OpenGrants funding guide

Grants for Churches and Faith-Based Organizations

The grants that come back every year for churches, synagogues, mosques, parishes and faith-based nonprofits in the United States: denominational and religious-foundation money that can fund ministry itself, FEMA and state security grants, repair grants for historic houses of worship, and the federal, foundation and corporate programs that pay for the community work congregations run. Each card gives the money, the catch and the next window.

Data refreshed: November 4, 2026 · Editorial verified: October 27, 2026 · 122 programs
112Grants
2Loans
3In-kind support
5Other

How to use this page

  • Match the money to the activity. Denominational programs and religious foundations can pay for worship, formation, clergy renewal and outreach with religious content. Federal money, and most state, community-foundation and corporate money, pays only for the community service itself: a food pantry, shelter, child care, reentry or security program, with any worship or religious instruction kept separate in time or location and voluntary for the people you serve. The box below cites the current federal rule.
  • Check who has to apply: the congregation, or a separate nonprofit. The IRS treats a church that meets section 501(c)(3) as tax-exempt without an application (IRS guidance for churches), but a church that never applied does not show up in the IRS's exempt-organization search, so some funders still ask for a determination letter or a group-exemption letter from your denomination. Others want a separately incorporated 501(c)(3), and many congregations run their community work through one to keep federal compliance in its own lane. Each card's eligibility line says which.
  • Most of this money comes through a door near you. FEMA's security grants go through your state's homeland security agency, emergency food and shelter money through a local board, and many denominational grants through your diocese, synod or conference, often with internal deadlines weeks ahead of the funder's. Every card names its cycle, and when a window has closed it shows the next expected one, so you can plan the year now. Loans, reimbursements and in-kind help are labeled; everything else is a grant.

What's included: Programs a U.S. congregation, faith-based nonprofit, denomination or diocese, or (for clergy renewal) a pastor can apply to, directly or through a named intermediary, that come back every year or keep a standing window. Loans, reimbursements and in-kind help are included only when the card labels them. What's left out: One-off funding notices, programs that have not run since 2024, invitation-only funders with no open door, programs only a business or an individual student can apply for, programs outside the United States, and programs we could not confirm on their official page.

The federal rule on religious activity, as of October 2026

The rule that governs federal money for faith-based groups is the nine-agency final rule Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations (89 FR 15671, effective April 3, 2024), written into each agency's own regulations, for example HHS at 45 CFR part 87 and HUD at 24 CFR 5.109. As of October 25, 2026 the eCFR shows it still in force. The changes since have been narrow: HHS updated cross-references when it moved to 2 CFR part 200, and a USDA correction effective May 18, 2026 limited USDA's version to domestic social service programs.

It comes down to five lines. You compete on the same basis as any other applicant and keep your name, symbols and board. Direct federal money cannot pay for explicitly religious activity (worship, religious instruction, proselytization), so that activity must be separate in time or location from the funded service, and participation must be voluntary. You cannot turn away or treat a beneficiary differently because of religion, and you give beneficiaries a written notice of these protections. If you add your own money beyond the required match and commingle it with a federal award, the same restrictions apply to all of it; the match itself is covered either way (45 CFR 87.3(j)). Keep extra funds in a separate account if you want them outside those limits. Two programs make separate accounts mandatory: under the Community Services Block Grant and SAMHSA's substance use programs, a religious organization must keep the federal money in its own account, and only that account is subject to government audit (45 CFR 1050.3(f); 42 CFR 54.10). If a HUD grant helps buy or repair a building that is also used for worship, it can pay only the share used for the funded program, and never for the main sanctuary (24 CFR 5.109(j)).

What may change: on May 29, 2026 OMB proposed revising the government-wide grant rules (91 FR 32198; comments closed July 13) to add a ban on discriminating for or against faith-based applicants to 2 CFR 200.300. It is not final. The Department of Labor asked faith groups what keeps them out of its programs (request for information, December 10, 2025). Religious hiring remains the most contested area: the regulations keep the Title VII exemption, but some program statutes add their own hiring rules, so check each program's notice.

Showing 122 of 122 programs

1. Denominational grant programs

Denominational grants are money a church body collects from its own people, through special offerings such as One Great Hour of Sharing, the United Thank Offering or Neighbors in Need, and sends back out to congregations and ministries. No federal rules come with it, so it can pay for evangelism, church planting, worship space and ministry training that government grants cannot touch. Most awards are modest: $1,000 to $10,000 is typical, Catholic anti-poverty grants run $25,000 to $75,000, and a few capital programs reach $150,000. Cycles are annual and follow the church calendar, with a fall or spring deadline and money arriving the next year. Most programs require membership or a formal tie to the denomination, but some fund outsiders, including the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the Presbyterian Women offerings and United Methodist youth grants. The most common mistake is skipping the gatekeeper. Many of these grants need a bishop's endorsement, a judicatory signature or a local sponsor, and that internal deadline usually falls weeks before the published one.

29 programs

Catholic Church

Catholic Campaign for Human Development — Community Development Grant Program

Catholic Church — Catholic Campaign for Human Development (USCCB)
$25,000–$75,000 a year; renewable annually for up to six years, then a three-year pause
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disaster
The catch: Every applicant signs a written agreement that its activities do not contradict Catholic moral and social teaching — groups that support or promote abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, racism or same-sex marriage are ineligible — and must stay out of partisan political activity. No grant is made without the endorsement of the bishop of each diocese where the group works, and an organization funded for six years since 1997 sits out three years.
Next deadline: Expected: May 2027 · Annual: Grant Eligibility and Inquiry Form April 1–May 1; invited full applications due June 15; grants usually approved in November
Applicant tip: Contact your diocesan CCHD director before you submit the inquiry form: directors do the site visits and co-write the recommendation the bishop reads. Keep the request below your total assets — the CCHD guide says asking for more than that signals the application is premature.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) organizations (a pending Form 1023 can be considered; no fiscal sponsors) led by people living in poverty — at least half the governing board and at least half the beneficiaries low-income — working on institutional change through community organizing, advocacy and leadership development. You do not have to be Catholic or church-based, but groups whose main work is direct service (pantries, shelters, counseling, daycare) are not eligible, and a parish is not the applicant.
How to apply
Through your Catholic diocese: submit the online CCHD Grant Eligibility and Inquiry Form (April 1–May 1); invited groups file a full application by June 15, receive site visits from national staff and the diocesan CCHD director, and need the local bishop's endorsement before the bishops' subcommittee decides.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Catholic Campaign for Human Development — Economic Development Grant Program

Catholic Church — Catholic Campaign for Human Development (USCCB)
$25,000–$75,000 a year with a 1:1 cash match; up to three years of funding
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disaster
The catch: You need the 1:1 match raised or reasonably certain before the grant year (in-kind does not count), a business plan approved within the past two years and positive net assets; funding ends after three years, consecutive or not. The same Catholic-teaching compliance agreement, ban on partisan activity and bishop's endorsement apply as for Community Development grants.
Next deadline: Expected: May 2027 · Annual: Grant Eligibility and Inquiry Form April 1–May 1; invited full applications due June 15; grants usually approved in November
Applicant tip: Line up the match before you apply — the CCHD guide tells groups without it to wait for a later year. If the enterprise still sits inside a parent nonprofit, show that the parent's strategic plan includes it and that the enterprise can eventually stand alone.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Groups creating or expanding an economic development institution — a social enterprise, worker-owned cooperative, community land trust or alternative financial institution — with at least a third of the governing board and at least half the beneficiaries low-income. Groups without 501(c)(3) status may apply through a fiscal sponsor or parent nonprofit; individually owned for-profit businesses are not eligible.
How to apply
Through your Catholic diocese: submit the CCHD Grant Eligibility and Inquiry Form for the Economic Development program (April 1–May 1); invited applicants file a full application by June 15, and the local bishop must endorse the request before the bishops' subcommittee decides.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Catholic Extension Society — Funding Requests from Extension Dioceses

Catholic Church — Catholic Extension Society
Varies — check official page (no published cap; funding types cover basic ministry operations, lay and ordained leader formation, church construction and renovation, youth ministry, capacity building and pastoral and social ministry)
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservationministry & clergychildren & youth
The catch: Payments go to the diocesan bishop, restricted to the approved project, and an outcome report is due within a year; some awards are matching challenges paid only when benchmarks are met. The Society does not fund Catholic schools, debt on finished projects, Catholic Charities or diocesan social-service operations, or first-response disaster relief, and it will not give operating support to financially stable parishes.
Next deadline: Expected: December 2026 · Twice a year: May 1 for dioceses on a January–December fiscal year; November 1 for dioceses on a July–June fiscal year; payments are made quarterly · Set an alert ↗
Applicant tip: Talk with the Society's mission staff before filing — the FAQ says it is optional but speeds review — and include a plan to sustain the work after the grant, because reviewers ask why a previously funded parish still needs help.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Only Catholic dioceses and eparchies the Society's Board of Governors has approved as 'Extension dioceses' — under-resourced, mostly rural dioceses on its published list, including Puerto Rico and the Pacific territories. Parishes, ministries and religious orders inside those dioceses can receive funding, but the request must come through the diocese; Catholic schools and regional or national Catholic organizations cannot apply.
How to apply
Through your Extension diocese: a pastor or program manager may draft the online funding request, but the diocesan contact must review it and the bishop must endorse it before it is submitted.
Applicant fit
denomination or diocese, congregation
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Since 1905 the Society has distributed more than $650 million to communities across the United States (Catholic Extension funding guidelines).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Catholic Home Missions Appeal Grants

