayer books cost $1.81 each
Prayer cards cost 21 cents each, and
Brochures costs $1.37 each

The Memorial Trust Fund also covers the costs to create these items, have them proofread, translated, and designed. Additionally, the trust supports the creation of online materials, videos, social media, applications for smart phones, and more. Finally, the trust allows for the staff and Board to promote the United Thank Offering, administer the annual granting process, and respond to the needs of our members and grassroots network.

A gift to the Memorial Trust Fund in thanksgiving for former or current UTO coordinators or board members is a beautifully appropriate and enduring way to honor and thank them for their service and provide long-term support for the work they valued. The names of all those who are honored or remembered with a gift to the fund are permanently recorded in our Trust Fund book and kept in the United Thank Offering Office, displayed at each General Convention/Triennial Meeting of the Episcopal Church Women, and viewable online here. Every gift is acknowledged with a card to you and to anyone else you specify. We also acknowledge and thank each donor in our annual report.

You may also wish to remember the Memorial Trust Fund in your will, which will support the ongoing work of promoting gratitude and funding the church’s mission, and will also endure as a thank offering for all the blessings you experienced throughout your lifetime. Learn more about this option.

United Thank Offering members contribute to the Memorial Trust Fund every triennium in honor of loved ones, in gratitude for the gift of UTO in their lives, and in thanks for UTO’s ministry of gratitude that coordinators carry out around the world. Your gift to the Memorial Trust Fund this year will allow us to continue and expand that work around the world.

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2021 UTO Grants Announced

United Thank Offering — Wed, 05 May 2021 07:44:00 +0000

By Joyce Landers, UTO Board Vice President

The members of the United Thank Offering Board are very excited to announce the spring 2021 grants. The focus was Recovering with Love and Gratitude: An Episcopal Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Local Contexts for both the fall 2020 and spring 2021 granting cycles. We chose to split the 2020 ingathering fund between two cycles so that we could send money out to our communities sooner rather than later. Of the 71 applications we received for the spring cycle, we able to fund 27 projects. Each of those projects represents people around the world working to love their neighbor and help them to recover from this devastating pandemic.

For the fall 2020 cycle, we were able to fund 26 projects out of a total of 59 applications. We wanted to fund many more, but we are grateful for the opportunity to do what we could. As we often state, “every penny counts,” and those pennies are making a difference in the world. We are in the process of having the grants list printed and made available, along with our other supplies at, https://shimaofnavajoland.com/collections/united-thank-offering. However, you can also find the list with project descriptions now on our website at www.episcopalchurch.org/uto.

Our total 2020 ingathering was down significantly; although this was upsetting, it was not a complete surprise. Between the economic effects and the loss of in-person worship services, it was difficult to ask people to contribute or to hold an ingathering. The UTO Board encourages everyone to develop a daily practice of gratitude even if you cannot contribute to your Blue Box at this time. The good news is there are new ways to make your thank offerings. You can give online at https://unitedthankoffering.com/give/ or text “ingather” to 41444.

The members of the UTO Board wish to congratulate all 53 grant recipients for 2021. We were saddened by the number of great projects we were not able to fund. We hope that everyone will join us in promoting the practice of gratitude and giving to the ingathering in the future so we will be able to fund many more projects.

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