Fall webinars will provide info, answer questions about process

The United Thank Offering (UTO) Board is pleased to announce the availability of their 2022 UTO Annual Grants, with an application deadline of Feb. 4, 2022. These grants are awarded for projects in The Episcopal Church and throughout the Anglican Communion, each year with a different focus.

For 2022, the focus is 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, and the development of formational materials.

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 are granted the following year. These awards have supported everything from staff positions to conferences, creation of educational resources, and building projects.

Application information and forms are available here. Please note: The application deadline is earlier this year due to General Convention and Executive Council schedules.

• The deadline for submitting an application is Feb. 4, 2022, at 5 p.m. Eastern / 4 p.m. Central / 3 p.m. Mountain / 2 p.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Alaska / 12 p.m. Hawaii time.

A United Thank Offering grant application must:

• share final virtual formation resources with the whole church through UTO;
• show how computer equipment, if requested in the budget, will be protected, maintained, and supported going forward (please note: UTO cannot fund service contracts for computers);
• spell out construction costs in detail (see the sample construction budget for help);
• show financial or in-kind support.

Additionally, the United Thank Offering accepts:

• grant applications for NEW ministries’ startup costs or startup costs for NEW projects/programs within an existing ministry program added for a purpose other than simply increasing the number of current program participants;
• grant applications for seed money for startup positions, either full or part-time for a new ministry (see above);
• one grant application per diocese within The Episcopal Church;
• one additional application from any diocese of The Episcopal Church that receives funding from the General Convention budget (for a full list please see the Application Process Form);
• two applications from each province of the Anglican Communion; however, they must be from two different dioceses within the province.
• NOTE: UTO is no longer accepting Companion Applications; however, those dioceses which receive funding from the General Convention budget or provinces of the Anglican Communion may submit two applications.

Only Episcopal institutions (parishes, dioceses, provinces, schools, seminaries, monastic communities, Episcopal organizations, and other Episcopal-affiliated entities) are eligible to receive these funds. Partnerships with non-Episcopal entities are welcome and encouraged, but an Episcopal entity must serve as the recipient of the funds, project leader, active manager, owner of any materials/equipment/land purchased, supervisor of staff paid with UTO funds, and reporting agent.

UTO grant award recipients must spend grant money and return the final report of the funds within one year of receipt of the grant or apply three months prior to the deadline for an extension of up to an additional year.

Learn more about project eligibility, as well as the types of projects which are not eligible, here.

Informational webinars

Potential applicants are invited to participate in any or all of four informational webinars. Each one-hour webinar will explore a different topic related to the 2022 grant application process. There will be time for questions and answers about the process at the end of each session, which will last until everyone’s questions are answered.

Advance registration is required. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Below are the dates and times along with the topic of the webinar and the registration links.

Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. Eastern
Topic: How to Understand the 2022 Focus with the Rev. Melanie Mullen
Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0odOmvrDosE9ZCD0UI9VuDI4ij5KrF2GL_

Oct. 26 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern
Topic: Helpful Hints Regarding the Budget and Application
12 p.m. Eastern, register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0kduCvrzgsHtz4ktSplUXpyALlxINfgthB
7 p.m. Eastern, register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqc-mvqDssE9bd_PpeE8f28CBfVODYUrlz

Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern
Topic: Helpful Hints Regarding the Timeline and a Complete Application
12 p.m. Eastern, register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYocOCgpjwqE9F2_u1aP4TyW03MNT3z1Nfl
7 p.m. Eastern, register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYvdeigpjssHdDjRfz_WGiB0xH8VE7c6-rg

Jan. 11 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern
Topic: Q&A time – there will not be a presentation; this is just a drop-in opportunity for applicants to get any last-minute questions answered.
12 p.m. Eastern, register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEkdeurrT0qH9yBUz6QMvt993cSTxhu-i2E
7 p.m. Eastern, register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsde6spzwpGdzENGpWEMP00fH8wvixjXz2

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

Contact Melton, 212-922-5130, with questions.

Please note: In accordance with Canon I.4.6 (f-g), full payment of the diocesan assessment shall be required of all Dioceses, to be eligible to receive grant or scholarship funds. As such, the United Thank Offering Board will not review any application from dioceses which have not paid their full assessment in the prior year or if they have not received a waiver approved by Executive Council. UTO receives funding from the budget each year to support our staffing costs and gives thanks for all of the sacrifices you make to help support The Episcopal Church budget.