Catholic Church — USCCB Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions
No minimum; up to $125,000 per diocese or eparchy per year
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergy
The catch: Grants pay operating costs of pastoral programs — evangelization, religious education, ministry training and support of poor parishes — and ordinarily not capital expenses; there is no money for endowments or loans, and programs that provide only social services are directed elsewhere. Grants run one year; renewal is possible, but the Subcommittee can declare a grant non-renewable.
Next deadline: Apr 1, 2027 · Annual: online application opens in early January and is due April 1; decisions in October, notification by mid-November, payments twice a year starting in January
Applicant tip: If your parish runs catechesis, evangelization or lay-ministry training in a mission diocese, ask the diocesan grant coordinator early to write it into the April 1 application — the Subcommittee will not take a request from a parish directly, and late applications are refused without prior written notice.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
For now the Subcommittee approves grants only to (arch)dioceses and eparchies — chiefly home mission dioceses that cannot offer basic pastoral ministry of word, worship and service without outside help. Parishes and organizations ask their bishop to include them in the diocesan application.
How to apply
Through your (arch)diocese: the diocesan bishop signs the application and writes a separate endorsement letter; the online application opens in early January.
Applicant fit
denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Who wins
The Appeal is funding over $7 million in grants to more than 70 dioceses this year (USCCB Catholic Home Missions page).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Episcopal Church

United Thank Offering (UTO) Grants

Episcopal Church — United Thank Offering
$1,000–$55,000; up to $100,000 in cases of extreme need (separate Ida Soule application)
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disasterministry & clergy
The catch: UTO does not fund operating budgets, deferred maintenance, capital campaigns, debt, websites, transportation of people, scholarships or emergency response, and the same project site cannot apply two years running. Dioceses with an overdue UTO report or unpaid assessment cannot apply, and recipients must spend as budgeted and file a final report within a year.
Next deadline: Dec 4, 2026 · Annual: proposal and audit to the bishop in early December; draft documents to UTO in early January; final packet in early February
Applicant tip: Find your diocese's internal deadline now — the Diocese of Los Angeles, for example, wanted proposal ideas by October 23 because each bishop can endorse only one project. UTO staff run 30-minute one-on-one office hours, and first-time grant writers are explicitly encouraged.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Episcopal institutions only — parishes, dioceses, provinces, schools, seminaries, monastic communities and other Episcopal-affiliated organizations — for start-up costs of a new ministry or a new project inside an existing one. Each Episcopal Church diocese forwards one application (plus one more if it receives General Convention budget support); non-Episcopal partners are welcome but cannot hold or manage the money.
How to apply
Through your bishop: U.S. applicants send the Grant Project Proposal form and an audit to the bishop by December 4, the diocese selects one project, drafts go to UTO by January 8, and the completed packet with the signed Bishop's Endorsement Form is due February 5 (all at 5 p.m. Eastern).
Applicant fit
congregation, denomination or diocese, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Nearly $1 million in UTO grants supported 25 mission and ministry projects in the last cycle; more than 5,400 grants totaling over $145 million since 1883 (Episcopal Church, September 3, 2026).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Vitality Grants (Experimental and Large Vitality Grants)

Episcopal Church — Diocese of Oklahoma
Experimental Grants up to $500; Large Vitality Grants $1,001–$5,000
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergycommunity development & disaster
The catch: Projects must take place outside Sunday morning, start within 60 days of the award and build a relationship with a named community partner; existing programs, sabbaticals and member-only events are excluded, and advertising must stay under 10% of costs. Large Grants require a congregational financial contribution and learning reports every six months, and more than $2,000 in capital costs makes a project ineligible.
Next deadline: Expected: November 2027 · Annual: program opens February 1; applications accepted on a rolling basis through November 1 · Set an alert ↗
Applicant tip: Start with a $500 Experimental Grant to test an idea, then build a Large Grant request on it — the diocese explicitly funds Large Grants that grow out of an earlier Experimental Grant. A congregation can hold only one Vitality Grant at a time, so rank simultaneous requests.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Congregations of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma that are current on the parochial, congregational, Safe Church and audit reports and on Mutual Ministry Support, and that have completed a Congregational Vitality Assessment within the last 24 months.
How to apply
Direct application: online form on the diocese's Vitality Grants page; Experimental Grants are usually reviewed in under two weeks, Large Grants in about six weeks, with final decisions by the bishop and canons.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grants

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) — ELCA World Hunger
Up to $10,000 a year for a three-year cycle (up to $30,000), subject to annual evaluation and available funds
GrantEquity-freefood & hungerhousing & homelessnesscommunity development & disaster
The catch: Groups that discriminate, require participation in faith activities to receive services, or act as pass-throughs are not funded. Priority goes to work on root causes, leadership by people with lived experience, advocacy for systemic change and asset-based partnerships, so a stand-alone feeding program competes poorly.
Next deadline: Expected: July 2027 · Annual: letter-of-inquiry window opens in spring (mid-April to July 1 in the last cycle); accept/deny responses in late October; full applications October–December; awards in January; grants start March 1
Applicant tip: The full application is short-fused — invitations came October 30 in the last cycle with the full proposal due by December — so set up your ELCA GrantMaker account when you send the LOI and decide early whether you are asking for one year or three.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) nonprofits — ELCA congregations and ministries, or other groups — with an established tie to an ELCA congregation or ministry and to the local community, already doing the work they propose (food security, clean water, housing, job access, human rights or policy change).
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: submit the online LOI form during the spring window; invited applicants complete the full application in ELCA GrantMaker in the fall.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Mission Investment Fund Loans for ELCA Congregations and Ministries

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) — Mission Investment Fund
Loan: adjustable-rate (up to 25-year amortization) and fixed-rate (up to 10-year amortization) loans from $100,000; smaller-project loans with up to 10-year amortization
LoanEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: This is a loan, not a grant: it is repaid with interest, adjustable rates reset at the end of a 1-, 3-, 5- or 7-year term, long-term loans carry a document preparation fee and the title company charges closing costs. MIF does not charge mortgage points.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling
Applicant tip: MIF combines the construction loan and the long-term loan into one, which saves a second closing. Its standard adjustable and fixed loans start at $100,000; for a smaller improvement, ask about the smaller-project loan.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
ELCA congregations, synods and ELCA-related ministries such as social ministry organizations, outdoor ministries, seminaries, colleges, universities and schools.
How to apply
Direct application: request a rate quote or begin the online loan application; a MIF representative responds within two business days.
Applicant fit
congregation, denomination or diocese, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None (loan — repayable)
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Presbyterian Women Thank Offering Grants

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — Presbyterian Women
$5,000–$50,000, one-time; up to 15 projects a year
GrantEquity-freehealth & recoverycommunity development & disaster
The catch: No debt payments, revolving loans, endowments or ongoing operating costs including salaries, and the work must start within a year of funding. Recipients file an interim financial report six months after the first payment plus one- and two-year follow-up reports; at least 40% of the offering goes to health ministries.
Next deadline: Expected: November 2027 · Annual: applications due November 1; decisions in March · Set an alert ↗
Applicant tip: The PW endorsement has no exceptions — if your program has no Presbyterian Women connection, ask a local PC(USA) congregation to make the introduction before you write. Emailed applications must arrive as one PDF; multiple attachments are not considered.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Programs in the U.S. or abroad that meet human needs in line with PC(USA) mission policy, are less than three years old (or are existing projects moving in a new direction), and have not had a Thank or Birthday Offering grant in the past five years. Requests come from PC(USA) governing bodies, health agencies, community groups, educational institutions and church-related groups — Presbyterian membership is not required, but a PW endorsement is.
How to apply
Direct application: mail (postmarked) or email as a single PDF by November 1, with an endorsement from the moderator of a Presbyterian Women group in a PC(USA) congregation for U.S. projects.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Presbyterian Women Birthday Offering Grants

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — Presbyterian Women
$75,000–$150,000, one-time; up to five capital improvement projects a year
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservationcommunity development & disaster
The catch: One-time capital money: it cannot pay current debt, create revolving loans or endowments, or cover operating costs including salaries, and work must start within a year. The grant comes in two payments — October of the decision year and the following May — and recipients file interim, one-year and two-year reports.
Next deadline: Jun 1, 2027 · Annual: applications due June 1; decisions in September
Applicant tip: Plan construction cash flow around the second payment, which arrives about a year after you apply. The application must show how the project serves women, children, youth, people of diverse races or ethnicities, or people with disabilities.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Capital improvement projects in the U.S. or abroad that meet human needs in line with PC(USA) mission policy, are less than three years old (or move an existing project in a new direction), and have not had a Thank or Birthday Offering grant in five years; the applicant need not be Presbyterian but U.S. projects need a Presbyterian Women endorsement.
How to apply
Direct application: submit the Birthday Offering application by June 1 with an endorsement from the moderator of a Presbyterian Women group in a PC(USA) congregation (U.S. projects).
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

World Communion Offering (WCO) Grant Program

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — World Communion Offering
$500–$1,000; occasional awards up to $5,000 depending on project scope and funds available
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergycommunity development & disaster
The catch: Small grants tied to the five World Communion Offering focus areas; only PC(USA) congregations and mid councils are eligible.
Next deadline: Jan 15, 2027 · Annual: applications due January 15
Applicant tip: Size the request to the $500–$1,000 band; the PC(USA) reserves the occasional larger award (up to $5,000) for projects whose scope justifies it, when funds allow.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
PC(USA) congregations and mid councils (presbyteries and synods) engaged in ministries of reconciliation and witness: racial justice, gender justice, peacemaking, global witness, or ecumenical and interfaith relations.
How to apply
Direct application: through the PC(USA) Grant Application portal for congregations, mid councils and ministry partners.
Applicant fit
congregation, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Native American Church Property Grants

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — Global Ecumenical Partnerships
Varies — check official page (amount set by the project proposal)
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: Limited to repairs and improvements of Native American church property; the fund is held by the Presbyterian Foundation and awards depend on the proposal and available money.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling
Applicant tip: Requests go to a named person rather than a portal — the Rev. Irvin Porter, the PC(USA) Native American Church Consultant — so call or email before writing; there is no deadline.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Native American church properties of the PC(USA) that need repairs or improvements.
How to apply
Direct application: request the grant application from the PC(USA) Native American Church Consultant in Global Ecumenical Partnerships; the GEP grants team evaluates and awards.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Presbytery of Middle Tennessee Hunger Grant Program

