United Thank Offering 2008 Grant Criteria

United Thank Offering monies will be granted in support of programs within Anglican provinces and dioceses that implement actions within the requesting diocese or province to address compelling human needs and/or expand mission and ministry. The exception is that a diocese of The Episcopal Church in the USA may elect to submit one of their two invited grants on behalf of and implemented within their official companion diocese.

The United Thank Offering supports projects:

• That are expended during the twelve months following grant award;
• That are new work, a new phase of work, or an expansion of existing work;
• That give special attention to disadvantaged persons, places, organizations;
• That are a part of provincial or diocesan planned mission strategy; and
• In which the United Thank Offering participation is clearly identifiable.

Every application must:

• Demonstrate involvement by an entity of The Episcopal Church and/or world wide Anglican Communion; ecumenical or interfaith ventures may be included.
• Show financial support by an entity of The Episcopal Church and/or the Anglican Communion.
• Be complete, with all required attachments.
• Include a current operating budget for the implementing organization as well as the detailed project budget for the grant request.
• Be submitted by the organization who will implement the project.

The United Thank Offering will not fund:

• Combined projects without separate budgets for each in addition to the total budget.
• Capital fund campaigns or debt reductions. A capital fund campaign is understood to be a general campaign to raise money for a large or comprehensive project in which it is not clearly evident what difference a UTO grant will make and/or in which it is not clearly evident the project will be completed within the twelve months for which the award is made.
• Continuing operational budgets, meaning the proposed budget and program is the same as the year before, the only difference being the United Thank Offering as the new source of funding.
• Debts obligated or incurred before the date of the grant award.
• Purchase of consumable supplies (e.g. food, medicine, paper goods, toiletries, fuel).
• Contracted or professional services for individuals or families.
• A commercial venture or enterprise, a for-profit body, or a non-profit individual or group without a legally responsible governing body.
• Scholarships or tuition either directly for individuals or indirectly through organizations; this includes camperships and attendance incentives.
• Proposals that can find adequate funding elsewhere, including capital improvements for which loans are available and possible.
• Emergency response.
• 15-passenger vans, due to liability and safety issues.

In Episcopal Dioceses within the United States, the United Thank Offering will not fund:

• Previously funded requests.
• Capital improvements that do not expand capacity to meet compelling human need or mission and ministry need in disadvantaged situations.
• Programs regarded to be diocesan operating budgets.
• Entities that are not clearly non-profit or not-for-profit.