Alleluia Fund

Grant Proposals Sought: The Alleluia Fund funds program proposals which address one or more of the following:

Food for the hungry; Shelter for the homeless; Education for youth and adults, serving underprivileged or at-risk individuals; and International programs supported by communities of faith in our diocese, or their members, providing relief and/or support of the Millennium Development Goals

Grant Request Cap: $15,000  [Cap instituted by act of Diocesan Council March 8^th, 2023]

Grant Duration: Grants will be awarded for a period of one year.

If grant funds are not disbursed within one year of the grant award, a written request for an extension must be submitted to the Board.

Effective April 1, 2023: Applicants to the Alleluia Fund may apply for no more than 3 consecutive years and may reapply after a hiatus of 2 years (if having applied for the maximum of 3 consecutive years) [Diocesan Council, March 8^th, 2023]

Grant Review Procedures:

1. After acceptance of a proposal a liaison (1 or possibly more Board members), is assigned.  The liaison will make either an on site visit to the project (or conduct a phone interview) and will inform the applicant of the time set for a hearing on the proposal before the full board.  These visits are mandatory and should be completed no later than one week prior to the hearing date. If the visit is not completed your application will not be considered during this cycle.

The Board will review the proposal at its following meeting and prepare a recommendation for Diocesan Council.  All applicants will be notified of the Board’s recommendation to Council.

2. The Diocesan Council’s Engaging the World Action Team receives for consideration the Board’s recommendations and the Diocesan Council ratifies the recommendations. In the event that the Engaging Action Team does not agree with a Board’s recommendation, it is referred back to the Board for reconsideration in accordance with the procedures set forth in the 1986 Diocesan Journal, page 130.

3. Once a proposal has been submitted the amount requested cannot be modified.

4. The Alleluia Fund Board will notify the applicant in writing of the final recommendation.

Evaluation Procedures for Alleluia Fund Grant Proposals:

1. Proposals submitted by the deadline will be considered. Late applications will not be considered for funding.

2. At the Board’s first meetings after the deadline, all proposals will be reviewed to determine whether they meet the following guidelines. If a proposal does not meet the criteria, the applicant will be notified immediately by mail of the reasons for the disqualification.

a) Copies of the operating budgets of the church or secular non-profit institution and of the project itself for the current and past year should be included.

b) Proposals should demonstrate that the applicant has researched other funding sources, including matching funds.

c) After a grant is made the Board, as part of its procedures, requires written reports on the project including financial accountability, evaluation of the goals and objectives and any problems encountered.

d) Before any changes in program design or costs are made during the life of the grant, written approval of the Alleluia Fund Board must be obtained.

e) In the event a project is not completed or is terminated, all remaining funds must be returned to the Board together with a written report of reasons for termination.

f) Where funds are committed to a project and that project does not start within 12 months, all funds will automatically revert back to the Alleluia Fund account for redistribution in the next granting period. The original proposal may be resubmitted, although it would then become one of any of received in the particular granting period.

g) The Board will provide assistance in writing proposals on request.

3. Grant requests for building repairs or construction and feasibility studies will not be considered for funding.

4. Alleluia Fund will only consider one proposal per institution for each granting period.

Grant Agreement – Accountability for Alleluia Fund Grants:  The signing of a grant agreement will be required prior to the release of the funds after a grant is recommended and ratified.  The terms of the agreement will be:

1. To use the grant to fund the initiative described in their proposal.

2. To keep financial records relating to this grant that the Alleluia Fund Board may request.

3. To return any unspent grant funds to the Alleluia Fund Board no later than one (1) month after the end of the grant calendar year.

4. If grant funds have not been disbursed within one year of the grant award, the organization must submit an updated request for funding.

Payments of grant funds awarded will not be made before the receipt of the signed agreement. (The Grant Agreement will be mailed to applicant after funding recommendation has been made by Alleluia Fund Board. Recommendation will still require ratification from Diocesan Council.)

Safe Church Training: If funding is sought for programs providing services to children and youth, completion of Safeguarding God’s Children on-line training must have been completed with the last five years for clergy engaged in ministry or service to the church, all paid personnel (whether employed in areas of ministry or other kinds of services in the church) and volunteers working or supervising children and youth in congregational settings.