2025 Eno River Fellowship Foundation Grant Awards
Thanks to the generosity of ERUUF members and friends who have donated to the Eno River Fellowship Foundation endowment, each year the Foundation is able to award grants for program initiatives and infrastructure enhancements that support ERUUF’s mission and annual strategic goals. This year the Foundation is pleased to award seven grants, totaling $29,625. These awards are made possible by legacy gifts and other donations to the Foundation’s Initiatives and Enhancement Endowment Fund.
The 2025 grants from the Foundation are summarized in the table below.
| Project Title | Ministry Team or Group | Description | Amount Awarded ($) |
| “Transforming Conflict in Congregations” Workshops | Theory of Change Committee; Healthy Congregation Committee | Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley, a UU minister, will facilitate two workshops at ERUUF on how the conflict transformation approach to congregational conflicts can create opportunities for growth and constructive change. A 6-hour workshop, tailored to congregational leaders, and a 2-hour workshop, open to all congregation members will be held. | $2,500 |
| House Band for Worship Services (Year 2) | Worship Team, Music Team | The project will build on the success of year 1 of the house band. The band will accompany congregational singing and enhance the overall worship experience by enhancing efforts to be more radically welcoming and to offer culturally inclusive musical styles. | $7,200 |
| Memorial Garden Improvements Phase 1 | Garden Team | Phase 1 will include assessing and addressing current safety and access needs in the Memorial Garden. A small workgroup will be convened to engage and work with a landscape architect to develop a plan to correct current safety concerns and propose Phase 2 plan for improving the garden in the current area. The project addresses the safety and accessibility needs of all ERUUF’s members and friends, and honors the legacy of our elders. | $6,000 |
| Bus Trip to Raleigh for a peace and Justice demonstration or march | Justice Ministry Council | The Justice Ministry Council will organize a trip to Raleigh in 2025 to attend a rally or march in support of peace and justice. They will create a cross-generational group (including youth group participants) to make signs with joy. A biofuels- powered bus that seats 55 people will be rented for the trip. | $1,225 |
| Worship Arts Artist-In-Residence Program (Year 2) | Worship Team, Music Team | The project will build on success of hosting our first artist- in -residence (Demeanor; a musician) to enhance worship arts while exploring what it means to create spiritually and relationally transformative worship services. Two artists will be invited from difference fields; one in the fall and one in the spring. | $5,000 |
| Sanctuary Audio Visual Enhancement | Worship Team; Tech Team | Livestream views of services almost equal the in-person attendance on most Sundays. It is an integral part of the way ERUUF shares our services in the world. This grant will support the purchase of a new computer and software to enable improved integration of all the components of livestreams and more flexibility in providing titles for the different elements of service. | $2,700 |
| ERUUF Website Audit and Assessment | Coordinating Team; Lead Minister | A communication / IT consultant will be contracted to provide an objective, external assessment/audit of the ERUUF website. and recommendations for either a revision or complete rebuild of the site, This website audit is part of developing a comprehensive communications plan for the Fellowship. It is a crucial step in understanding how we communicate who we are and what we do to the larger world. | $5,000 |
