Global H.O.P.E. receives second Lilly Endowment grant, bolstering its disaster ministries

Eastertide’s promise of resurrected life — complete with all the beautiful God possibilities — came early for the United Church of Christ’s Global H.O.P.E. team.

As April began, the team received news that they received $1 million from the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s “Hope After the Storm: Capacity Building for Faith-Based Disaster Relief Organizations” grant. The UCC is one of 30 faith groups that have received “After the Storm” grants ranging from $500,000 to $5 million.

The award comes after receiving $50,000 from the Lilly Endowment grant last fall. That money was designated for information gathering, allowing Global H.O.P.E.’s Disaster Ministries to begin identifying opportunities for building new and strengthening existing disaster response networks. A task they eagerly embraced, holding a think-tank in December 2025.

 “This group included Disaster Ministries staff, local clergy serving churches in areas impacted by major natural disaster, and others involved in organizing post-disaster volunteer efforts,” said Andrew Long-Higgins, minister and team leader for Global H.O.P.E.

The information-collecting conversations have continued into 2026, with UCC’s Conference Disaster Response Coordinators meeting the week of April 13 in the Cleveland national office for their annual gathering. An opportune time, said Long-Higgins, to “engage in further conversation around where we can build capacity to better prepare for and respond to disasters.”

Long-Higgins also said onsite conversations with local churches in Florida are being planned, as well as a virtual gathering of former UCC disaster response volunteers “to seek their perspectives and input.”

Funding new strategies

After the information gathering phase is completed, the $1 million will be used for the next phase of the Lilly Endowment grant: Implementing life-giving and life-saving strategies.

But strategies and practices aside, what particularly excites Long-Higgins about that generous grant money are “the opportunities it affords for the wider church.”

“Central to our proposal is the understanding that our capacity to respond to disasters begins and ends with local efforts that are augmented by the generosity and care of the wider church,” he said. “In this way, we look forward to working with conferences, associations and local churches as we together increase our capacity to accompany communities impacted by major disasters.”

And by doing so, stronger lifelines are created for those in need.

“When we accompany our churches and communities whose lives have been upended it is a concrete expression of love for our neighbors. This generous grant from Lilly will allow us to strengthen this ministry of healing and care across the life of the United Church of Christ, and that is an amazing blessing,” said the Rev. Shari Prestemon, UCC’s Associate General Minister & Co-Executive of Global Ministries, which is celebrating 30 years of shared mission and witness with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

For all the latest Global H.O.P.E. happenings, sign up for the quarterly newsletter here.

---

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.