Small Grants Available in 2022 for Parishes
Applications are now being accepted for the Diocese of Easton’s Church Initiatives Grant Program. Money is available exclusively to parishes and mission churches in the Diocese of Easton to undertake innovative programs and projects. The Grant Program is funded by investment returns from the Diocese’s St. Stephens Endowment Fund, a fund created with proceeds from the sale of St. Stephen’s Church, East New Market. The outcome of that “thinking outside the box” decision in 2008 became a valuable resource for funding twelve years of new ministries and continues to benefit parishes across the diocese.
Recent grants have funded the following innovations:
- Startup funding for the first-ever lower shore Choir School in Salisbury. St. Peter’s engaged students from neighboring communities as well as within their parish.
- Transformation of a section of farmland to a community garden site to benefit local families – a joint project of Shrewsbury Parish and La Sagrada Familia de Jesus. Shrewsbury was awarded a second to support leadership training and strategic planning with the Delmarva Covenant Union as they work together to conduct a needs assessment to address the root causes of hunger, homelessness, and racial inequality.
- Development of a formalized outreach for St. Paul’s, Trappe that blossomed into a lean protein ministry that connects local hunters with hungry families in Dorchester and Talbot Counties.
- Formation of a parish and community network by St. Mary Anne’s – Northeast to support music students (ages 5-18) with instruments and lessons by professional instructors through a church-related platform.
As much as $15,000 total is available to support new initiatives in 2022. The Church Initiatives Grants Committee is accepting grant applications now through Monday, January 24, 2021. Grant recipients will be announced at the Diocesan Convention with grants awarded in March 2021.
Churches may download the instructions and application as either a printable version or a fill-able-form, or they may request an application from the Diocesan office.