“There’s no point for my church to even write grants; we don’t have a school or a daycare.” Wrong.
Grant Funding Misconception
The claim that a church cannot receive a grant if they do not operate a school or daycare is one of the biggest misconceptions floating around the grant writing world when it comes to churches. Really, all grantors are looking for when it comes to funding are “projects to benefit the larger community beyond the church's membership.”[1]
[1] Trainings in nonprofit fundraising, proposal writing, grants. Candid Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://learning.candid.org/resources/knowledge-base/faith-based/
“In this article, we will be highlighting some different types of grants that are offered that you could potentially be tapping into based on ministries, programs, and projects you already have! ”
In the book of Acts 20:35, the Bible says “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”[1]
Our mission as the church is to do exactly that – to give to our communities. Granted, no pun intended, we desire to give them something more than just what every other non-profit organization gives, we desire to give them truth.
So how do we do that if our church doesn’t have a school or a daycare that grantors are willing to fund?
In this article, we will be highlighting some different types of grants that are offered that you could potentially be tapping into based on ministries, programs, and projects you already have!
[1] Acts 20:35 (KJV).
Basics on funding categories Let’s start with the basics, what are the types of ministries, programs, and projects that grantors are looking to fund? Check out the following list of programs and projects that grantors, or funding organizations, are seeking to support financially:
● Children’s programs ● Childcare programs ● After-school programs ● Youth programs ● Men’s programs ● Ladies programs ● Maternity ● At risk-mentorship ● Parenting ● Disabilities ● Domestic violence ● Substance abuse ● Senior programs ● Minorities/equal opportunities ● Food programs/ hunger ● Education/literacy ● Professional development ● Economic development ● Quality of life ● Health Nutrition ● Fitness/Obesity ● Wellness ● Poverty ● Emergency assistance ● Community engagement ● Homelessness ● Environmental/Property development
So how does that apply to you and your church? Well, does your church have a youth group? An elders’ ministry? A coffee shop? A recovery program? Food program to feed the hungry? Offer parenting support groups? If you answered “Yes” to any of these, you are already on the right path to being eligible for potential grants.
As stated previously, grantors are looking for projects that will benefit your community as a whole, not just within your church body. So consider this question: How does your church’s different ministries benefit your surrounding community making you eligible for a potential grant?
A closer look at church ministries
So you have a youth program, right? Well, more than likely your youth group gathers multiple times throughout the week encouraging social interactions, mentorship, leadership opportunities, and access to guidance in making positive life choices amongst the young people in your community.
Boom. You’ve already dipped your toes into two different grant pools, youth and adolescent grants and health (both physical and mental) and wellness grants.
Let’s take another look at what your youth group may already be doing that could potentially make you eligible for additional grant funding categories. Say, your youth group gets together for Bible study on Sundays and Wednesdays, even Friday nights, and includes a game night in the church gym or at a local park where they play basketball or volleyball.
Bingo. Now you’ve just broadened your eligible grant funding possibilities.
In getting together for a game night, you have increased access to fitness activity within your community making you eligible for a physical fitness grant. By simply existing, your youth group is making a difference in your community in multiple different ways, making you a prime candidate for youth and adolescent grants, health and wellness grants, and physical fitness grants.
Pastor Jesse Arthur, youth pastor of Oak Park Pentecostal’s Empowered Youth, discusses how grant writing changed the game for his church’s youth group. “Partnering with Exousia completely changed the dynamic of our church's youth ministry. We won $50,000 in grant funding that enabled us to feed our students meals, buy back-to-school clothes and supplies, take our students to special events, cover transportation costs, purchase much needed sports equipment and more. Not only did the partnership and subsequent funding alleviate valuable time previously used for fundraising but it enabled us to drastically improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our program and the quality of life for our students.”
But, what if your church doesn’t have a youth group as its demographic picture may be predominantly elderly? Yes, youth-focused grant opportunities may not be available to your church. This does not negate your church, however, from receiving any grant.
Consider your church’s seniors ministry. Your elder’s ministry is made up of the senior citizens in your community. So right off the bat, your church qualifies for grants seeking to impact senior citizens.
Let’s delve into this a little further. One of the top concerns facing the elderly community is loneliness. As they get older, senior isolation becomes very pertinent resulting in a multiplicity of probable “detrimental factors such as depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, increased risk of falls, physical health decline and a higher risk of mortality.”[1] Through your church’s elder ministry senior isolation is not only addressed but more than likely is decreased resulting in a decline in all those factors stated above. This makes your elder’s ministry a prime candidate for mental health grants, too.
● By addressing ageism and restoring a sense of purpose among the senior citizens in your community, your senior’s ministry also qualifies for health and wellness grants.
● Do your elders enjoy music and the fine arts? If your seniors’ program strategically incorporates the arts into activities, then this ministry qualifies for arts grants.
● Do they love exploring nature by taking walks in local parks improving their quality of life? Your ministry is eligible for quality-of-life grants as well as health and wellness grants.
As you can see, the possibilities are endless.
But your church doesn’t have a youth group or a seniors’ ministry, right? All they have is a local coffee shop they use to help cover some of the operating costs of the church. Believe it or not, you’ve got yourself a grant jackpot. First and foremost, we know that “small businesses generate revenue that converts to local taxes feeding the local economy to create a better business within your community. This means your school districts, police forces, and other small businesses and organizations will create a support system and reap the benefits of each others’ hard work.”[2] We also know that local small businesses increase the number of locally available jobs resulting in a decrease in your community’s unemployment rate thus boosting the economy once again.
So how does that correlate with receiving grants?
By proving that your local coffee shop is having a positive impact on your local economy, you are eligible for economic development grants. This local coffee shop is sure to draw people of all ages. From high school students looking for a hangout spot after school to college students looking for a place to study to middle-aged adults looking for a place to have a business meeting to senior citizens looking for a place to commune with their friends, your local coffee shop reaches a wide variety of demographics enabling you to apply for grants ranging from youth and adolescents to senior citizens.
Debunking the grant myth
Today’s grant myth: Churches can only receive grants if they operate a school or daycare.
Myth: Busted. It simply is untrue.
There is so much untapped funding potential when it comes to grant writing opportunities for your church to impact your community on a larger scale. Your church does not need a daycare or a school; all it needs is someone with a vision and the determination to see their world changed.
We are called to be salt and light in this world. What we have to offer our communities goes beyond what any other nonprofit can offer them, truth. Through these ministries, we can change our communities for the better and with the ability to tap into the grant writing world, money can no longer be an excuse. The money is out there, we just have to find it!
Exousia seeks to educate and consult church leaders on how grants work and the principles of grant writing. Our prayer is that you are inspired to go out and implement grant funding strategies for your church ministries. If you desire to learn more about grant writing, check out our online grant writing institute or attend one of our in-person workshops near you!
[1] Aram, C. (2020, November 6). The top 5 concerns facing older adults in our community. TRU PACE. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.pace.trucare.org/the-top-5-concerns-facing-older-adults-in-our-community/ [2] WebpageFX. (2022, November 8). How small businesses impact their communities: CAEDC. Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://cumberlandbusiness.com/news/how-small-businesses-impact-their-communities/