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 here. Order printed copies of the UTO grant brochure/poster here.

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.