Dennis Byrne Endowment 2026 Fund Recipients
Total money to distribute: $50,513.00
- $16,837.67 Sponsored by CUMC/WF (1/3)
- $$33,675.33 International related ministry (2/3)
Organization: United Mission to Nepal
Project:
This project will continue in the Bajhang and Doti districts this year to ensure all cases from the last two years have the needed referrals and follow-up treatment. The main objective to provide medical rehabilitation support to children with physical disabilities up to 18 years old. The project’s core focus is on enabling these children to become able to do their activities of daily living independently by correcting deformities and enhancing their physical abilities through medical rehabilitation. In Nepal, specialized health services are not available at the local level, and government centers are not in line to provide those services. In urban areas, there are hospitals available but there is a lack of comprehensive treatment/rehabilitation services. They are focused on one area of service expertise. To address those issues, the project has set the following interventions:
- Identify the medical rehabilitation needs of children with physical disabilities through community camps and assessments and refer them to suitable hospitals or rehabilitation centers for the required rehabilitations such as therapies, training, surgeries and treatments.
- Provide follow-up support for those children to continue the prescribed therapies and exercise and to address other subsequent needs.
- Sensitize parents of children with disabilities and the community on causes and prevention of disability and the basic ideas for disability rehabilitation at the community level.
Grant Awarded: $16,728.00
Category: International ($15,265.33) and sponsored by CUMC/WF ($1,462.67)
__________
Organization: Nabilala Community Development Programme (part of United Methodist Church in Uganda) Project:
This project is to purchase more heifers which will be given to poor rural women and youths in the Nabukone village. They received four other grants from Dennis Byrne Endowment Fund in recent years to purchase heifers which were distributed to other communities. All of those projects were very successful. Through this project they will be able to fight the rampant poverty they face by selling milk to generate income that will be used to pay for basic needs such as paying school fees, paying medical bills and buying salt, etc. Additionally, the milk will provide nutrition to the family members, and the cow dung will be used as manure in gardens to help provide good harvests. The funds requested will allow for 5 more heifers to be added to the program as well as training, pasture development, animal shades, evaluation, and monitoring.
Grant Awarded: $6,110.00
Category: International
__________
Organization: Impact Now
Project:
Impact Now partners with women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to strengthen their leadership capacity and influence in their organizations and communities so those communities can thrive. Women in the DRC face significant barriers to leadership: entrenched gender power imbalances, narrow cultural and religious views of women’s roles, limited professional development, and a persistent undervaluing of women’s knowledge and experience. The result is that capable, committed women struggle to speak confidently and step courageously into the places of influence where they are most needed. These funds would be used for the NYOTA Leadership Program, now in its third year. Impact Now partners with the Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) in Beni, DRC to host and support the program, bringing together institutional commitment and community trust. Each six-month cohort enrolls 25 professional women, ages 25–65. NYOTA cohort members are managers, teachers, psychologists, business owners, and community liaison officers. They work in NGOs, schools, churches, and businesses. These women have taken on responsibility and earned the trust of their communities. What they want and need are support, skills, and confidence to lead more fully. Cohort members gather weekly for three hours with sessions facilitated by Congolese women and men that focus on six modules: Work/Life Balance, Women in Leadership, Communication and Advocacy, Project Management, Resource Management, and Networking. Assessments and evaluations are done before, during, and after the program to help ensure its success. Examples of the impact the program has had on alumni include initiating public-private partnerships to build heath centers, establishing pro bono legal services for marginalized workers, and dismantling social and economic barriers facing divorced women.
Grant Awarded: $12,300.00
Category: International
__________
Organization: Iowa Faith & Climate Network
Project:
Iowa Faith & Climate Network nurtures environmental leadership by equipping individuals and communities with resources to take climate action. Called to Climate Action (CTCA) is their annual statewide conference equipping faith communities to respond faithfully and concretely to the climate crisis. For 2027, they have a goal of welcoming 250 participants from Iowa congregations. Climate change is not only an environmental issue; it is a justice and mission issue. In Iowa and globally, people living in poverty, elders, immigrants, farmers under financial strain, and those with health vulnerabilities are disproportionately harmed by flooding, extreme heat, degraded air quality, and crop instability. CTCA equips congregations to respond to these realities through practical ministries that reduce energy burdens, strengthen local food systems, advocate for policies that protect vulnerable neighbors, and build resilient community networks. Participants hear from a nationally recognized keynote speaker, attend skill-building workshops, network with other congregations, and connect with 20+ nonprofit partners addressing issues like hunger, native species, energy access, conservation, and environmental health. The conference catalyzes concrete local actions, such as congregations launching food and garden ministries, installing solar to reduce long-term operating costs and redirect funds to mission, growing congregational “green teams,” supporting farmers in sustainable transitions, and organizing community education and advocacy. They are strongly considering Ames to be the 2027 host city, with CUMC/WF as a preferred location. Funds will help expand programming, provide registration assistance for students and lower income participants, and provide other scholarships. This funding level would also give us free registration to offer to several students/congregants.
Grant Awarded: $5,375.00
Category: Sponsored by CUMC/WF
__________
Organization: Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (IMMJ)
Project:
Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, formerly Justice for Our Neighbors, believes that immigration is a human right and that everyone deserves to live in safety and dignity. Iowa MMJ has diverse, expert and caring staff that serves immigrant and refugee communities across Iowa by providing quality affordable immigration legal counsel. Our community hosts a number of immigrants and refugees and there is a growing need for immigration legal services, particularly as U.S. immigration laws are complex and constantly changing. This project serves a crucial need in today’s climate. In 2024 IMMJ opened a Story County office that provides low cost immigrant law expertise. This is an extension of the services offered by IMMJ in Des Moines. Eight clinics are held each year in Story County. This grant would help support them in their third year.
Grant Awarded: $8,000.00
Category: Sponsored by CUMC/WF
__________
Organization: Clothing That Works (CTW)
Project:
CTW takes clothing donations from our church members and the community. Monetary donations are used to buy underwear, menstrual pads, tampons, men’s jeans, and winter coats. Their clients include but are not limited to the homeless, the working needy, folks coming out of prison, women who are escaping abuse, and people who are or have been in the behavioral unit in the hospital. Anyone who walks in the door is welcome.
Grant Awarded: $1,000.00
Category: Sponsored by CUMC/WF
__________
Organization: CROP Walk
Project:
The 2026 CROP Hunger Walk will be held on Sunday, October 11 in Ames. The Ames teams will work together to raise awareness and funding to combat hunger locally and internationally. Twenty-five percent of CROP Hunger Walk funds stay in the community. The remaining funds go to Church World Service to support grassroots, hunger-fighting development efforts around the world. All money raised is used to fight hunger.
Grant Awarded: $1,000.00
Category: Sponsored by CUMC/WF
