Purpose of the Parish Ministry Grant
The Diocese of the Rocky Mountains provides grants of up to $20K to:
Enable church ministry that will strengthen or extend outreach to the local community
Allow healthy but under-resourced parishes overcome local outreach ministry obstacles to build on strengths and opportunities
Help parishes achieve significant steps forward in reaching those around them
Examples of PMG-Fundable Outreach
An after-school tutoring program open to area school kids
Support initiatives for a crisis pregnancy center or women’s shelter
Essential care ministries reaching the underserved
Youth ministry events open and heavily advertised to unchurched youth
Classes or trainings designed for and open to the general public that advance shalom and discipleship (parenting classes, for instance)
Fellowship events aimed at welcoming non-believers (men’s adventure events, mom support groups, etc.)
Examples of Non-Qualifying Ministries or Initiatives
Church staff hires
Training or teaching programs aimed wholly at Christians (excepting evangelism training)
Events only open or primarily advertised to church members
Non-outreach church supplies or curriculum purchases
Building renovation or improvement projects
Parish Grant Review Committee: Membership & Responsibilities
The Parish Grant Review Committee is made up of at least three members of the Diocesan Council who are appointed by the Council with the approval of the Bishop Ordinary. No member of the committee may evaluate a grant proposal related to his or her own parish.
Grant Review Process
Submission of grant proposal
Administrative Review
Committee Review
Committee Deliberation
Approval
Notification
Grant Evaluation Criteria
Mission Alignment (15 Points)
Does the ministry clearly advance the mission and values of the parish? Does it generally align with the mission and values of the diocese? Does it have a strong scriptural rationale?
Demonstrated Need (15 Points)
Is there clear evidence that the church ministry addresses a real community need and helps to bridge a parish resource gap?
Leadership Capacity & Local Support (10 Points)
Does the parish have capable leadership and sufficient volunteers or staff? Is there strong local investment and participation?
Ministry/Program Design (20 Points)
Is the plan thoughtful, feasible, and well-structured?
Impact on Parish Health (5 Points)
Does the proposal clearly demonstrate how this will help the parish grow in health overall (not just numerically)?
Measurable Outcomes (10 Points)
Does the proposal clearly define what success looks like?
Financial Stewardship (15 Points)
Is the budget responsible and aligned with the ministry plan? Is there clear evidence that church leadership teaches on tithing and stewardship? Is the church financially engaged but in need of additional support?
Sustainability (10 Points)
Is there a realistic plan for continuing to adequately fund and resource the church ministry after grant funding?
Reporting and Accountability
Mid-Year Report (due in early June) is to include:
Ministry progress update
Participation metrics
Challenges encountered
Financial summary & accounting
Final Report (due in December) is to include:
Ministry outcomes
Lessons learned
Community impact
Final financial report
Annual Grant Cycle
Grant Announcement: April
Application Deadline: Mid July
Committee Review: August
Funding Decisions: September
Award Notifications: Early October
Grant Disbursement Begins: January
Mid-Year Reports: Early June
Final Reports: End of December
Guide to Writing a Parish Ministry Grant Proposal
Cover Letter
Include a cover letter with your application (example below).
Date
[Grant Committee Name]
Address
Dear [Grant Committee}
On behalf of [church name], I am pleased to submit this proposal requesting [$ amount] to support [project name], a ministry initiative serving [community/population] in [city/state]. Our congregation has served this community since [year], and this project represents a significant opportunity to [brief description of impact]. Through this initiative we aim to [core goals] while strengthening our mission of [church mission statement or summary]. We appreciate your consideration and would welcome the opportunity to provide any additional information.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Title]
[Church Name]
Project Overview
Church Name
Project or Initiative Title
Primary Contact (include name, title, email, and phone number)
Total Project Budget
Grant Amount Requested
Project Duration (start & end dates)
Executive Summary
Provide a short overview of the ministry project or initiative, including:
A description of the need of the ministry or initiative
Who will be served
What the project will do
Expected outcomes, including for parish health
Funding request
Example structure of an Executive Summary:
[Church] seeks funding to support [project name], a ministry initiative serving [population] in [community]. Through [key activities], the project will address [community or spiritual need] while strengthening [discipleship, evangelism, community care, etc.]. The initiative will engage [number] participants [frequency] and will be led by [leadership team].
