The Foundation of the Diocese is a 501(c)3 registered charity that supports the religious, educational and charitable work of Episcopal parishes and institutions in the diocese through grants and loans.
The Foundation focuses on projects related to stewardship of property, program development, and community outreach, especially among parishes or institutions with limited financial resources.
The Foundation makes grants of up to $10,000 and loans (funding levels and terms at the Foundation’s discretion and amount of grant or loan money available at the time, with interest rates for loans typically 2 points below prime) to Episcopal parishes and institutions in the Diocese for:
- programs and ministries
- facilities (including building, replacing, improving or expanding)
- refinancing existing debt
The Foundation only funds work that is planned for the year of application, and does not retroactively fund work already done. Loans or grants received for work to be done in any given year as part of a multi-year project planned by the applicant does not guarantee or ensure the availability of further support from the Foundation for future phases of the project.
The Foundation Board considers the following factors when determining whether to make a loan or grant:
- the viability of the applicant organization;
- the availability of Foundation funds;
- the emergency nature of the request, if any;
- the financial ability and resources of the applicant organization;
- the anticipated impact of the loan or grant on the applicant and the community in which it is located;
- the anticipated impact of the loan or grant upon the Foundation.
How to Apply
To learn more about the Foundation’s operating policy, application procedures, or for a loan or grant application, please download and review:
2022 Due Dates
Grant & loan applications must be received two weeks prior to meetings of the Foundation Screening & Review committee. For 2022, Screening and Review Committee meeting dates are:
June 8th (applications due May 26th)
August 11th (applications due July 28th)
October 6th (applications due Sept 22nd)
Applicants, please note: applications are due before Screening and Review meetings as noted on the diocesan calendar (linked above). Information is commonly exchanged between the applicant and representatives of the Foundation throughout the application process to help the applicant make the best application possible. However, any discussion about the ultimate status of an application is tentative and without the authority of the Board, until the Board meets and comes to a final decision on the application.
Free consultation is available when planning projects or looking for resources such as contractors and other professionals.
Grant money originates from interest generated from loans made by the Foundation. Grant money availability is determined by the amount of interest collected on those loans.
Join the Foundation Board
The Foundation Board is always looking for people to join the team either as a board member or a local consultant. As a board member you would review applications for grants and/or loans, approve loan rates, possible site visits during the application process, and make parishes aware of what the Foundation is and how it can help.
There is also a subcommittee called Screening and Review which prescreens grant and loan applications; and makes recommendations to the Foundation Board for approval and amount of loan or grant. The subcommittee also ask questions of the applicant, requests clarification or missing information prior to the board takes up the action.
As a local consultant, you would be on call to make a site visit as a part of the review process for a grant and/or load and report back to the Screening and Review Committee or the Diocesan Property Committee. Tasks may include, but are not limited to: pre-project site inspection, recommending local contractors for obtaining quotes, property damage inspection, emergency response inspections, etc. and report back to the appropriate committee your findings.