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — Presbytery of Middle Tennessee
Up to $4,000 per organization
GrantEquity-freefood & hunger
The catch: Funded from the Cents-Ability offering of the presbytery's congregations, so money is limited and the process is competitive. The application asks for proof of 501(c)(3) status, and the endorsing PC(USA) congregation must describe its members' involvement and giving.
Next deadline: Jan 1, 2027 · Two rounds a year: applications due January 1 (awarded February 28) and July 1 (awarded August 31)
Applicant tip: The endorsement form asks how the congregation's members take part, whether it gives money to the work and whether it joins the Cents-Ability offering, so recruit an endorsing church that is genuinely involved.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
An established church or 501(c)(3) organization working on hunger through direct food relief, development, public policy, lifestyle integrity or hunger education, with an endorsement from a local PC(USA) congregation.
How to apply
Direct application: email or mail the application with proof of 501(c)(3) status, a board or committee list, a budget summary and a PC(USA) congregation's endorsement to the presbytery.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

United Methodist Church

UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response Grants (solidarity, preparedness and recovery)

United Methodist Church — United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
Varies — check official page (solidarity grants for immediate relief, preparedness grants and long-term recovery grants; 389 grants totaling $27.44 million worldwide in 2025)
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disaster
The catch: Money goes to the conference, which directs it; UMCOR's partners choose beneficiaries by need and vulnerability, not religion. Volunteers deploy through UMCOR-trained Early Response Teams — UMCOR asks people not to self-deploy.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling: solidarity grants follow a disaster; preparedness and recovery grants as conferences request them
Applicant tip: Ask your conference whether it passes UMCOR preparedness money down to congregations — Upper New York turned part of its 2026 preparedness grant into micro-grants for local churches, launched in July 2026.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
United Methodist annual conferences in the U.S. responding to, preparing for or recovering from natural or human-caused disasters; local churches receive help through their conference's disaster response ministry, not directly from UMCOR.
How to apply
Through your annual conference: the conference disaster response coordinator and bishop request the grant from UMCOR; congregations work through the conference.
Applicant fit
denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Who wins
2025: the New Mexico Conference received a $10,000 solidarity grant after July flooding in Doña Ana County colonias. 2026: the Upper New York Conference received a $46,000 Disaster Preparedness Grant, $20,000 of it for about 30 micro-grants to local churches.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Mustard Seed Migration Grants

United Methodist Church — UMCOR (Global Ministries)
Up to $2,000 per church project
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disasterfamilies & seniors
The catch: No church renovation, clergy salaries or clergy time, Bibles or worship materials, travel or shipping outside the community, or pass-through to another organization, and no proselytizing; participants must be chosen apart from any relationship with the church. Funds may not be used to transport, house, conceal or employ undocumented immigrants or for any illegal activity.
Next deadline: Nov 15, 2026 · Rolling, first come first served, until the November 15 application deadline
Applicant tip: Apply early in the year — awards are first come, first served. Churches in the Michigan Conference apply through the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan under a 2026 pilot rather than directly to UMCOR.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Local United Methodist churches in the U.S. only, for a congregation-run, community-based service project with migrants and refugees in their own community, completed within six months.
How to apply
Direct application: email the signed application (project grant manager and senior pastor) to UMCOR; applications are reviewed on a rolling basis within about 30 days.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

CORR Action Fund (CAF) Grants — United States

United Methodist Church — General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR)
Up to $10,000 for up to 12 months
GrantEquity-freehealth & recovery
The catch: Projects must be trauma-informed, culturally appropriate and built on GCORR's Ministry Model, with the potential to be replicated in other churches, districts or conferences; the money must be used within the 12-month grant period.
Next deadline: Expected: May 2027 · Annual: U.S. applications due in mid-May; grants run September 1 through August 31
Applicant tip: Read the year's focus before drafting: the 2026 U.S. round funded only mental health access for underserved communities, and GCORR links its 2023 mental-health grantees as examples of what it funds.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
United Methodist and Methodist Church of Puerto Rico local churches, districts and conferences, UM-affiliated schools and educational institutions, other UM-affiliated entities and racial and ethnic caucuses in the U.S. The focus is set each year; the 2026 U.S. round funded mental health support for historically underserved communities.
How to apply
Direct application: email the completed application and required documents to the CORR Action Fund Committee.
Applicant fit
congregation, denomination or diocese, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Church and Society Grants (Peace with Justice, Ethnic Local Church, Human Relations Day)

United Methodist Church — General Board of Church and Society (GBCS)
$2,000–$5,000 (2026 awards)
GrantEquity-freejustice & reentrycommunity development & disaster
The catch: Grants cannot pay for individual scholarships, salaries, equipment, purely administrative costs or the direct delivery of services — this is money for advocacy and community engagement. A letter from the resident bishop is required.
Next deadline: Expected: August 2027 · Annual: applications due in late August; award notifications in late October
Applicant tip: Request the bishop's letter as soon as the application opens — the 2026 window ran about a month (opened at the end of July, closed August 31) and an application without the letter is incomplete.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
United Methodist congregations and groups related to The United Methodist Church, in three categories: Peace with Justice, Ethnic Local Church (self-identified needs of ethnic local churches and persons) and Human Relations Day (advocacy and community engagement).
How to apply
Direct application: online application with a project summary, a statement of alignment with the Social Principles, a budget with at least two references, and a letter from your resident bishop.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Racial Ethnic Local Church Concerns (RELCC) Grants

United Methodist Church — Discipleship Ministries
Up to $10,000, one-time
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergy
The catch: One-time funding — previously funded projects are not eligible — and no salaries, equipment or building costs.
Next deadline: Expected: September 2027 · Annual: applications due in mid-September
Applicant tip: Show ongoing discipleship results, not an event: the program lists 'create ongoing impact (not just a one-time event)' and church-member involvement in planning and decisions among its requirements.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Projects connected to a U.S. United Methodist local church, district, conference or affiliated ministry that strengthen a racial ethnic congregation or community; the local church and the program's leadership must be predominantly non-white.
How to apply
Direct application: complete the application narrative and budget form, then submit them through the online RELCC form.
Applicant fit
congregation, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Global Youth Service Fund (YSF) and Grants for Ministries With Young People (GMYP)

United Methodist Church — Young People's Ministries (Discipleship Ministries)
Up to $15,000 per grant from either fund
GrantEquity-freechildren & youth
The catch: At least 75% of the grant must go to program costs and no more than 25% to administration or salary, and grants do not cover deficits. Funding drops each consecutive year (YSF up to three years, GMYP up to five), and missing the final report bars the organization from future awards.
Next deadline: Apr 15, 2027 · Annual: Stage 1 due April 15; invited Stage 2 due June 15; awards notified August–December; money paid the following January
Applicant tip: Pick one fund: an application entered for both YSF and GMYP in the same year is automatically denied. For YSF, have young people write and design the application themselves — the guidelines ask that it come primarily from them.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
YSF: youth-led projects involving youth ages 12–18 in the U.S. (up to 24 abroad); United Methodist projects get preference, then other churches and interfaith efforts, then secular groups that meet the criteria. GMYP: anyone with an innovative ministry involving youth or young adults (12–30 in the U.S.), with United Methodist support recommended.
How to apply
Direct application: Stage 1 short form (opens in January, due April 15); invited applicants submit a Stage 2 full application with a detailed budget, a recommendation letter and five stakeholder prayer partners by June 15.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None

Native American Ministries Sunday Grants

United Methodist Church — Global Ministries
Up to $10,000
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergybuildings & preservationcommunity development & disaster
The catch: Funded by the Native American Ministries Sunday offering and limited to its uses: outreach and community ministry, revitalization and discipleship formation, salary supplements, and building repairs and expansions.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling
Applicant tip: Half of the Native American Ministries Sunday offering stays with the annual conference that collects it, so also ask your conference's Committee on Native American Ministries about its own grants.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Native American United Methodist congregations and annual conference Native American ministries, including the target cities of Global Ministries' Native American Ministry program.
How to apply
Direct application: to Global Ministries on a rolling basis (technical help at [email protected]).
Applicant fit
congregation, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

United Church of Christ

Neighbors in Need (NIN) Grants

United Church of Christ — Justice and Local Church Ministries
$1,000–$10,000: Direct Service $1,000–$3,000; Advocacy $3,001–$5,000; Grass Top $5,001–$10,000
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disasterjustice & reentry
The catch: Projects must fall under a General Synod program area, and organizations outside UCC church standing must document their covenant relationship. The Grass Top tier is described as highly competitive and favors innovative programs other churches can replicate.
Next deadline: Sep 15, 2027 · Annual: portal opens June 15 and closes September 15; awards announced by the end of November, paid in December; projects begin after January 1
Applicant tip: Choose the tier by purpose, not size: Direct Service money meets immediate needs (food, clothing, utilities), Advocacy funds state or federal policy campaigns, and Grass Top is for replicable innovation.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
UCC local churches with standing in an Association, proposed congregations and new church starts, and organizations in a covenant relationship with a UCC Conference or the National Ministries, for U.S. justice and compassion work tied to General Synod actions on the rights and freedoms of all persons, environmental justice or economic justice.
How to apply
Direct application: UCC Program Grants portal, open June 15–September 15; covenant-partner organizations need their Conference Minister's endorsement.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
The Neighbors in Need offering supported 26 grant recipients in 2025 (ucc.org).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

CASA New and Renewing Church Grants (Church Assessment, Support and Advancement)

United Church of Christ — Justice and Local Church Ministries
$25,000 a year in years one and two; up to $25,000 a year in years three and four, paid only against matching funds raised
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergy
The catch: Grantees reapply each year for up to four years; in years three and four they file quarterly financial statements and receive money only to the extent they have raised matching funds.
Next deadline: Sep 15, 2027 · Annual: portal opens June 15 and closes September 15; awards announced by the end of November, paid in December
Applicant tip: Continuing grantees use a different form from first-time applicants, and the application now scores against the Marks for Faithful and Vital Local Churches in the Manual on Local Church — read them before you draft.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
New and renewing ministries working to establish faith communities with Local Church standing in the UCC (including Schedule 4 new church starts), aligned with the purpose of the UCC National Ministries and the Marks for Faithful and Vital Local Churches.
How to apply
Direct application: UCC Program Grants portal (separate forms for new and continued funding), open June 15–September 15.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Love of Church Rapid Response Grants

