Applying for a grant

Once you have decided upon a course of action and determined that you will apply for a grant from the GA, you must ensure that your presbytery is aware of your intentions so they can provide you with oversight and assistance as you work through the process.

Applications are available in Microsoft Word format and may be obtained by downloading from the Grant applications and Annual Progress Report page, or by e-mail from the Mission Program Grants office.

Preparing the proposal

Once you have the application form, make a copy of it and use the copy as a draft form. Become familiar with it and begin to answer the questions it asks. Your work will be easier if you gather supporting information before you begin writing.

Keep your answers clear and concise. At one time or another you may have heard that more is better. In writing grants, this is not true. Your application will be one of many others to be reviewed by the Mission Development Resources Committee (MDRC) of the General Assembly. The MDRC is tasked with setting policy for these grants and making funding decisions.

Style matters

Hand written applications will not be forwarded to the committee. If you have a computer, you can open the file and proceed from there. In this way, you are certain to include the questions that are asked, and your responses to them are more likely to be clear. If you decide to re-type the application, include each question so that the reader knows what you are answering. Differentiate questions from responses by making the questions bold and perhaps by using a different font. Do not separate a question from the response.

Committee members often experience overloads due to heavy reading demands and may be hampered by poorly structured proposals. Please be considerate of committee members and staff who may be reading your proposal. Do not reduce font size, have typographical errors, have less than generous margins or cramped line spacing. Use plenty of “white space" between paragraphs when you answer (use at least two spaces). As you write your proposal, make every effort to keep text together on the same page. For those times when text must be carried over to the next page, keep at least two lines of text together. Also, number each page at the bottom.

If you have supporting material, include it as an appendix. Include the material in the order in which you refer to it in your proposal. Include a Table of contents at the beginning of your appendix so that the reader can find the material without having to search for it. Also, label each item clearly with page number and title/description.

Generally speaking, the application forms have a great deal in common. Much of the information that follows is applicable to whichever grant you choose to pursue.

Exploration and Feasibility Studies

An exploration and feasibility study is intended to determine the viability of creating a new congregation or transforming an existing congregation.

A new congregation exploration is designed to test the feasibility of establishing a new congregation in a particular area. This might include gathering and analyzing demographic information, carrying out a community survey to assess the interest and ministry needs of the target population, preparing a ministry plan and locating potential church sites.

An existing congregation study is an effort to test whether or not a congregation has the spiritual energy and commitment to the change that is required to redirect the congregation’s ministry. At the end of the study, it is expected that a decision will be made whether or not to continue with a full transformation effort.

Your research should describe the factors that stimulated the need for this particular new church development or congregational transformation. The fundamental question to consider is “WHY?” Why do you want to begin to look seriously at this project? Why here? Why now? What has happened in the area that has precipitated this consideration? Or, in the case of a transformation, what has happened within the life of an existing congregation or community that has caused it to consider transformation? You must be specific about these factors and forces.

This study also needs to answer how you are going to determine if a new congregation is possible in this area or if it is possible to transform the ministry of the existing congregation. The primary question you will need to answer in this instance is “HOW?” How are you going to determine the viability of the project? It is essential that you be very clear about your proposed plan for research. A lack of clarity of procedures will result in a lack of clarity regarding the outcomes. This includes the final determination of whether or not to continue

Providing specifics

Describe how you are going to gather the information on the listed activities. Where will you go to find the demographic information you seek? Will you conduct a survey to assess community needs? With whom will you speak and how will you decide what needs are present that you can meet? Once you have this information, how will it be analyzed? If there are resources at your disposal that will help you understand this material, be sure to identify them. You may find it helpful to obtain a copy of “Research Strategies for Congregations: Tools for understanding the people in your church and community” from the Office of Research Services’ web site. This is available in Adobe Acrobat format at no charge.

Church development, particularly new church development, is expensive work. In most instances, the resources of presbytery, synod and GA will not be adequate to meet all the needs of the project. Understanding this will enable you to explore the possibilities of working with neighboring Presbyterian, or other, congregations who may be able to provide a variety of resources, both human and monetary.

What ecumenical and denominational partnership opportunities exist and how will you determine if they are options that you can pursue effectively? In some respects, denominational lines and loyalties have been blurred over the past fifty years. As a result, it often makes sense to explore working cooperatively not only with related congregations, but also with other denominations to form new ministries.

Once you have addressed all of these concerns, there is still the issue of whether you have sufficient reason to begin a new congregation or sufficient energy to transform an existing one. If your study indicates that your project is feasible, it is essential that you include an end-of study report indicating what factors influenced your decision in applying for a new congregation or existing congregation grant.

