UCC’s Disaster Ministries get a generous boost: Lilly Endowment grant to build ‘disaster response capacity’

The United Church of Christ’s Global H.O.P.E. team recently received a $50,000 Lilly Endowment Inc.’s “Hope After the Storm: Faith-Based Disaster Relief Capacity Building” grant.

The money is to help faith-based organizations bolster disaster response, especially important amid the increasing frequency and velocity of storms against a backdrop of dwindling resources.

“Lilly Endowment has identified disaster response and recovery as an area that they are particularly interested in,” said Andrew Long-Higgins, Minister and Team Leader for Global H.O.P.E.

The private foundation approached Katie Howe, minister of Disaster Response and Recovery, in the summer with the “by invitation” grant opportunity. Lilly Endowment was especially interested in hearing about the UCC’s work regarding the intersectionality of disaster response and creating a just world for all, noted Long-Higgins.

For the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, UCC’s General Minister and President/CEO, disaster awareness and response ministries are areas of justice that “involve collaboration between government, nongovernmental and faith-based organizations.” They are also ones that are in jeopardy.

“With government spending cuts, the response to disasters is threatened, as is the capacity for restoring homes and lives. At a time when climate crisis is affecting the weather and causing more disasters, this grant will afford the team the opportunity to explore how the United Church of Christ can be more responsive to disasters in collaboration with congregations and partners,” said Thompson.  

A generous gift for ‘start-up’ costs

The $50,000 represents the first phase in a two-phase grant process, covering an initial planning phase, which includes organizing and hosting critical information gathering sessions among UCC stakeholders. Long-Higgins envisions several “come-to-the-table” meetings with conference ministers, disaster experts and Conference Disaster Response and Coordinators to begin this December in Cleveland and continuing with six more “on the road” discussions in 2026.

“We want to come alongside the work that many local churches are already doing in their immediate contexts as we think together about where our collective response capacities can be strengthened. We know that the best post-disaster response begins with pre-disaster relationships. How can we be better at sharing lessons across response spaces? We really see this is an opportunity to engage in a process of re-imagination as we all seek new ways to thrive in our increasingly complex reality,” said Long-Higgins.

The first phase of information gathering will be followed by the second phase: that of implementation, in which Lilly is prepared to fund with additional grant money.

For the Global H.O.P.E. team the Lilly Endowment grant is opening an exciting future as they seek new and sustainable ways of responding to disasters — a response that must adapt to the realities of changing times.

“The reality is that the UCC has changed a lot demographically since our response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Our membership size has decreased but the need in responding to disasters has increased,” said Long-Higgins. “The beauty of the grant is that it’s giving us the opportunity to think deeply and creatively about new ways of doing disaster response and recovery at the local level, in collaboration with others, and beyond the walls of the UCC. It is an opportunity to build and strengthen relationships.”

Howe is equally looking forward to the opportunities the grant affords.

“This grant funding from the Lilly Endowment allows us to rethink how we engage in disaster ministries, and how we can have the greatest impact with the work we do. By building our pre-disaster capacity and resilience and strengthening our response systems, we are well positioned to respond quickly and efficiently to the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of communities affected by disasters,” she said.

The grant also strengthens the UCC’s commitment to disaster recovery over the long haul.

“The United Church of Christ is committed to accompanying communities devastated by disasters through the long season of recovery,” said the Rev. Shari Prestemon, Associate General Minister & Co-Executive of Global Ministries. “We’re grateful to the Lilly Endowment for giving us this amazing opportunity to strengthen these ministries for the future, facilitating healing and renewal in the wake of immense loss.”

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