United Church of Christ — Justice and Local Church Ministries
$1,000–$5,000, depending on available funds
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservationcommunity development & disaster
The catch: One-time help with unforeseen expenses, not ongoing support; funds are limited, and churches facing costs of caring for vulnerable people are prioritized.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling: reviewed monthly
Applicant tip: Submit before the first week of a month to make that month's review — decisions and payment come by month's end, which makes this one of the fastest denominational grants available.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
UCC local churches with standing in an Association or Conference facing an unexpected financial burden — critical infrastructure repair or replacement, or a sudden rent or operating-cost increase — or an urgent need in their outreach ministry.
How to apply
Direct application: online application through UCC Program Grants; applications are reviewed the first week of every month, with notification and payment by the end of that month.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Week of Compassion Grants for Congregations (domestic disaster and immigrant & refugee response)

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) — Week of Compassion
Varies — check official page (amounts not published; Congregational Solidarity Grants cover a percentage of estimated building-damage costs)
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disasterbuildings & preservation
The catch: Only Disciples congregations and ministries qualify, and solidarity grants cover a share of costs rather than the whole bill; household grants are sent through church leadership to members.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling: as needs arise
Applicant tip: Beyond the immediate solidarity grants, ask about Community Support Grants for a congregation's relief work, Long-Term Recovery Grants for local housing recovery, and Disaster Volunteering Grants for mission teams serving at Week of Compassion sites.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Disciples of Christ congregations, regions and Disciples-affiliated ministries — and, through church leaders, Disciples households — after fires, floods, severe weather and other disasters, or when responding to immigrant and refugee needs in their communities.
How to apply
Direct application: a leader of the local church, region or Disciples ministry contacts Week of Compassion staff — the Disaster Response Manager for disaster grants, the Associate Director for Immigrant & Refugee Response for migration grants.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Unitarian Universalist Association

Fund for Unitarian Universalist Social Responsibility

Unitarian Universalist Association — Unitarian Universalist Funding Program
Up to $20,000 (average $8,800); special Get Out The Vote grants up to $1,000
GrantEquity-freejustice & reentrycommunity development & disaster
The catch: No grants to individuals, for equipment, capital campaigns or endowments, for the ongoing work of UU institutions, or as a pass-through from a congregation to a local nonprofit. Matching or challenge grants are common, and congregations are judged partly on meeting their UUA Honor Congregation contribution.
Next deadline: Mar 31, 2027 · Twice a year: spring applications open March 1 and close March 31; fall applications open September 1 and close September 30; panels meet May–June and November–December
Applicant tip: For urgent work that cannot wait for a cycle, the fund's special Congregation-Based Community Organizing and Actions of Public Witness grants take rolling applications (until December 4 in the 2026 round). Grants for a specific event must be requested in a cycle at least six months ahead.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Unitarian Universalist congregations and organizations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, for service, advocacy or community organizing that increases UUs' direct involvement in justice work in the wider community. Non-UU community organizing groups apply instead to the program's Fund for a Just Society.
How to apply
Direct application: UUFP Funding Center (pass an eligibility quiz before the application opens).
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod

LWML Mission Grants

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod — Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML)
Varies — check official page (proposals in the 2025–2027 Mission Grant Bank ranged up to $100,000)
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergycommunity development & disaster
The catch: U.S. proposals need electronic sign-off from both the LWML district president and the LCMS district president, and the ministry must be able to carry out the project within the biennium it is voted on or the next and continue after the money is spent.
Next deadline: Expected: 2028 (the proposal form for the 2027–2029 biennium is closed; guidelines are posted in spring of even-numbered years) · Every two years: proposals collected in even-numbered years; delegates vote at the biennial convention in odd-numbered years
Applicant tip: If the national ballot is out of reach, ask your LWML district about its own mission grants and the national Mission Grant Bank, which districts use to build their ballots — the Missouri District, for example, takes applications through October 15, 2027.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Mission-focused, ongoing ministries in the U.S. or abroad that report to a governing unit — an LCMS district, partner church or LCMS Recognized Service Organization — share the Gospel and reflect LCMS mission priorities.
How to apply
Nomination: proposals are submitted electronically by LWML members, local groups, zones, districts or LCMS offices in even-numbered years; a selection committee builds the ballot and convention delegates vote.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, denomination or diocese, religious school
Equity taken
None
Who wins
For 2025–2027 the selection committee received 112 proposals and placed 47 on the convention ballot (LWML, March 3, 2025).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Church of the Brethren

Global Food Initiative (GFI) Grants

Church of the Brethren — Global Food Initiative
Varies — check official page (direct food purchases capped at $2,500 for grants awarded in 2025)
GrantEquity-freefood & hungerhousing & homelessness
The catch: Only a limited share of GFI money supports direct food provision such as pantries and community meals; priority goes to sustainable, root-cause work like church gardens, nutrition and cooking education. Review takes two to six months and can slow when applications surge.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling
Applicant tip: Build the request around a garden, nutrition or cooking-skills component — the guidelines steer congregational applicants there and cap direct food purchases — and call the GFI manager first if you are unsure your ministry qualifies.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
In the U.S., Church of the Brethren congregations, camps and related ministries addressing domestic hunger and homelessness; churches cannot pass the money through to another organization, and partnerships need significant congregational involvement.
How to apply
Direct application: email the application to the GFI manager or submit the online web form; forms are available in English, Spanish, French and Haitian Creole.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

American Baptist Churches USA

Mission Initiative Fund Grants

American Baptist Churches USA — Office of the General Secretary
Varies — check official page (the fund receives 1% of gross United Mission giving each year)
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergycommunity development & disaster
The catch: Projects must be new and align with ABCUSA's mission and goals, with clear goals, a defined budget and an evaluation plan; funded projects file annual progress reports and final outcomes.
Next deadline: Expected: April 2027 · Two rounds a year: April 1 (notified by July 15) and September 1 (notified by December 1)
Applicant tip: A church that does not give through United Mission can still apply if a participating church or region sponsors it.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Any participant in American Baptist United Mission giving — churches, regions and ministries — or a non-participating organization sponsored by a participant, for a new initiative beyond its normal operating budget: new or innovative ministries, denomination-wide mission projects, pilot programs, or emergency and unforeseen ministry needs.
How to apply
Direct application: submit the proposal form to the ABCUSA Office of the General Secretary by a round deadline.
Applicant fit
congregation, denomination or diocese, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Evangelical Covenant Church

Love Mercy Do Justice (LMDJ) Community Development Ministry Grants

Evangelical Covenant Church — Love Mercy Do Justice
Varies — check official page (amounts depend on the number of approved grantees and funds available each fiscal year)
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disaster
The catch: LMDJ money augments an existing ministry budget and does not pay for training or capital expenditures (overhead, salaries, capital improvements). Recipients file a communication update by November 30 and a final report by June 1 of the following year, and past reporting counts in future reviews.
Next deadline: Expected: April 2027 · Annual: April 1–30 window; letter of intent due April 24, full application April 30; committee review May–June
Applicant tip: Show other funding and partners in the budget — the guidelines say applications should reflect existing sources and additional financial partnerships because the grant only covers part of the project.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Evangelical Covenant churches, and ministry initiatives tied to a local Covenant church, addressing the needs of their local communities in line with the LMDJ Matthew-Micah framework; applicants that have already received five or more of these grants are no longer eligible.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: submit a letter of intent in the grant portal by April 24; invited applicants (answer within 48 hours) submit the full application by April 30.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

2. Religious and faith-aligned foundations

Religious foundations fund what government money cannot: worship, preaching, a pastor's rest and outright evangelization. Some pay for people. The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs give a congregation up to $60,000 for its pastor's sabbatical, and the Louisville Institute's Pastoral Study Project gives a minister up to $20,000. Some pay congregations directly: Calvin Institute worship grants of $8,000 to $25,000, Kingdom Advancing grants of $2,500 to $35,000 for new church programs, and Raskob and Koch grants for Catholic parishes and ministries listed in the Official Catholic Directory. Others are regional, such as Siebert (Wisconsin Lutherans), The Duke Endowment (rural United Methodist churches in North Carolina), Murdock (Pacific Northwest, $100,000 minimum) and Rees-Jones (Dallas–Fort Worth). Most open one or two short windows a year, and many begin with a letter of inquiry. The common mistake is assuming any church qualifies. Almost every program here gates on denomination, place or tax paperwork, from a bishop's letter to a membership list, so confirm the gate before you write.

17 programs

Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs (National and Indiana)

Lilly Endowment — Clergy Renewal Programs at Christian Theological Seminary
Up to $60,000 per congregation
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergy
The catch: Money may only pay for costs tied to the congregation's and the leave-taking pastor's renewal program; building repairs and renovations are not funded. Proposals are written the year before the leave, so the congregation has to plan and approve the time away well in advance.
Next deadline: Expected: March 2027 · Annual: program year opens in early November, information webinar mid-November, proposals due mid-March, decisions on the last business day of August, funds disbursed mid-October; leaves take place after the proposal year
Applicant tip: The window is short and closes in mid-March, so watch the November information webinar (the 2025 recording is on the CTS page) and start the congregational conversation before the RFP drops. CTS encourages about 12 weeks of leave in total, taken in one block or in pieces of at least two weeks.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Christian congregations in the 50 states, Washington, DC or Puerto Rico, applying jointly with their pastor; the pastor must be ordained and in good standing, serve in congregational ministry (full-time, part-time or bi-vocational) and hold an M.Div. or equivalent or show a strong record of service and continuing education. Indiana congregations use the Indiana program's RFP; all others use the National RFP.
How to apply
Direct application: the congregation and pastor submit one joint proposal through the CTS online portal once the program year opens in early November; the National and Indiana programs share the same fillable form.
Applicant fit
congregation, pastor or lay leader
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants for Worshiping Communities