Schedule of funding

How much do you anticipate it will cost you to do this work of exploration? In most instances, the amount of money that is available to you may come from several sources; however, the presbytery is your prime partner in this effort. Always consult the church development representative of your presbytery to confirm the amount of funding they will be able to provide. Currently, General Assembly does not provide funding for this endeavor.

If your funding needs are not met by the presbytery, you need to secure funding from other sources. You need to look to the project members or attendees to supplement your funding needs as a demonstration of their commitment to the project. For new congregations, finding sources of additional revenue is more challenging. You need to be creative in securing funding from neighboring congregations and private funding sources.

Mission Program Grant applications

New Congregation Grant
Existing Congregation Grant
Congregational-Based Ministries of Compassion and Justice Grant

After you have provided the introductory information at the beginning of your application, you will be asked a series of questions about the ministry that you propose.

Vision statement

Whether you are seeking a New Congregation, Existing Congregation or Congregational-Based Ministries Grant, you will be asked to state your vision for this project. This statement must be carefully crafted, as it will form the foundation for your ministry plan. Your vision statement should be a brief, but thorough, description of what you are attempting to do and why you are attempting to do it. Otherwise it indicates that you have not clarified your vision.

Staffing rationale

How you propose to staff this project is vitally important. You need to describe clearly the qualities you seek in a project leader. If you anticipate that you need more than one staff person for this project, be clear as to why you think this is necessary and what qualifications each staff member should possess. Provide thorough position descriptions that describe the duties, practical experience, skills, education and training of each staff member to be supported by this grant.

Demographic studies

Demographic studies are designed to answer several levels of questions relating to the work that you propose. They help to supply the answer to the question, “why are you doing this?” These studies can range from formal presentations purchased through companies that specialize in demographic research, to community surveys that are conducted by your members. Information may be obtained, for instance, from your presbytery, community leaders, city, county or state government agencies, local businesses, libraries, public schools, utility companies and the Chamber of Commerce. Demographic studies are essential to your work, whether you are doing transformation work or beginning a new church. You are better able to determine the strengths and needs of the people, their preferred style of worship, their economic circumstances and so forth. This information will enhance your ability to formulate a ministry plan.

You may find it helpful to obtain a copy of “Research Strategies for Congregations: Tools for understanding the people in your church and community” from the Office of Research Services’ Web page. This is available in Adobe Acrobat format at no charge.

Note that this question asks for a summary. Do not attach the entire demographic study/survey to your application. The volume of information contained within these studies can be overwhelming to the proposal readers. You must be able to identify and summarize the important findings of your research as they pertain specifically to your project.

Ministry plan

A ministry plan is a description of the proposed project, its implementation and management.

Goals are broad general statements describing end results that you want to achieve. They are rooted in the mission of your church and should be reflective of your vision statement. Objectives are time-sensitive, challenging, achievable, specific and measurable statements that tell who, what and when. Include in your plan how you expect to accomplish the objectives. They provide specificity to your broad goals.

The session and/or church development committee must agree upon the vision statement and ministry plan before proposals are submitted for approval by presbytery and synod. Community involvement and ownership of these statements must be clearly evident, or the project stands little likelihood of gaining the support of the congregation.

New congregation development
Provide the ministry plan for your project that describes your methods for establishing, building-up and maintaining the new congregation. The elements you are asked to include, but are not limited to, are evangelism and outreach, worship, education, mission, finances, stewardship and plans for location. For each of these elements, you must include your first-year goals and objectives.

Existing congregation transformation
Describe the ministry plan for the project, addressing the five dynamics defined in the application form. Ensure that the congregation is familiar with the dynamics, which will be invaluable elements of the continuing transformation effort.

The five dynamics are:

• Creating spiritual energy;
• Congregational identity - coming to terms with the past, present and future;
• Congregational leadership - building a ministry team;
• Re-entering the community;
• Building a financial base for ministry.

In addition to the five dynamics, components of the ministry plan must also include changes in worship and education programs and the development of new ministries directed toward meeting specific needs of people in the community. For each of these elements, please include your first-year goals and objectives.

Congregational-Based Ministries of Compassion and Justice
What has been said above for new congregation development and existing congregation transformation can also be said for a congregational-based ministry. The interest is to see how you plan to build this project. Again, include your first-year goals and objectives.

Attendance

Attendance is one of the more challenging questions in the application. You are asked to identify and project realistic and sustainable trends in attendance. Your projections should include worship, church school, small groups and other regularly scheduled events and may be substantiated with the demographic research. Support your projections in a convincing manner.