Ministry Context
Describe the ministry setting. Include data such as the following:
Church or ministry history, including how God is at work in your community
Community demographics
Current ministries
Congregational size
Existing outreach
Example structure of Ministry Context:
Church Founded: [Year]
Average Weekly Attendance: [Number]
Community Population: [Number]
Key Ministries: [List of Ministries]
Theological & Missional Rationale
Explain how the project aligns with the church’s mission, values, and goals. Show how it strengthens the proclamation of the gospel and discipleship and extends reach to the local community.
Possible components to include are:
Scriptural/biblical rational for this ministry or initiative related to gospel proclamation & discipleship
Parish history & mission
Parish priorities
General alignment with diocesan mission
Example structure for a Theological & Missional Rationale
Biblical Foundation: This ministry reflects Christ’s call to evangelism, discipleship, and service (Matthew 28:19–20; Matthew 25:35–40) in these ways…
Mission Alignment: The project advances the mission of the church through…
Statement of Need
Explain why this ministry initiative is necessary and advances Christian witness to the community. Here are examples of the kinds of information you could include:
Community challenges, esp. regarding non-Christians, the underserved, economically-challenged, and diverse communities (ethnically, culturally, socially)
Ministry gaps
Evidence of need
Why the parish is positioned to respond
Local statistics demonstrating need
Description of relevant community partnerships
Observations from ministry leaders
Applicable demographic trends
Ministry Leadership, Staffing, and Local Support
Describe the capacity and experience of the following in relation to the initiative/ministry, including:
Clergy leadership
Lay leadership
Staff roles
Local support (including from the Vestry)
Example of Ministry Leadership & Staffing:
Rector/Pastor: Spiritual oversight
Program Director: Project implementation
Volunteers: Implementation support
Inputs, Activities, Outputs, Outcomes
Inputs. Describe the resources used to support the project. Here are some example topics to cover:
Staff
Volunteers
Funding
Facilities
Curriculum
Partnerships
Activities. Describe what the ministry will actually do. Example topics:
Fellowship groups/events
Youth mentoring
Community meals
Evangelism training
Outreach events
Outputs. Describe the direct measurable results of activities. Example topics:
Number of participants
Number of classes held
Volunteer hours
Programs launched
Short-Term Outcomes. Describe the changes expected within 6–12 months. Examples:
Increased discipleship participation
Greater community engagement
Development of new ministry leaders
Long-Term Outcomes. Describe the larger impact over 2–5 years, including on parish health and qualitative growth. Here are some example topics to describe in detail:
Increased context for additional ministry
Growth in Christian community and/or church membership
Sustainable outreach ministries
Strengthened faith formation
Logic Model Table
The logic model table visually shows at-a-glance how the ministry is intended to work. Use the information from Section 7 to complete this table. A template is available with example information.
Project Timeline
Explain your project timeline. A template is available with example information.
Evaluation Plan
Explain how success will be measured. A template is available with sample information.
Here are some examples of possible evaluation methods you could decide to implement (and describe here):
Participation tracking & return attendees
Surveys
Goods distributed
Leadership reports
Ministry impact reviews
Budget for the Initiative/Ministry
A template is available with an example budget.
Budget Narrative
Explain the costs listed in your budget. Explain how the church is financially engaged and how the congregation has been discipled in stewardship and tithing, showing why diocesan support is necessary to fund the work at this time (demonstrate that the parish is not able to support the ministry on its own at this time).
Sustainability Plan
Explain how the ministry will continue beyond grant funding. For example, explain how it will continue to be supported from sources such as:
Congregational stewardship & tithing
Volunteer leadership
Additional fundraising
Partnerships with other organizations
Outside grant funding
Supporting Documents
Include the following as supporting documents.
Parish budget (former year is sufficient with notes about any major anticipated changes)
Treasurer’s report on giving
Vestry members list
Strategic ministry plan (if you do not have one, ensure Section 3 is very clear)
Letters of support (from at least Vestry, but possibly other community or ministry leaders, etc.)