The mission of the United Thank Offering is to expand the circle of thankful people. To achieve this mission, we encourage daily prayers, offerings, and awareness of the abundance of God’s blessings.

The United Thank Offering was begun in 1889 by two far-sighted, mission-minded women, Julia Emery and Ida Soule, when the General Convention of The Episcopal Church looked to them to begin the Women’s Auxiliary as part of the Board of Missions.  They began the offering to show the connection between giving thanks and giving money, uniting praying and sharing.

UTO’s simple purpose has remained constant:  offerings are given in thankfulness for the everyday blessings of life, to provide blessings for others.  Individuals in each parish take part spiritually by offering prayers of thanksgiving and by actively dropping coins in the “Little Blue Box.”  These coins are gathered twice a year at each church and then united with others from all over the country.

During the United Thank Offering Ingathering Ceremony and Eucharist at the 2009 General Convention of the Episcopal Church held in Anaheim, California, July 2009, the Diocese of Alabama gave a symbolic check representing the $108,705.46 contributed by thankful givers during the 2006-2009 period.  Click here for photo and article from The Alabama Episcopalian.

Each year every diocese is asked to send grant applications to the national UTO Committee for consideration. Grants are awarded both for domestic and outreach in cooperation with a companion diocese.  These are to support projects that address compelling human needs and/or expand mission and ministry. This outward expression of thankfulness takes action around the world in places where there is urgent need.

In 2010, the Diocese of Alabama was awarded UTO grants totaling $57,750. A $40,000 foreign grant will help fund the rebuilding of St. Alban’s Church and School in Crochu, Haiti. A $17,750 domestic grant will assist in the funding for a handicapped accessible playground at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and Day School in Talladega.

Reminders for Parish UTO Coordinators:

• Keep the diocesan ECW Board and UTO Coordinator up to date by submitting your name and contact info via the annual Parish ECW Information Sheet. (Note:  Check with your parish president to see if this has already been done.)

• UTO Ingatherings:

  • Arrange dates with your Rector for two UTO Ingathering Sundays:

    • Spring, before May 15 and

    • Fall, before November 15

  • Publicize the meaning of UTO several weeks before the ingatherings.

  • As soon after the Ingathering as possible, please mail a parish check (no cash or personal checks) payable to Episcopal Church Women and marked UTO to:  ECW, Diocese of Alabama, 521 North 20^th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203-2611.  Send ingathering moneys and other donations on a regular basis. Any other UTO donations received at any time should be sent in promptly; checks should not be held in your account.  The interest earned on all offerings increases the amount that can be granted. PLEASE DO NOT SEND CHECKS TO NY OR NJ. Checks for UTO should not be sent to the UTO Coordinator.

  • Supplies for the parish needs should be ordered from the Episcopal MarketPlace at www.episcopalmarketplace.org and enter “UTO” in search box. You may also call 212-716-6117 to place your order.

  • A beautiful UTO Alms Basin, made of silver and gold gathered from women of the Diocese of Alabama many years ago is used at the Annual Fall Conference.  It may be borrowed by any parish for an Ingathering or for a parish ECW meeting by contacting Hallie Rawls 205-870-0022 at The Cathedral Church of the Advent.

• UTO Grant Applications:

  • The United Thanks Offering has instituted an online grant application. In October of each year applications are available online at www.episcopalchurch.org/uto. The website will include the criteria and guidelines for applying. The deadline to submit the application to the diocesan office is December 31st for selection and approval by Bishop Sloan. The process includes sending a draft copy to the diocesan office at rmorpeth@dioala.org and uto@alabamaecw.org prior to deadline for review and selection. Attachments may be uploaded to the application. The application will need to remain in draft mode until and if it is selected for submission to national for consideration. At any point in the process, you can email utoapps@episcoplachurch.org, call the UTO office at 800-334-7626 (Claudia Conner, ext. 5130; Paul Thorson, ext 6022) with questions or contact Brenda Mayhall at uto@alabamaecw.org.

The UTO Memorial and Gift Trust Fund is separate and apart from UTO Ingathering donations. Earnings from this fund assure income for administration and granting costs for the national UTO committee, defrays the cost of UTO materials, especially the free materials including unlimited Blue Boxes, and supplements Blue Box offerings that are given as grants. The names of those who are honored or memorialized through this fund are permanently recorded in a book that is kept at the Episcopal Church Center in New York and is displayed at each Triennial Meeting. Contributions to the Memorial and Gift Trust Fund should be made payable to The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS) and marked UTO Trust Fund #852 and mailed to Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, UTO, Box 12095, Newark, NJ 07101.  A Memorial and Gift Trust Fund brochure/envelope may be used for this gift.

For more information on UTO, contact our diocesan UTO Coordinator.

Diocesan UTO Coordinator:

UTO Prayer
I am bound by the vow

I made to you, Oh God;
I will present to you  thank-offerings.
Psalm 56:11 (BCP) 
 

National UTO Website

UTO COMMITTEE

Brenda Mayhall, Chair
Danielle Anderson

(Holy Comforter, Montgomery)

Montgomery Convocation
Barbara Avsharian

(St. Stephen’s, Smith Station)

East Alabama Convocation
Liz Baker

(St. Joseph’s, Mentone)

Mountain Convocation
Joyce Dryden

(Messiah, Heflin)

Cheaha Convocation
Claudia Glasgow

(St. Matthews, Madison)

Tennessee Valley Convocation
Linda Kennedy

(Advent, Birmingham)

Birmingham Convocation
Maggie Noland

(St. James, Livingston)

Black Belt Convocation