New congregations may have difficulty with their projections since little history exists to make these judgments. Speak with churches in your area that are relatively new and learn what rates of growth they have experienced.

Due to the focused nature of the project, congregational-based ministry leaders may want to consult with other local agencies that are providing similar services and ask for their input.

Operating income and expense budget

One of the most important aspects of your proposal is an itemized and balanced operating income and expense budget for each year of the grant. Include line items such as personnel and administrative expenses, rent, utilities, equipment, educational/training expenses for project leadership, maintenance, insurance, programs, mission giving, per capita and other expenses specific to your project. As a planning tool, a budget enables a congregation to schedule income and expenses, set priorities, monitor progress toward goals and demonstrate continued support after the end of GA funding. Mission Program Grants may be used only for program purposes. Capital needs such as mortgage payments, site improvements or building funds are not allowable uses.

While you may become focused on the expenses of your program, do not forget that your projections for income are just as important. Funding for Mission Program Grants comes from three sources: presbytery, synod and GA. The amount of money that GA will provide is no more than the combined contribution of the presbytery and/or synod. You must ensure that written confirmation of presbytery and synod commitments are obtained before preparing your grant proposal and that the agreed upon amounts are reflected in the budget. You are also asked to provide a copy of last year’s closing financial statement, if available, and compare the differences between the budgeted and the actual income and expenses.

It is essential that the proposed budget not result in a serious financial shortfall at the end of the funding schedule. If such a condition is indicated, you will be asked to resubmit your budget and/or develop a plan to address the shortfall. Since it is rarely possible to obtain additional funding from GA, the projected expenses and income, especially toward the end of the life of the grant, should be carefully planned and considered.

PC(USA) Basic Mission Support
In asking for help from the larger church, you are agreeing to support the work of the larger church, just as you are asking it to support yours. Whether it is a new or a transforming church, the denomination expects the congregation to participate in supporting the mission and ministry of the PC(USA). All projects are expected to achieve and maintain 10 percent of its total program operating budget to PC(USA) Basic Mission Support. This level of support must be reached by the end of the third year for five and six year grants and by the end of the fourth year for seven-year grants. (Note: Congregational-Based Ministry Grant proposals are encouraged but not required to meet the 10 percent Basic Mission Support goal.)

If your congregation is not currently contributing at this level, you must develop and include in your proposal a plan to move your church toward this goal. One method is to set a goal of increasing your giving by three to four percent each year until you reach 10 percent.

PC(USA) Basic Mission Support, as defined for Mission Program Grants, is the total of all monies given to presbytery, synod and GA entities, including payments toward the mission budgets of these entities. Included in this total are special offerings, such as Christmas Joy Offering, Disaster Relief, Hunger, One Great Hour of Sharing, Peacemaking, Pentecost Offering, Women’s Thank You Offering, per capita and others.

Oversight of project

Because your presbytery and synod will make sizeable financial contributions to your project, it is appropriate that they provide oversight and encouragement. You need to consult with them as to how they will participate in, be supportive of, and maintain regular contact with the project leadership. Describe the relationship in the proposal. There should also be an agreed upon method for self-evaluation and a procedure for subsequently adjusting the goals and objectives of the ministry plan accordingly.

Grant funding amounts and scheduling

You should ask for an amount that is clearly justified by the budget. A New or Existing Congregation project may normally receive a cumulative grant amount of no more than $100,000 from any combination of GA Mission Program Grants while Congregational-Based Ministry projects may receive a maximum one-time grant of up to $50,000. Due to the growing volume of applications and limited funding, most proposals tend to receive less than the amount requested.

Funding for New or Existing Congregations may be spread over a period of from five to seven years. Congregational-Based Ministries funding may be for up to three years. Exploration and Feasibility Grants are for one year. All grants will decrease with each year of funding. All projects should either be self-supporting by the end of grant funding or submit a plan for securing continued funding from sources other than GA.

Please refer to the Mission Program Grant Funding Schedules, a listing that provides a variety of the preferred declining funding schedules that the MDRC uses in the final approval of grant proposals. [Download Mission Program Grant funding schedule]

Mission Program Grant proposal checklist

The Mission Development Resources Committee reads and discusses each proposal and grants are awarded on the basis of merit. Each proposal is evaluated according to the following criteria.

The Committee asks . . .

As you consider each concern, you may wish to check off the items below.

