United Thank Offering, often referred to as UTO, is a ministry of the Episcopal Church that provides a way for men, women, and children of the Episcopal Church to give daily thanks to God. Every year, the total offering is between two and a half and three million dollars—all of which is used for projects at home and abroad to support grants for missions and ministry. The challenge is that grant requests total between five to seven million dollars! More than one hundred grants are awarded each year through the UTO offering Committee.
Arkansas has received twenty-three grants, totaling $300,000, from 1961 to present. At this past Triennial, Arkansas gave almost $40,000 for the last three-year period of collections.
The Giving Cycle
The discipline starts in the homes by dropping coins into a special container known as the Blue Box. Many families and individuals drop a coin in the Blue Box each time prayers of thanksgiving are offered.
At specific ingatherings during the year, individuals and families bring their Blue Boxes to their local congregation. Then, the funds are collected together from across the diocese and forwarded to UTO and joined together with funds from other dioceses. All Saints and Ascension Sundays are the recommended ingathering times. The local ingathering funds are to be forwarded to the diocesan ECW treasurer by check made payable to ECW Diocese of Arkansas and mailed to the treasurer as directed on the Contribution Transmittal Form.
The Grant Cycle
Just as the offering cycle starts locally by putting coins in the Blue Box, the granting cycle begins locally with proposals from parishes and mission outreach programs.
Forms for grant requests are obtained from the diocesan office beginning in October. In the U.S. the forms are completed and returned to the diocesan office by the requestor, by the diocesan deadline, and signed by the diocesan bishop. Each diocese may submit two requests each year. All requests are researched by the UTO Committee.
For more information, contact the Rev. Marti Dalby by telephone at 501-318-7520, by e-mail to surprisedbygrace@yahoo.com, by U.S. Mail to 215 N. 7th Street, Fort Smith, AR 72901.
The United Thank Offering Prayer
Source of all creation, all love, all true joy, accept, we pray, these outwards signs of our profound and continuing thankfulness for all of life. Bless those who will benefit from these gifts through the outreach of the United Thank Offering; and keep each of us ever thankful for all the blessings of joy and challenge that come our way; through Him who is the greatest gift and blessing of all, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.