Calvin Institute of Christian Worship — Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants Program
$8,000 to $25,000 for a one-year project
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergy
The catch: Funds arrive in two halves: 50% after the signed letter of agreement and 50% after a mid-year report with budget, followed by a final report. Staff or volunteer compensation is capped at 20% of the grant and equipment at 10%; building renovation, food not tied to worship learning, products for sale and one-off events are not funded.
Next deadline: Expected: April 2027 · Two rounds a year: spring deadline in late April (decisions July 1) and fall deadline in mid-October (decisions December 15)
Applicant tip: Frame the project as a year-long learning process, not an event: a conference or concert only qualifies as part of a larger year of reflection. CICW names universal design, cultural engagement, preaching, baptism and the Lord's Supper as topics it wants to see.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Christian worshiping communities in the U.S. or Canada with proof of tax-exempt status: congregations and parishes, new churches and church plants, seminaries, colleges and religious schools, hospitals, nursing homes and hospices, prison ministries and camps. The project team needs the support of the senior pastor or key administrator; individuals cannot apply.
How to apply
Direct application: submit a proposal through the CICW online grant portal by one of the two published deadlines.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Pastoral Study Project (PSP)

Louisville Institute
Up to $20,000
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergy
The catch: Grantees must attend a two-day PSP Consultation in January (LI pays approved travel and lodging). The grant cannot pay your regular salary, start new programs or staff positions, pay experts to do the research for you, or cover degree costs; you may apply for only one LI grant or fellowship per grant year.
Next deadline: Expected: August 2027 · Annual: applications due in mid-August, recommendation letters one week later, awards announced in November, grant period starting the following January
Applicant tip: The budget can buy time away: salary replacement for unpaid leave or a supply minister to cover the pulpit, plus books, travel and childcare. Line up your recommenders before the deadline, because their letters are due seven days after you submit.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Credentialed Christian ministers (ordained, commissioned or licensed by a recognized church body) with theological education or mentoring, employed in ministry in the U.S. or Canada — clergy, chaplains, church and denominational staff, parachurch and nonprofit staff, ministry musicians and artists. Ph.D./Th.D. students and degree-related projects are ineligible.
How to apply
Direct application: the individual applies online by the August deadline, with letters of recommendation due one week later.
Applicant fit
pastor or lay leader
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Louisville Institute says it typically receives more than 100 applications and will award 25 Pastoral Study Project grants in 2027.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Rural Church Grants

North Carolina — The Duke Endowment (Rural Church program area)
Varies — check official page (amounts not published)
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergycommunity development & disasterbuildings & preservation
The catch: Grants are limited to United Methodist churches under James B. Duke's indenture, and the project must fit one of the program's strategies; the 'Identify and Test Selected Programs' strategy is only for organizations the Endowment has already directed to apply. Pre-applications are not accepted outside the two windows.
Next deadline: May 10, 2027 · Two pre-application deadlines a year: May 10 and October 3; the portal opens about six weeks before each deadline
Applicant tip: Check the eligible-church list (updated September 2025) before you write: eligibility is set by the church's location, not its size. Pick one strategy — pastoral leadership, reimagining church real estate, or congregational capacity with neighbors — and write the pre-application to it.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
United Methodist churches (and United Methodist organizations working with them) in rural North Carolina, on the Endowment's eligible-church list; rural means a community of 1,500 people or fewer under the latest census, or an area designated rural by USDA RUCA codes. Evangelical Methodist and AME churches are not eligible.
How to apply
Direct application: submit a pre-application in the Endowment's Blackbaud portal during an open window; the Endowment then invites a full application or tells you the project does not fit current priorities.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities — Domestic Grants (Spring and Fall)

Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities
Varies — check official page (amounts not published; approved-grant lists for 2021–2025 are posted on the site)
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergybuildings & preservation
The catch: No grants to individuals, endowments, debt reduction or anything finished before the Board meets. Construction or renovation over $200,000 is considered only once 50% of the cost is in hand, a contract is signed and work has started; a project report is due one year after the award.
Next deadline: Jan 15, 2027 · Two domestic rounds a year: January 1–15 (decisions end of May) and June 1–15 (decisions end of November), 5 p.m. ET
Applicant tip: Ask for the bishop's or provincial's letter weeks ahead; if it has not arrived by the deadline, Raskob lets you upload a copy of your request letter instead. The windows are only 15 days long, so have the budget and financial statement ready before January 1 or June 1.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
U.S. organizations that are 501(c)(3) public charities and listed in the Official Catholic Directory (you enter the edition and page number), for projects in the United States and its territories.
How to apply
Direct application: apply through the Raskob online portal during the two-week domestic window, with a financial statement, a detailed project budget, a W-9 and a signed letter from your bishop (or provincial).
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Koch Foundation Evangelization Grants

Koch Foundation, Inc.
Varies — check official page (no published cap; 318 grants totaling $6,327,450 in 2025)
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergybuildings & preservation
The catch: One-year funding only; no endowments, capital campaigns, debt reduction, tuition, general health care or social services. Capital projects over $50,000 must show at least 50% of the cost committed from other sources, and an organization can receive no more than three grants in five years.
Next deadline: May 1, 2027 · Annual: Letters of Request accepted January 1 to May 1; the Board decides at its meeting on the last Saturday in February of the following year and notifies applicants by the end of March
Applicant tip: Money approved in February is paid in early March of the year after you apply, so time the request for a project that starts the following spring. Dioceses and pontifical-right religious institutes may submit up to six requests a year; everyone else should send one strong one.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Catholic organizations recognized by the Holy See; U.S. applicants must be listed in the Official Catholic Directory and hold 501(c)(3) status. Priority goes to financially needy evangelization work in distressed and underdeveloped regions.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: submit a Letter of Request between January 1 and May 1; if approved, the full application is due within 90 days of the Foundation's cover letter.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, denomination or diocese, religious school
Equity taken
None
Who wins
318 grants totaling $6,327,450 in 2025, across capital expenditure, preparation of evangelists, Catholic schools and direct evangelization/mass media.
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Grants (annual Letter of Inquiry cycle)

New York — Mother Cabrini Health Foundation
Generally $75,000 or more; usually 12-month grants
GrantEquity-freehealth & recoveryfood & hungerfamilies & seniors
The catch: All grants must adhere to the ethical principles and teachings of the Roman Catholic faith. Indirect costs are capped at 15%; research, advocacy, executive salaries and reimbursement of past costs are generally not funded, and capital requests are considered only case by case.
Next deadline: Expected: April 2027 · Annual: Letters of Inquiry accepted for about three weeks in late March–April, full proposals by invitation in June, decisions in October and December
Applicant tip: Pick the program area that matches your work — Access to Healthcare, Basic Needs, Healthcare Workforce or Mental and Behavioral Health — and use the General Fund only for projects serving its eight priority populations that fit none of them. Join the Foundation's mailing list, because the LOI window lasts about three weeks.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) organizations that generally reside in and primarily serve New York State, for programs that benefit poor, disadvantaged or underserved New Yorkers; Catholic affiliation is not required, but every grant must comply with Catholic ethical teaching. Most funding has gone to organizations with budgets of at least $750,000.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: submit an LOI during the spring window; the Foundation invites full proposals in mid-June.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Strategic Project Grants

Pacific Northwest — M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
Minimum request $100,000, for projects with a total budget of at least $200,000
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disasterbuildings & preservation
The catch: No standard operating costs, existing staff time, debt, emergency or gap funding, endowments, events or stand-alone planning. Equipment and technology grantees pay at least 50% of the purchase cost, and capital projects are prioritized once 40% of the cost is raised.
Next deadline: Nov 11, 2026 · Three LOI submission periods a year (roughly March, July–August and October–November), each followed by a full-application window and a decision at a grants meeting about eight months later
Applicant tip: Make it one request type — new staff or program expansion, capital, or equipment and technology — since the Trust asks each LOI to center on one. Missing the November 11 LOI deadline means waiting for the March 1–29, 2027 period.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) public charities based in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon or Washington (or with more than half their impact there); a church or other faith community qualifies only with a project that is primarily external facing, serving people beyond the congregation. Fiscally sponsored groups are ineligible.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: pass the eligibility check in the online portal and submit an LOI during a submission period; approved LOIs are invited to a full Strategic Project application.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies Grants

New York City — Trinity Church Wall Street (Trinity Church Philanthropies)
Typically $100,000 to $250,000, for six months to three years
GrantEquity-freehousing & homelessnesschildren & youthcommunity development & disaster
The catch: Trinity does not answer every inquiry, so silence usually means no. Grantmaking is concentrated in New York City outside the Mission Real Estate Development and Anglican Communion programs.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling: inquiries reviewed year-round; about six months from idea submission to payment
Applicant tip: Name the focus area in your first lines — Housing & Homelessness, Racial Justice or Lower Manhattan — because the eligibility quiz routes you by it. Budget six months from inquiry to payment.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
U.S. 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations (or fiscally sponsored projects) working in Trinity's New York focus areas: housing and homelessness for New Yorkers, racial justice for Black and brown youth and young adults in New York City, and families below 14th Street in Lower Manhattan. Episcopal affiliation is not required; individuals are not funded.
How to apply
Direct application: complete the eligibility quiz on Trinity's Fluxx grantee portal to start an inquiry; Trinity contacts applicants it wants to pursue.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Mission Real Estate Development (MRED) Grants

Trinity Church Wall Street — Trinity Church Philanthropies (Mission Real Estate Development)
Varies — check official page (U.S. grants limited to feasibility studies and predevelopment soft costs; Trinity grants typically run $100,000–$250,000)
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservationhousing & homelessness
The catch: In the United States the grant pays only for real estate feasibility and predevelopment soft costs, not construction. Eligible requests can still be declined once the year's funding is used.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling: LOIs reviewed year-round, subject to annual funding limits
Applicant tip: Bring a site and a question — feasibility of housing or income-producing use on church land is exactly what the U.S. grant pays for. Non-Episcopal congregations should show how they are an 'aligned faith organization' in the LOI.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Faith-based organizations; in the U.S. the program works primarily with Episcopal parishes and dioceses and aligned faith organizations developing church property for income and community use (internationally, Anglican dioceses in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean).
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: submit an LOI through Trinity's grantee portal; if it looks like a match, Trinity invites a full application.
Applicant fit
congregation, denomination or diocese, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Trinity reports 300 affordable housing units proposed through MRED projects in 2025.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