• Is the application complete? Have the questions in the application been answered clearly and are all requested attachments available?
• Is this application a resubmission of a previously reviewed proposal? If so, when was it originally reviewed? Have the concerns that caused the original proposal to be denied funding been adequately addressed?
• Does the project represent new work in the area of new church development, congregational transformation, or congregational-based ministry?
• Does the project demonstrate its commitment to witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ by relating to the life and development of the surrounding community and responding to human needs not otherwise being adequately met?
• Does the proposal include ecumenical and denominational partners in the planning and funding of the project, where appropriate and feasible? Does the proposal specify which partners are involved and in what ways?
• Is this project an extension, redesign or spin-off from a project formerly funded through a Mission Program Grant? If so, describe the relationship between this project and the previous one. When was the former project originally funded? Did the project receive Exploration and Feasibility Grant funding? If so, was an end-of-study report previously provided or incorporated into the current grant proposal?
• Does the vision statement describe what the project is attempting to accomplish? Does it tell what principles, beliefs and values guide the work?
• Do the tasks identified in the supplied position description(s) reflect the practical experience, as well as required education, training and skills of the staff as they relate to the goals and objectives of the project? Does the position description include participation in the larger ministry of the church? Does the response provide a reasonable justification for each of the staff positions?
• Does the demographic summary adequately describe the target population’s needs and strengths? Does this summary satisfactorily describe how these needs were identified, that is, preferably by a blend of purchased research and of a community conducted survey? What racial/ethnic, cultural, generational, economic and gender issues should be considered in this project?
• Does the ministry plan contain appropriate goals, objectives and methods that are: clearly stated; realistically effective; measurable; time-sensitive and challenging? How have the needs identified in the demographic study been incorporated into the plan? Has there been community involvement in the planning and implementation of the project? Is there a self-evaluation procedure to address each objective?
• Are there plans to encourage and provide appropriate training and educational opportunities to the lay leadership and pastor/staff of this project?
• Does the supplied information demonstrate that attendance projections are realistic and attainable for the community to be served?
• Does the budget include line items and amounts for operating income and expenses for each year of the grant that are adequate to accomplish the proposed Ministry Plan? Are capital expenses excluded from this budget? Is the budget balanced? Does the budget demonstrate that the 10 percent PC(USA) Basic Mission Support goal will be accomplished by the end of the third year for five- and six-year grants and by the end of the fourth year for seven-year grants? Is the level of per member/attendee giving realistic for the demographics of the area? Are there plans for the continued support of this project after the completion of Mission Program Grant funding? (Note: Congregational-Based Ministry Grant proposals are encouraged but not required to meet the 10 percent Basic Mission Support goal.)
• Is the presbytery's plan to provide oversight and encouragement to this project clearly described, appropriate and effective? Is there evidence of a plan to be intentional about maintaining regular supportive contact between the project and presbytery leadership?
• Are there additional insights and comments that you believe would be helpful to the Mission Development Resources Committee members as they consider this proposal?

Note: Satisfaction of these general criteria does not ensure that a Mission Program Grant proposal will be approved for funding. Staff members are not authorized to prejudge the funding decisions of the Mission Development Resources Committee.

If the MDRC has issues regarding your project’s proposal, you will receive a list of concerns and/or conditions.

Concerns are issues that have the potential to develop into problems that could threaten the success of the project. Conditions are problems that are deemed severe enough to ensure that the project will not succeed if they are not addressed. Concerns must be addressed during the current year of funding or the following year’s funding will be withheld. Conditions must be answered before the current year’s funding will be disbursed.

Application process

You may need a few months to gather background information, supporting documentation, and write the grant proposal. Since this should be a cooperative effort, you will want to encourage involvement from members of your congregation and appropriate pastoral, presbytery and synod leadership.

Once your writing team has assembled the necessary materials, you should decide upon a principal writer who will organize the material and prepare a draft to present to the session for review, revision and approval.

Timeliness is critical in the submission of your proposal, so you must contact your presbytery and synod and confirm the deadlines of each entity.

After your session has approved a draft that accurately reflects the project’s vision and ministry plan, share it with the appropriate presbytery committee for consideration. Your presbytery leadership should review the application and offer any constructive suggestions they believe will strengthen the proposal before it is forwarded to synod for consideration, and ultimately to MDRC.

Interruptions in funding

Grant commitments are effective for one year. Project funding is dependent upon the start of the pastor/project director and the fulfillment of any specific conditions assigned by the committee. If a project is on hold, either initially or during the term of funding, for a period of one year, you need to file a request for a six-month extension. Ordinarily, MDRC will consider no more than three consecutive extensions. If you determine that an extension of time will not meet your needs, or the MDRC doesn’t approve your request, then you may want to resubmit a revised proposal at a later date.

Occasionally, projects are unable to proceed as planned during the allotted time frame. In such cases, MDRC will consult with the presbytery and synod, and may adjust or discontinue the funding commitment.

