Grants Based On Faith

The Federal Government has assumed a new and refreshing position in interacting with and providing religious based affiliations with both the tools they need and increased opportunities to win faith based grants. Once dismissed at the federal level, religious oriented human service programs have shown to be a creditable and reliable provider of services in which Uncle Sam has taken renewed interest. While there are no funds available for choir robes or resurfacing of pews, there are now several entities within the federal government that now offer grants for churches.
In the areas of welfare and social policy, the federal government will now play a new role as supporter, enabler, catalyst and collaborator with faith based and church sponsored community organizations and programs. By executive order, the Cabinet Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives was formed and following federal entities now offer various forms of funding including faith based grants:

• Department of Health and Human Services now offers grants for churches through partnership with local organizations in their new Affordable Care Act, Let’s Move Faith and Communities initiate and the new National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse endeavors.
• Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering new grants for churches and faith based 501-C-3 organizations with their Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. This serves as a resource center for secular and faith-based non-profit organizations seeking to partner with HUD to address the housing and community development needs of the neighborhoods.
• Department of Labor occasionally offers funding opportunities that help provide work force skill training and faith based grants for local labor initiates.
•  Department of Justice offers grants for churches for programs to provide assistance to victims of crime, prisoners and ex-offenders, and women who suffer domestic violence.
• Department of Education occasionally offers faith based grants in the areas of leadership training and information technology educational programs to help keep workers skills up to date and allow them to make use of the ever-changing and advancing technology available.

While good old Uncle Sam has finally realized that grants based on faith for churches are in the best interest of its citizens, corporate and private foundations cannot be discounted as a viable alternative.
Fueled with oil – literally, the Carrie Estelle Foundation provides faith based grants in the areas of retreat centers, outreach programs, and involvement in social justice issues which guard the value of human-kind. The Cora Foundation is a private family foundation offering grants for churches to help support their efforts in meeting the physical and emotional needs of the Christian population at large.
Corporate-based grants based on faith makers, which include the Crowell Trust founded by Henry Parsons Crowell, founder of The Quaker Oats Company, is dedicated to the teaching and active extension of the doctrines of Evangelical Christianity through approved faith based grants to qualified organizations. The Ford Motor Company offers grants for churches to help promote social justice through the Ford Foundation.
As you can see there are many alternative resources available for those seeking faith based grants. Be sure and allow Uncle Sam to help you and don’t forget about private and corporate foundations who offer grants for churches.