GrantsPlus Grant

We Raise Foundation (formerly Wheat Ridge Ministries)
Minimum $50,000 over a two-year term
GrantEquity-freechildren & youthjustice & reentrycommunity development & disaster
The catch: No funding for fundraising campaigns, event sponsorships, individuals, planning grants or advocacy and public policy work. We Raise must be able to verify your 501(c)(3) status.
Next deadline: Feb 28, 2027 · Two LOI rounds a year: September 30 (awards in December) and February 28 (awards in May)
Applicant tip: Applicants in Chicago, St. Louis or Milwaukee get the geographic preference; elsewhere, make the under-resourced-community case with numbers. Invited applicants get the full-proposal due date separately, so keep a draft budget ready after the LOI.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofits located in and serving under-resourced communities in the United States, working on K-12 education, workforce development or reentry; preference for Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee. Programs must be new, significantly expanded or revised, or innovative.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: submit the LOI form in the We Raise grant portal; full proposals by invitation only.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
In the prior year, 14% of GrantsPlus proposals were funded.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Emerging Leader Grants

We Raise Foundation (formerly Wheat Ridge Ministries)
$15,000 over two years ($10,000 for the program, $5,000 for the leader's development)
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disasterministry & clergy
The catch: The $5,000 leadership share is restricted to development opportunities such as a Center for Creative Leadership course, the Global Leadership Summit or coaching; degree programs and tuition reimbursement are excluded. Each leader can receive only one Emerging Leader grant.
Next deadline: Feb 15, 2027 · Two rounds a year: proposals due February 15 and September 30 (11:59 p.m. Central), grants announced in April and November
Applicant tip: Show your Christian identity in your mission, vision or values statement, since that is how We Raise checks it. A congregation applying needs IRS-verifiable 501(c)(3) status, so have the determination letter or group-exemption proof ready.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Christian nonprofits and congregations with verifiable 501(c)(3) status and an EIN, serving an under-resourced U.S. community through a new program led by an early-career leader; leaders with extensive leadership experience and past recipients are not eligible.
How to apply
Direct application: apply in the We Raise online grant portal (no mail or email submissions); download the question list after creating a profile.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, congregation
Equity taken
None
Who wins
In the prior year, 28% of Emerging Leader proposals were funded.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Siebert Lutheran Foundation Grants

Wisconsin — Siebert Lutheran Foundation
Varies — check official page (no published range; capital may not exceed 10% of the project budget; $4.5M granted in 2025)
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergychildren & youthbuildings & preservation
The catch: An organization may hold only one active grant per calendar year, and capital requested may not exceed 10% of the project budget. Declined requests are not reconsidered right away; you need staff permission to reapply in a later cycle.
Next deadline: Dec 4, 2026 · Two rounds a year: spring cycle LOI due early December (decision end of April) and fall cycle LOI due late May or early June (decision end of October)
Applicant tip: The spring 2027 LOI window opens October 26, 2026 and closes December 4; book a staff consultation first if you have not applied in three years or are asking for a new program. Building capital is accepted in both cycles and can be combined with a program request.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Lutheran churches and organizations (ELCA, LCMS or WELS, checked by an eligibility quiz). 'Growing' requests cover Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula; 'Educating' and 'Serving' requests are limited to Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine and Kenosha counties. Non-Lutheran groups qualify only rarely, when the project directly enables a Lutheran ministry.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: take the eligibility quiz, submit an LOI in the online grant portal, and if approved (about five business days after the LOI deadline) submit a full application.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Siebert reports $4.5 million in grants in 2025.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Lutheran Grants

Indiana — The Lutheran Foundation (northeast Indiana)
Minimum request $1,500; capital up to $300,000 (no more than 50% of project cost); staff positions up to $65,000 (ordained) or $40,000 (administrative) in year one; technology up to $50,000
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergybuildings & preservationchildren & youth
The catch: Capital grants require a 50% match and cannot buy land, buildings or vehicles; debt, fundraising events, individuals, completed projects and fiscal-agent requests are not funded. One project per application, one staff-position application per year, and any overdue grant report disqualifies the application.
Next deadline: Expected: March 2027 · Annual application posted in early January, with deadlines at noon on March 1, June 1 and September 1 and decisions by May 31, August 31 and December 15 (Vacation Bible School requests only at the September 1 deadline)
Applicant tip: Small asks have fixed formulas — conference attendance at $500 a person, mission trips and youth gatherings at $300 a person, community meals at 50% up to $5,000 — so match your budget to them. The site's deadline table does not say clearly which dates apply to congregations versus schools; confirm with the program office.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Member Lutheran congregations and schools of The Lutheran Foundation in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties, Indiana.
How to apply
Direct application: apply through the Foundation's online grant portal once the application opens in early January; capital applicants must talk with the Senior Program Officer before starting.
Applicant fit
congregation, religious school
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

The Rees-Jones Foundation Grant Program

Texas — The Rees-Jones Foundation (Dallas–Fort Worth)
Varies — check official page (amounts not published)
GrantEquity-freechildren & youthfamilies & seniorsministry & clergy
The catch: The contract must be signed by your CEO and board chair within 15 days of award notice, and every grantee files at least one final report. International grants (Africa and India) are by invitation only, and the Foundation does not fund individuals, loans, businesses or other private foundations.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling: LOIs accepted year-round; the board meets 10 times a year
Applicant tip: Expect about 30 days for an invitation or decline after the LOI and about four months from application to staff review, so start well before the money is needed. New programs need a new LOI even if you are a past grantee.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) public charities serving residents of Dallas–Fort Worth in the Foundation's North Texas portfolio areas, including two faith-based ones: Evangelism & Discipleship (church planting, discipleship, evangelism) and Youth Formation; programs serving people outside North Texas are not eligible.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: register on the grantee portal and submit an LOI; organizations that fit are invited to apply.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Kingdom Advancing Grant

Brotherhood Mutual Foundation
$2,500 to $35,000 per church program; $150,000 awarded each year
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergycommunity development & disaster
The catch: The program must be new and innovative — something other churches are not already doing — sustainable, replicable by other churches, and aimed at introducing people to Jesus or strengthening their relationship with him. Only programs a church directly oversees qualify, so a separate ministry nonprofit cannot apply on its own.
Next deadline: Mar 31, 2027 · Annual: applications open in early January and close March 31; recipients confirmed by July 31
Applicant tip: The 2027 window opens January 4, 2027 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern and closes March 31 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Spend most of the application on what is new about the idea and how another church could copy it, since replicability is a stated standard.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Christian churches in the continental U.S. that are 501(c)(3) organizations in good standing with the IRS (reinstated churches need one full year since reinstatement), for a program the church directly oversees.
How to apply
Direct application: apply online at the Kingdom Advancing Grant site during the January–March window, attaching the church's bylaws and statement of faith if available.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Who wins
34 churches have received grants since the first awards in 2022; 10 church programs were funded in the 2025 round.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Covenant Grants (Signature and Ignition)

The Covenant Foundation
Signature: up to $225,000 over up to three years (no more than $75,000 a year); Ignition: up to $35,000 for one year
GrantEquity-freechildren & youthministry & clergy
The catch: Only a tax-exempt nonprofit can be the sponsoring organization, and grants are generally not renewable at the end of the term. The Foundation funds programming in North America only.
Next deadline: Expected: February 2027 · Annual: LOI due in late February, invitations by mid-March, full proposals due in mid-May, decisions in late December
Applicant tip: Ignition (up to $35,000, one year) suits a new idea you want to test; Signature (up to $225,000 over three years) is for a program ready to scale. A synagogue's congregational school applies through the congregation as the tax-exempt sponsor.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Tax-exempt nonprofits involved in Jewish education in North America — day schools, congregational schools, central agencies, JCCs, summer camps and museums.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: submit an LOI in late February; invited applicants submit a full proposal in May.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, religious school, congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

3. Catholic, Jewish and other faith-community foundations and federations

These are the grant programs run by foundations and federations that serve one faith community in one region: Catholic community and diocesan foundations, Jewish federations and Jewish community foundations, and Methodist, Episcopal and Lutheran foundations. They give to the parishes, synagogues, schools and ministries of their own community, and most use an annual or twice-yearly cycle, often starting with a short letter of inquiry. Typical awards are small and specific: $1,000 to $10,000 is common, and a few reach $25,000 to $100,000. Most cover a defined project rather than operating costs, and many require a local match or pay only part of the cost. Eligibility is drawn tightly. Many programs take only institutions listed in their diocese's Official Catholic Directory, or organizations serving the Jewish community of a named county list, and some want a pastor's letter or an executive-director conversation before you apply. The most common mistake is applying for a project already under way: almost none of these funders reimburse past or committed spending.

15 programs

Minnesota

CCF-Directed Grant Programs (parish, school and lay-ministry grants)

Minnesota — Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota
Up to $1,000 for lay-minister and Catholic-school-teacher development grants (up to $750 for catechesis or religious formation); the parish programs publish no amounts; the invitation-only Community Priorities grants run about $3,000–$6,000
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergychildren & youth
The catch: Only the CCF-Directed programs take applications: donor-directed grants, the tuition-assistance program and the field-of-interest endowments do not. Development grants are paid to the employer, which reimburses the individual.
Next deadline: Expected: December 2026 · Program by program, every year: lay-minister and teacher development grants due December 15, May 1 and August 15; Small Group grants late February and late June; Ministry Associations in March; Liturgy Enhancement in April; Preschool, Youth and Young Adult Ministry applications open in June; Formation and Action in September.
Applicant tip: A parish can work the calendar: Small Group (late February), Ministry Associations (March), Liturgy Enhancement (April) and Formation and Action (September) are separate programs with separate windows. Catholic elementary schools serving low-income families should send the capacity-building letter of inquiry in February; about half of the roughly two dozen grants each year are reserved for Drexel Mission School Initiative schools.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) nonprofits and religious organizations in the 12-county Twin Cities metro whose programs are not contrary to Catholic Social Teaching (recipients need not be Catholic). The Formation and Action, Small Group and Liturgy Enhancement programs are for parishes of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis; development grants go to the parish or school that employs the lay minister or teacher. No grants to individuals.
How to apply
Direct application: each program has its own online application linked from the CCF grantseekers page; the Catholic Schools Capacity Building and League of Catholic Women programs start with a letter of inquiry and continue by invitation.
Applicant fit
congregation, religious school, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Oklahoma