The important point to remember is that we want to help your project succeed. At the same time, we must serve as responsible stewards of the resources entrusted to this office and committee. Keep us informed of major changes in your project that may prevent you from claiming your grant. In so doing, you enable us to better respond to the needs of other applicants by maximizing the use of these funds.

Annual Progress Reports

Each year the staff of the Mission Program Grants office will provide presbytery and synod staff with blank Annual Progress Report forms that will in turn be shared with project leaders. The questions asked are structured to help you and the various reviewing bodies determine if your project is meeting its goals and objectives and, more important, how they can best assist you during the coming year. It must be completed, reviewed and approved by presbytery and synod leadership and returned no later than October first of each year.

Continued funding is dependent on the completion of this report. A thorough job on this report is as important as it was in preparing the original proposal. The form can be obtained by downloading it from the Mission Program Grants applications and form page or by e-mail from the Mission Program Grants office. Once you have been approved for funding, you should become familiar with what is expected of an Annual Progress Report so that you can start keeping appropriate records.

Questions to be answered

1. What joys and celebrations have taken place in the past 12 months?
What project events have worked well? What has excited your congregation? Take this opportunity to share several uplifting occasions that describe the essence of your ministry.

2. What concerns does the project currently have?
What are the concerns that are either imminent or have already surfaced? Briefly describe what is not working or causing your project difficulties, and share what you are doing to solve these problems.

If your overall ministry plan is not delivering the results for which you had planned, share a totally new approach that may lead your project in a new and more effective direction. In answering both of these questions, remember to be concise in your answers. You are striving to do two things. Give the reviewer a feel for what is happening-both good and bad - without being exhaustive in your response.

3. What goals have been met in the past 12 months and what goals have been set for the next 12 months? Did the project leader and the lay leaders attend any professional development or training? If so, please describe the course(s) and the benefits that were gained.

It is helpful to the reader to list your project's goals for the past year, being sure to indicate how they have or have not been met. Similarly, for next year's goals, it's reasonable and typical for them to be adjusted to address the current needs of your project. Remember to keep the presbytery and synod informed of any adjustments you propose to make to the original goals.

4. Provide worship attendance & church school attendance figures for the
current year and up to five preceding years.

This is a straightforward reporting of statistics. To bring them to life, you may want to find a way to demonstrate growth. For example, if your worship attendance for the year averages 45, you have answered the question. But, if at the first of the year, you averaged 15 and by the end of the year you averaged 75 per week, you are telling a story that is not necessarily related in the simple statistics.

Account for changes in attendance. Describe what you have done to attract new attendees. In the case of declining attendance, describe what you are doing to address the problem.

5. If a similar project were planned now, describe what would have been done differently.

This is your opportunity to enlighten and educate the planners of future projects by describing what you have discovered from your efforts. You can provide presbytery, synod and GA with invaluable information that can be shared with other projects.

6. Attach a copy of the current year income/expense budget and most recent actual income/expense statement. Also, provide an itemized income/expense budget for the next year. (Not required for final year reports)

7. Middle Governing Bodies participating in and giving oversight and assistance to this project must provide on a single separate page a concise and independent evaluation of the current status of this Mission Program Grant project. Also, describe how you are maintaining regular contact with project leadership.

Project leaders are not responsible for answering this question. The presbytery leadership should provide an objective assessment that describes the joys and concerns, strengths and weaknesses and the future viability of the project.

Final year reports

The questions on the Annual Progress Report form are used not only for continuing projects, but also for projects that are within one year of completing their grant funding. Questions one through five and seven need to be answered as previously discussed. Question six is not required for final year reports. Questions eight and nine are to be answered as part of the final year report.

8. Provide a brief history of the project, highlighting accomplishments and
difficulties and your vision for the future.

This question asks you to give your reader a sense of the flow of the project from its beginning to the end of the grant funding period.

The historical narrative should answer some of the basic questions you would expect: “Who? Why? When? What? Where? How?”

9. How could the presbytery, synod and General Assembly have been more helpful?

This is an opportunity for your reader to learn what was or was not helpful in your efforts to advance Christ's ministry in your congregation. Please be honest, specific and straightforward in your answers.

For information about Mission Program Grants, please contact Tim McCallister, Associate or Bill Moore, Administrative Assistant, at:

Office of Mission Program Grants
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, KY 40202-1396
(888) 728-7228, Ext. 5230/5251
Fax: (502) 333-7251

Applications are available in Microsoft Word format and may be obtained by downloading from the Mission Program Grants site, or by e-mail from the Mission Program Grants office.