By the UTO Grant Committee

The 2026 UTO Grants were approved by Executive Council! We are so excited about this group of grant recipients because they are working with a partner to bring about change in their communities. You can read the descriptions of the grant sites here. There are so many exciting projects on this list; we’ll share their stories and photos beginning in November on our social media platforms and on the UTO webpage, but we wanted to share about one grant in particular in this newsletter, so be sure to read the grant story at the end to hear about the awesome project happening in Cyprus and the Gulf.

The UTO Board received 46 applications requesting nearly $2 million in funding. We were able to fund 25 projects. This year, the Board asked all grant applicants requesting over $40,000 to consider if they could do with less. This decreased the amount requested by over half a million dollars. This decrease meant that more grants could be awarded. As the economy continues to be challenging, donations continue to be down to nonprofits (including UTO), so we are grateful to those applicants who were able to help the process by making reductions to their requests. Truly, it was a group effort this year, and we are grateful.

Grant brochures are printing now and will be available in all the basic kits and new parish kits starting Aug. 1.

Historical grant 

• Emery Trust No. 335 Award: UTO History Project: Preservation and Storytelling Project – $50,000 

Episcopal Church awards 

• Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts: La Colaborativa – $30,000 
• Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island: Expanding Latino Worship – $18,522.45 
• Episcopal Diocese of New York: Shine Your Light Ministries, Inc., Staten Island, New York – $10,000 
• Episcopal Diocese of Rochester: Bridges of Faith and Action: Connecting Faith, Youth, and Immigrant Communities in Rural New York – $53,541 
• Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania: Sproutsiders: Broadening Access to Nature Engagement, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Phoenixville – $49,000 
• Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia: Food Ministry at Lynchburg Grows, St. John’s, Lynchburg – $20,000 
• Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna: Hearts, Bodies, Minds Together: A Play-Centered Model for Justice, Belonging, and Whole-Child Formation – $54,400 
• Episcopal Diocese of Lexington: Peace in Place: A Neighborhood-Based Violence Prevention Strategy, Lexington, Kentucky – $20,191 
• Episcopal Diocese of Ohio: Neighbor to Neighbor Toledo: A Peace Initiative, Toledo, Ohio – $28,000 
• The Episcopal Church in Colorado: Interfaith Friends, Highlands, Colorado – $40,000 
• Episcopal Diocese of Montana: Bridges and Leaders – $35,000 
• Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska: Change at the Speed of Relationships: Congregational Deep Canvassing in the Diocese of Nebraska – $6,848 
• Province 6: By Indigenous Hands, For Indigenous Healing: Faith-Based Suicide Prevention Across Indian Country – $43,575 
• Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota: Learning from the Lakota, St. Andrew’s, Rapid City – $38,180 
• Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas: Social Justice Outreach: Housing, Warrants, and Car Repairs, St. Paul’s, Fayetteville – $24,000 
• Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii: Keiki to Kūpuna, The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Honolulu – $37,002 
• Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin: Grandma’s Garden – $36,320 

Anglican Communion awards 

• Bilateral Partner: Brazil, Diocese of Paraná: Logistics and Welcoming Through Solidarity and Justice – $36,798 
• Province of Burundi, Diocese of Buye: Promoting Collaboration Through Joint Catechists Training and Microloan Program – $48,000 
• Province of Kenya, Diocese of Mombasa: Justice Bridge: Survivor-Safe Church Response and Referral Pathway – $36,000 
• Province of Melanesia, Diocese of Guadalcanal: Building Community Stability through Food, Water, and Dignity in Informal Settlements – $44,500 
• Province of the Middle East, Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf: Ras Morbat Eye Clinic Solar Power Installation – $23,500 
• Province of the Middle East, Diocese of Jerusalem: Bridging Silence and Sound: Integrated Education and Vocational Empowerment for Deaf and Hearing Students at Holyland Institute for the Deaf – $55,000 
• Province of Tanzania, Dioceses of Morogoro, Kiteto, Mpwapwa, and Dar es Salaam: Maji Kwa Amani (Water for Peace): Building Bridges Between Farmers and Pastoralists through Shared Water and Governance – $76,885.37