Potential applicants for the 2020 United Thank Offering (UTO) Annual Grants are invited to participate in an informational webinar offered by the UTO board on October 15, 2019 at noon and 8:00 pm Eastern and again on January 14, 2020 at the same times. These grants are awarded for projects in The Episcopal Church and throughout the Anglican Communion, each year with a different focus. For 2020, the focus is Bless: Share faith, practice generosity and compassion, and proclaim the Good News of God in Christ with hope and humility.

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. 100% of thank offerings given to UTO are granted the following year. These awards have supported everything from staff positions, conferences, creation of educational resources, and contributing to building projects.

The application process opened September 6, 2019; application information and forms are available here. The deadline for submitting a grant application is March 6, 2020 at 5:00 pm Eastern / 4:00 pm Central / 3:00 pm Mountain / 2:00 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm Alaska / 12:00 pm Hawaii time.

The following criteria apply to UTO’s Annual Grants:

• Grant applications representing start-up costs of a new ministry.
• Grant applications for seed money for start-up positions.
• United Thank Offering will not fund the continuation of ongoing ministries.
• One grant application per diocese within The Episcopal Church and one per province of the Anglican Communion.
• One additional application for a companion/partnership grant from a diocese of The Episcopal Church.

Learn more about project eligibility, as well as the types of projects which are not eligible here; “United Thank Offering 2020 Grant Focus & Criteria”.

More information on the informational webinars on October 15, 2019 at noon and 8:00 pm Eastern and on January 14, 2020 at the same times are available here; “Helpful Hints For Applying For A UTO Grant”.  Or, contact the Rev. Canon Heather Melton, staff officer for the United Thank Offering, hmelton@episcopalchurch.org, with questions.

UTO highly recommends submitting your application to your diocesan office at least two weeks prior to this date to allow time for your bishop to read your application, offer comments, and sign it.  Early submission of applications via Formstack provides UTO Staff Officer, the Rev. Canon Heather Melton, an opportunity to scan it for missing documents or signatures in advance of the deadline.

Please note the following for dioceses of The Episcopal Church: Applicant understands that should its local diocese fail to pay its assessment in full or to apply for and receive a waiver, the diocese and the applicant shall be ineligible to receive grants or loans from the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society unless approved by Executive Council.  In accordance with Canon I.4.6, (select the applicable response): The diocese pays its full assessment; The diocese has been granted a waiver for years (list); The diocese has made application for a waiver but has not been advised regarding a determination.