The guidelines are purposely short to encourage creativity and innovation for outreach ministries, such as health and social justice. Responses should be clear and complete and include concrete data to demonstrate the need and achievability of the proposed ministry. The ECS Board of Directors intends these grants to reflect:

• ministry programs among poor and oppressed people wherever they are located.
• social justice ministry in the best tradition of the church. The target population should be individuals and communities not ordinarily included in the congregation.
• specify if the ministry is intended to continue after the Ministry Development Fund Grant has expired. The congregation must address how the ministry will be sustained, including a reasonable plan for on-going funding. Include details of in-kind, volunteer involvement, partnerships, matching funds and other fund requests you have submitted.

This grant is available for up to 5 years.

The ministry must focus on one or more of the following:

1. human rights advocacy
2. human service or health programs
3. lay leadership/empowerment program

Up to $2,000 will be granted the first year, with a $1,000 grant in each of the subsequent years.

For all successful grant applicants, the recipient congregation must agree to provide operational, experiential and resource information to other congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, the Episcopal Church, or associated agencies.

Recipients agree to comply with the end-of-year reporting requirements, and acknowledge that failure to report will result in loss of eligibility to apply for another grant the following year.

Successful applicants for multiple-year funding will also be required to provide a plan of activities and expenditures, at the end of each year, for the next year of funding.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

In order to help your congregation make your grant application as successful as possible, we are requesting that anyone considering asking for a grant this year submit an informal Letter of Interest. This process will help us to plan for the year, and may enable us to be able to offer ways to assist you.

Please submit your Letter of Interest by March 15.

Please email your Letter of Interest to: steve.mershon@icloud.com. Please do not send it to any other address.

Download Letter of Interest Instructions

Please submit your Grant Application by May 1.

Please email your Grant Application to: steve.mershon@icloud.com. Please do not send it to any other address.

Download Application (Microsoft Word docx format)

Download Application (PDF format)

Your Application must have the endorsement of your clergy in charge AND your Senior Warden.

Information will be included in future Diocesan E-news.