United Thank Offering

Applications Now Accepted for Province VIII Representative to the UTO Board

October 29, 2018
United Thank Offering

Applications are now being accepted from any UTO members, leaders, or coordinators in Province VIII who might like to serve on the UTO Board. You can find the application here. It will be available until November 15, 2018 at 9 a.m. Eastern time. (We’re sorry for the quick turnaround time, but we would like to appoint the Province VIII representative in time to attend the UTO Board meeting either virtually or in person in December since we only meet in person once a year.) One of our areas of priority this triennial is supporting bilingual or Spanish speaking communities in participating in UTO, so if this is an area of interest or expertise for you, please do apply! (You do not need to speak Spanish to serve on the UTO Board; we do offer translation.)

Board participation, as outlined in the UTO Policies and Procedures, is below. Additionally, the UTO Board Handbook may offer you helpful information as you discern whether or not to apply to participate on the UTO Board.

If you have any questions, please contact us!

From the UTO Board Policies and Procedures: The following responsibilities are provided for your reference. Members of the Board are the ambassadors of the spiritual discipline of gratitude in The Episcopal Church. It is the responsibility of each Board member to exhibit professionalism, high standards of service and performance, accountability, the value of discipline, and the importance of teamwork.

A. Prerequisites for Board Participation
Before attending the first meeting each member should:

  • have read and completed the following statements and signed a copy to be returned to the UTO Staff, Board President, and Board Secretary: Conflict of Interest Policy and Sexual Harassment Policy;
  • have completed the Safe Church Policy training in your local parish or diocese or online to meet the UTO Board requirements, and have submitted a certificate of completion to the UTO Office;
  • have completed the Anti-Racism training in your parish or diocese and have submitted a certificate of completion to the UTO Office;
  • be physically able to fly and meet the travel and endurance demands of meetings including UTO Grant site visits;
  • complete up-to-date personal health and emergency contact form;
  • have and maintain a current passport.

B. Tasks Associated with Being on the UTO Board
Priorities:

  1. ​​​​​​​Carry out the duties of the Board honestly, conscientiously, and loyally.
  2. Be committed to gratitude and mission as top priorities.
  3. Commit to ensuring a positive and productive work environment for all by showing respect to each Board member and commit to the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct as outlined in this Manual.
  4. Collaborate with colleagues in a respectful manner, both on the Board and in your diocese and province.
  5. Maintain up-to-date contact information for your UTO Diocesan Coordinators, ECW Presidents, Bishops, Bishop’s Executive Assistants, Province Synod, and others as deemed appropriate.

Participation:

  1. Attend all mandatory Board meetings, including meetings held electronically.
  2. Serve on committees and subcommittees of varying time commitments as appointed by the Board President.
  3. Attend and actively participate in trainings, webinars, and workshops.
  4. Attend the Triennial Meeting as United Thank Offering delegates. No Board member is eligible to serve as General Convention Deputy or Triennial Meeting Episcopal Church Women Delegate during service on the Board.
  5. This is a working Board and may require significant commitment of time, especially during the twice-annual grant review processes.

Correspondence/Communication:

  1. Submit written Province and Committee Reports by the deadline to the Secretary and Staff Officer to be included in the pre-meeting Dropbox.
  2. Contribute to revision, additional development, and implementation of UTO materials and documents of governance.

Essential Skills for Board Participation:

  1. Possess or commit to learn marketing, communication, financial, computer, and organizational skills.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge and skill in operating a computer and relevant software, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Zoom.
  3. Demonstrate proficient use of email, internet, extranet, and websites.
  4. Demonstrate a willingness to collaborate and assume responsibility for assigned tasks.
  5. Demonstrate good communication and organizational skills.
  6. Demonstrate professional presentation skills using current materials and technology.

Granting (for voting Board members):

  1. Participate fully and in a timely fashion on submitted grant application(s) (read, rank, and submit by deadline) during the granting cycles for both regular and Young Adult/Seminarian grants.
  2. Maintain confidentiality and accountability for actions related to grant process and award announcements, especially unresolved issues, until the grant applicants are notified of their status.

C. Tasks Between Meetings for Province Representatives:

  • Educate, support, and work with Diocesan UTO Coordinator(s) to introduce, expand, and maintain UTO in each diocese within the province.
  • Establish and maintain frequent communication with the following people in your province: all bishops, bishop support staff, UTO Diocesan Coordinators, ECW Province President, Province Synod staff person, and others as is customary in your province. (It is the responsibility of each province rep to contact the pertinent ECW or Province Synod or Council to define outside responsibilities.)
  • Keep abreast of Ingathering amounts from the dioceses within your province so that dioceses where amounts drastically decline can be contacted and discrepancies resolved. Financial Secretary/UTO Staff will provide ingathering data periodically to assist province representatives.

Contact:
The Rev. Cn.
Heather Melton

Staff Officer for the United Thank Offering

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