United Thank Offering Report—Aug. 2025

Date: August 26, 2025

Submitted by: Tammy Smecker-Hane, UTO Board Member, Province VIII (tsmecker@cox.net)

United Thank Offering (UTO) is a discipline of The Episcopal Church focused on ministry and mission. Every penny parishioners donate annually goes out as innovative grants to Episcopal groups in the USA and around the world through the Anglican Communion to address pressing community needs.

2025 UTO Grants

This year, UTO grants focused on improving access to reliable and clean water for drinking, bathing, washing, irrigation, and other needs. A total of $1.08 million was awarded.

Projects included:

• Rainwater harvesting for landscaping use at a California church.

• Construction of showers and laundry facilities for unhoused people in Maine and Massachusetts, and for disadvantaged schoolchildren and their families in Pennsylvania.

• First-time water access and indoor bathrooms at the Church of the Mediator on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

• Construction of solar-powered boreholes to provide reliable, safe drinking water for entire communities in the Dioceses of Gambia, Liberia, Mpwapwa (Tanzania), Mumias (Kenya), and Northern Luzon (Philippines).

For a complete list of 2025 grants, see UTO Grants.

Congratulations to the successful 2025 grant recipients from Province VIII! We pray for God’s help in seeing your projects to fruition. These include:

• “Ripples of Opportunity” ($11,230) – Paradise Point Camp, McCall, ID (Diocese of Idaho)

• “Rainwater Harvesting Project” ($16,290) – St. Matthews Church, San Andreas, CA (Diocese of San Joaquin)

Applying for a 2026 UTO Grant

The 2026 UTO grants will focus on the theme of justice and bridging divides. If you are interested in applying, please consult the grant proposal guidelines at Apply for a UTO Grant as soon as possible.

Plan to attend at least one of the online webinars UTO offers to help prepare a successful grant. Remember: grants are intended for new mission and ministry projects, not simply to expand current activities or fund church renovation projects solely benefiting your parish.

This year, successful projects must be undertaken in partnership with at least one group with which you do not traditionally work. Carefully read the criteria online, and feel free to email Tammy (tsmecker@cox.net) with questions. She is happy to help navigate the process.

Order UTO Materials for Fall by September 1

Many excellent grant applications go unfunded because UTO runs out of grant money before they run out of proposals. If your church has never held a UTO Ingathering to raise funds, please consider doing one this year. Communities at home and abroad are facing challenging times!

Resources are available free of charge at UTO Shop. Please order by September 1 to receive materials for your fall parish UTO Ingathering.

New this year is a downloadable Gratitude Journal for families or individuals, which complements traditional UTO boxes and is expected to be a well-loved resource.

Diocesan & Parish UTO Coordinators Needed

To ensure your diocese knows about and successfully applies for UTO grants, each diocese should have a UTO Coordinator. A diocesan bishop can recommend only one UTO grant per year, so the coordinator usually manages this internal process.

Ask your bishop if your diocese has a coordinator. If not, volunteer! UTO provides all necessary resources online. Register as a diocesan coordinator at UTO Website.

Similarly, parishes can maximize UTO funding by hosting an annual UTO Ingathering. Even one person can organize it, using step-by-step instructions and free materials from UTO. Parish coordinators can also watch a recorded training event, held annually in June, to prepare for fall activities.

With sincerest wishes for God’s blessings on you and your ministries,

Tammy Smecker-Hane

UTO Representative, ECW Province VIII Board

UTO Board Member, Province VIII

UTO Diocesan Coordinator, Diocese of Los Angeles

UTO Parish Coordinator, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Irvine, CA

Email: tsmecker@cox.net | Cell: 949-293-7157