School Grants

Oklahoma — Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma
Typically under $10,000, based on need; covers up to 75% of a project's cost
GrantEquity-freechildren & youthministry & clergy
The catch: The foundation pays at most 75% of the project, so the school raises the rest locally. No operating expenses, fundraising events, debt reduction, brick-and-mortar projects, endowments or capital campaigns, and the project must be finished within a year of the award.
Next deadline: Jan 31, 2027 · Annual: application opens in mid-December and closes January 31; awards announced in May.
Applicant tip: The application opens December 14, 2026, so get the principal's or pastor's letter signed before Christmas break. Show the 25% local share as raised or pledged; the foundation says the cap exists to encourage community involvement.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, for projects in one of Archbishop Coakley's Vision 2030 categories (discipleship, education, young people, family, cultural groups, liturgical life, Catholic Social Teaching).
How to apply
Direct application: through the foundation's online grant portal with a recommendation letter from the principal or pastor (some foundation grants need an access code from the office, 405-709-2756).
Applicant fit
religious school
Equity taken
None

Parish Facility Grants

Oklahoma — Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma
Up to 25% of project cost from the Catholic Foundation, with the Annual Catholic Appeal covering up to another 25%; no dollar cap published
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: At least 50% of the cost must come from parish fundraising and donations. Grants are for future work only, never reimbursement; before money is released the parish submits a signed contract or purchase order and the licensed contractors' insurance certificates. The foundation may ask for a site visit.
Next deadline: Feb 28, 2027 · Two windows a year: fall (late August to late September, decisions in November) and spring (February 1–28, decisions in May).
Applicant tip: For a job over $25,000, contact the archbishop's office by mid-February 2027. Get licensed-contractor quotes before you apply; the full budget with quotes is part of the application, not a later step.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Parishes and mission churches in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City with total annual income under $500,000 and assets under $300,000.
How to apply
Direct application: through the foundation's online grant portal with a project description, photos or drawings, contractor quotes, the parish budget and balance sheet, and the pastor's letter; projects over $25,000 also need Archbishop Coakley's authorization, requested at least two weeks before the deadline.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Texas (Dallas)

Grants Program (spring and fall cycles)

Texas (Dallas) — The Catholic Foundation
Requests up to $100,000 considered (per the foundation's grant guidelines)
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergychildren & youth
The catch: No operating expenses, endowments, annual fundraising events or sponsorships, emergency projects, or more than one year of program cost; money must be spent within a year. A grantee waits two years before a new request and cannot reapply while a grant is open.
Next deadline: Nov 13, 2026 · Two cycles a year (spring and fall); LOIs for the spring cycle are due in November, and the process from LOI to decision takes about two months.
Applicant tip: Portal registration can take up to 24 hours to approve, so register several days before November 13. The guidelines favor projects that will continue and become self-supporting after the grant year, so show the year-two plan.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Catholic organizations in the Diocese of Dallas; churches and schools count as separate organizations. Groups not recognized by the diocese but serving an identifiable Catholic population need written support from an active Dallas diocesan cleric.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: register the organization on the foundation's grants site, submit the online LOI, and complete the full application only if invited; trustees visit every applicant.
Applicant fit
congregation, religious school, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Kansas (Wichita)

Project Grants (inclusive Catholic school classrooms)

Kansas (Wichita) — FIRE Foundation of Wichita
Up to $2,000, one-time
GrantEquity-freechildren & youth
The catch: Supplemental only: no operating expenses, debt, capital campaigns, endowments, personnel, tuition assistance, or purchases made before the award. Schools share updates and file a Project Grant Assessment Report afterward.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling through the calendar year while the year's allocation lasts, summer included; notification usually within 30 days. Separate, larger Inclusion Grants open each January.
Applicant tip: Ask for what the foundation names: Notre Dame Partners in Education training, conference travel, Tier 2/3 curriculum, adaptive technology including AI tools, or adaptive sacramental kits. Apply early in the year, before the allocation runs out; the 2027-2028 Inclusion Grants open January 6, 2027.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Catholic schools of the Diocese of Wichita taking steps toward classrooms that include students with special needs; the principal and pastor must show commitment to inclusive education.
How to apply
Direct application: email the Project Grant application (PDF) to [email protected].
Applicant fit
religious school
Equity taken
None

Washington (Seattle)

Organizational Grants — Ignition, Small Agency Sustainability and Women's Endowment Fund

Washington (Seattle) — Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
Ignition up to $12,000 (recent awards $1,200–$12,000); Small Agency Sustainability up to $5,000 in operating support; Women's Endowment Fund up to $10,000 over two years
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergyfamilies & seniors
The catch: Grantees must follow the Federation's grant-making, marketing, co-sponsorship and partnership guidelines. Women's Endowment Fund applicants need two full fiscal years of operation and a program guaranteed to run the full two years.
Next deadline: Not announced (all three programs showed applications closed when checked) · Annual cycles posted program by program; Women's Endowment Fund grants pay out over two years.
Applicant tip: Ignition pays for pilots and one-time initiatives, so a synagogue should pitch new outreach or a collaboration, not its existing calendar; the current focus areas are reaching unaffiliated Jews and Jews of color, combating antisemitism, and collaboration. The Women's Endowment Fund page posts a sample application and budget template you can draft from now.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Jewish organizations serving Western Washington. Small Agency Sustainability grants are for groups with annual budgets of $150,000 or less; Women's Endowment Fund grants go to 501(c)(3)s, fiscally sponsored groups or presumed-exempt groups such as synagogues, for an ongoing program at least a year old that empowers women and girls. Past Ignition recipients include synagogues, camps, JCCs and Hillels.
How to apply
Direct application: through the 'Learn More & Apply' link on each program page when its cycle opens.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Kansas City

Grants for Nonprofits — Community Legacy Fund and affiliated funds

Kansas City — Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City
Varies by fund: J-LEAD $5,000 or less; Jewish Art Fund up to $2,500; Community Legacy Fund and most other funds publish no amounts
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergychildren & youthfamilies & seniors
The catch: Each fund has its own purpose; the Menorah Women's Foundation takes no general community grants, and the Frank Friedberg Fund is invitation-only.
Next deadline: Expected: March 2027 · Annual, fund by fund: Jewish Art Fund February 28; J-LEAD March 1; Community Legacy Fund April 1 (innovative/emergency) and June 15 (core operations); Katianne's Sunshine Fund August 1; Flo Harris and Menorah Women's Foundation September 1; Tranin Special Fund rolling. A deadline on a weekend moves to the next business day.
Applicant tip: The page requires a call or email to Beatrice Fine before any application, so ask then which fund fits. A new or urgent synagogue program can go to the Community Legacy Fund's April 1 innovative/emergency round rather than waiting for the June 15 core round.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Programs and agencies in Greater Kansas City. The Community Legacy Fund backs programs that enhance Jewish life in the region; the White Theatre Grantor Fund is open to any Jewish nonprofit or synagogue; the Flo Harris Foundation funds children's and safety-net programs; Katianne's Sunshine Fund serves the local Jewish special-needs community.
How to apply
Direct application: contact Beatrice Fine ([email protected]) before applying; each fund's application opens one month before its deadline.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Minnesota (St. Paul)

Community Impact Grants — Ignite and Burst Micro-Grants (Pillar Grants by cycle)

Minnesota (St. Paul) — Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul
Burst Micro-Grants up to $2,500; Ignite (one-year program funding) and Pillar (three-year operating support) amounts not published
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergy
The catch: Ignite is one-year money for new or expanded programs, projects or events; Burst is limited to one award per organization every 12 months.
Next deadline: Dec 31, 2026 · Ignite: three windows a year — January 1–April 30 (decision late July), May 1–August 31 (late November), September 1–December 31 (late March). Burst: rolling, decisions in about 30 days, one per applicant every 12 months. Pillar: multi-year cycle, currently closed.
Applicant tip: Use Burst for an urgent need, a pilot or a small event, since decisions come in about 30 days, and save larger program requests for Ignite. The Federation plans to announce Jewish Education grants from the new Talmud Torah St. Paul Endowment Fund in late 2026 or early 2027.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Jewish organizations serving the Federation's 12-county Greater St. Paul region that show organizational health, alignment with Federation priorities and measurable community benefit. Pillar grantees cannot also receive K-12 Education formula funding.
How to apply
Direct application: through the Federation's online portal ('Apply Now' for Ignite; a separate button for Burst).
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)

Federation Grant Funds — Jewish Community Fund, Women of Vision, Weinberg Fund, JFRE capital fund and microgrants

Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) — Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
Varies — check official page (no amounts published; Weinberg Fund approvals run up to three years, Women of Vision grants generally two)
GrantEquity-freefamilies & seniorsbuildings & preservationministry & clergy
The catch: Jewish Community Fund money is unrestricted but goes only to institutions that share the Federation's values and hold their own 501(c)(3) letter. JFRE grants are for capital projects only: acquisition, construction, expansion or rehabilitation.
Next deadline: Expected: fall 2027 (Jewish Community Fund reopens for grants starting September 2028; other funds post dates on the applications-open page) · Fund by fund; the Jewish Community Fund makes one-year grants with a possible one-year renewal and reopens in the fall for funding that starts the following September.
Applicant tip: Check the applications-open page (jewishphilly.softr.app/applications-open) for microgrant and fund deadlines that come before the Jewish Community Fund reopens. A building project belongs in the JFRE capital fund, not the Jewish Community Fund.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Jewish Community Fund: Jewish institutions with their own IRS 501(c)(3) designation based in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery or Delaware County. Other funds have their own focus: Jewish women and girls (Women of Vision), older adults and Jewish education (Weinberg), capital projects for the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community (JFRE), and antisemitism-awareness and community-event microgrants. Synagogues are not named on the pages checked.
How to apply
Direct application: each fund's dates are posted on the Federation's applications-open page; first-time Jewish Community Fund applicants email [email protected] first.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)

Community Priorities Grants (RFP)

Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh) — Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
Requests of $10,000 or more (the RFP's examples run $15,000–$20,000)
GrantEquity-freechildren & youthhealth & recovery
The catch: One submission per focus area. Past grantees reapplying for the same project must file a grant report first and explain what second-year money adds. Preference goes to organizations that hold most of their endowment with the Federation's foundation.
Next deadline: Dec 11, 2026 · Annual RFP: applications accepted mid-October to mid-December; board review in April.
Applicant tip: Book the office-hours call before writing, as the RFP asks, and consider a joint application: collaborative, data-informed and innovative projects get preference. Narrative answers can be written or recorded as videos of up to three minutes each.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Any 501(c)(3) organization with an initiative addressing Jewish communities in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington or Westmoreland counties, in one of three focus areas: engaging young adults (22–45, plus 18–22), addressing antisemitism, or teen mental health (ages 13–22 and their educators, clergy and parents). The RFP does not mention synagogues specifically.
How to apply
Direct application: through the Federation's grantmaking portal (grantmakingportal.smapply.io) after booking an office-hours call for your focus area.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Florida (Miami)

Jewish Incubator Grants

Florida (Miami) — Greater Miami Jewish Federation
$2,500–$10,000
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergyfamilies & seniors
The catch: The grant may cover no more than 50% of program cost. No capital projects, scholarships or camperships, staff or overhead already covered, travel outside Greater Miami, fundraising, or political activity; current Federation grantees must be in compliance with existing awards.
Next deadline: Expected: August 2027 · Annual: the RFP for the next year's grants closes in August.
Applicant tip: Keep the Federation's share at or under half of the program budget; larger requests are ineligible. The separate Women's Impact Initiative grants ($5,000–$15,000) fund programs for Jewish women and girls, and you may apply to both with different projects.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Tax-exempt nonprofits, or fiscally sponsored groups, serving the Jewish community in Miami-Dade County — synagogues, agencies and schools included — for a new program or the expansion of an existing one; one application per organization.
How to apply
Direct application: through Submittable from the Federation's RFP page.
Applicant fit
congregation, religious school, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Connecticut (Hartford)

Community Grants

Connecticut (Hartford) — Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford
No general cap published; one-time programs up to $10,000, only in limited circumstances
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergybuildings & preservation
The catch: No ongoing operating support: money goes to seed funding for innovative or service-gap programs, capacity building, strategic capital, or limited one-time programs. One application per organization per cycle, and not for a project you have already committed to.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; the volunteer Grants Committee meets about four times a year and decisions usually take three to six months.
Applicant tip: Submit before you commit to the project, and allow three to six months for a decision. Frame the request around long-term strategic impact, which the foundation asks for, not just the activity.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits whose programs serve Greater Hartford's Jewish community; the page does not say whether synagogues qualify for community grants.
How to apply
Direct application: the executive director or chief staff person emails a brief written description of the request to the foundation's grants department.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Tennessee (Knoxville)

Annual Grants for Churches and Ministries

Tennessee (Knoxville) — Holston Foundation (Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church)
Typically $1,000–$5,000 (each fund awards according to its size and donor instructions)
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergyfood & hungerfamilies & seniors
The catch: Grants run one year at a time; second- and third-year requests are phased down, and the committee asks whether a project can continue on 50% funding in year two and 25% in year three. Salaries are generally not funded, capital equipment and building improvements are discouraged, and a final report (use of funds, numbers served, photos) is required.
Next deadline: Expected: April 2027 · Annual: applications January through April; the Grants Committee votes in the spring (generally April or May) and pays the following month.
Applicant tip: Write the sustainability plan first: the policy scores whether the ministry can survive reduced funding, and the committee may ask the district superintendent for a view. The separate Emergency Food Insecurity Grants closed in July 2026, so food ministries should use this annual window.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) organizations related or historically related to the United Methodist Church — local churches, ministries, and Conference boards and committees — preferably within or closely connected to the Holston Conference; ecumenical groups the UMC is part of may also apply.
How to apply
Direct application: online through the foundation's grant software during the annual window; local-church requests need approval from the senior pastor and the church's governing board.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Georgia (Middle and North)

ECF Grants (spring and fall cycles)

Georgia (Middle and North) — Episcopal Community Foundation for Middle and North Georgia
No amounts published; the fall 2026 grants ranged from $8,800 to $25,000
GrantEquity-freefood & hungerhousing & homelessnessjustice & reentry
The catch: Waiting periods apply: 12 months after ECF approves your final report, and a parish can benefit only once every 18 months, directly or through a partner nonprofit. Operating support is much less likely to be funded than one-time projects.
Next deadline: Mar 31, 2027 · Two cycles a year: LOIs for spring grants accepted April 1–September 30 and for fall grants October 1–March 31; the board awards in March and September.
Applicant tip: The executive-director conversation must happen before the LOI, so book it early; nonprofits should start the parish Statement of Support at the same time because it is due with the LOI. First-time applicants get priority, and ECF offers parishes one-on-one help instead of a grant writer.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
A parish or worshiping community of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta that filed its current parochial report and complies with Canon 20, or a 501(c)(3) (or fiscally sponsored) nonprofit with a substantial partnership with such a parish, for projects in Middle and North Georgia serving people facing poverty and oppression: hunger, homelessness, generational poverty, refugees and immigrants, human trafficking, and people affected by the criminal justice system.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: schedule a conversation with the executive director, submit the online LOI (nonprofits add a parish Statement of Support), then complete the full application if invited and host a site visit with the lead clergy present.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Fall 2026: five grants totaling $84,400, from $8,800 to $25,000, each tied to an Episcopal parish — including Crossroads Community Ministries, MUST Ministries, Parole Advocates, Rainbow Village, and a St. Paul's Episcopal Church–Emmaus House shared ministry.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Illinois (Paris)

Matching Grants (endowment startup, accelerator and founding legacy matches)

Illinois (Paris) — Lutheran Legacy Foundation
Startup: 50% match on the first $10,000 of a new endowment; Accelerator: 20% match on later gifts, up to $500,000; Founding Legacy Match: $175,000 over three years for endowments started with $1 million or more
GrantEquity-freeministry & clergy
The catch: The match is not spendable cash: it stays in the endowment held at LLF under its withdrawal policy, and you must raise part of the initial gift from your own community. An endowment that takes the Founding Legacy Match cannot later receive Accelerator grants.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; no deadline published.
Applicant tip: Raise the first $10,000 from members before you open the fund to capture the full startup match, then use the 20% accelerator in later appeals. Ask LLF to confirm your synod and location qualify, since the page lists none.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Lutheran churches, schools and ministries opening a new endowment fund with the Lutheran Legacy Foundation; the page names no synod or geographic limit.
How to apply
Direct application: contact LLF through its website, at 217-463-8202 or [email protected]; a short application covers the ministry, funding goals and initial investment.
Applicant fit
congregation, religious school, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

4. Security grants for houses of worship: FEMA and state programs

Security grants pay for what makes a house of worship harder to attack: cameras, access control, reinforced doors, lighting, fencing, alarms, training and, in some programs, contracted guards or off-duty police. The largest source is FEMA's Nonprofit Security Grant Program, $300 million in fiscal 2026, which a church, synagogue, mosque or temple applies for through its state, not FEMA, at up to $200,000 per site. More than a dozen states add their own money, from Washington's $20,000 grants to California's $80 million a year, and a few pay only for security staff. Most programs open once a year for four to eight weeks, and many pay you back only after you have spent the money. The most common mistake is waiting for the notice. In 2026 most states closed their federal window about two to three weeks after FEMA released it, and most programs want a site vulnerability assessment and a documented threat history, which take weeks to assemble. Congregations do not need an IRS determination letter for the federal program or for most state ones.

15 programs

Federal

Nonprofit Security Grant Program — Urban Area (NSGP-UA), ALN 97.008

Federal — U.S. Department of Homeland Security (FEMA)
Up to $200,000 per site, up to three sites per funding stream and no more than $600,000 per organization per state (FY 2026: $150 million for NSGP-UA of $300 million total)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: DHS's faith-based rule, 6 CFR part 19, is written for DHS social service programs: §19.4 bars using direct DHS money for explicitly religious activities such as worship, religious instruction or proselytization, and §19.8 lets a congregation keep religious art and symbols in place, so NSGP buys security for the site (planning, equipment, training, contract guards), not ministry. The FY 2026 notice also asks subapplicants for bios and resumes of leaders and board members with names and addresses, says they should not include unvetted foreign nationals or noncitizens, and has the state report with each payment request whether the subrecipient's work supports noncitizens or it has diversity, equity and inclusion practices; the cost of the vulnerability assessment and Investment Justification is unallowable.
Next deadline: Expected: mid-2027 (FY 2027 notice not yet published; federal agencies are funded by a continuing resolution through December 11, 2026) · Annual: FEMA publishes one notice a year and each State Administrative Agency sets its own deadline weeks before FEMA's (FY 2026 notice June 24, 2026; FEMA deadline July 24, 2026; awards announced September 28, 2026).
Applicant tip: FEMA multiplies the state's score by three for houses of worship and other religious organizations (two for secular schools and medical facilities, one for everyone else) and adds 15 points if you have never had an NSGP award. Have the vulnerability assessment and Investment Justification drafted before the notice drops: in 2026 Cal OES and Massachusetts closed their windows on July 10, 16 days after FEMA released it.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofits described under section 501(c)(3), including houses of worship and religious schools, that can show a high risk of terrorist or other extremist attack and whose site is inside a designated high-risk urban area listed in Appendix B of the notice. Churches, mosques and synagogues do not need an IRS recognition letter. Nonprofits cannot apply to FEMA directly.
How to apply
Through the state: send your State Administrative Agency (SAA) an Investment Justification for each site, a site-specific vulnerability assessment and your mission statement by the SAA's deadline; the SAA scores them and applies to FEMA in FEMA GO.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None
Who wins
More than $2 billion to nonprofits and more than 18,000 applications funded over the program's history (FY 2026 notice); FY 2026 awards announced September 28, 2026.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Nonprofit Security Grant Program — State (NSGP-S), ALN 97.008

Federal — U.S. Department of Homeland Security (FEMA)
Up to $200,000 per site, up to three sites per funding stream and no more than $600,000 per organization per state (FY 2026: $150 million for NSGP-S; state allocations $0 or $1.4 million–$5.9 million)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: DHS's faith-based rule, 6 CFR part 19, is written for DHS social service programs: §19.4 bars using direct DHS money for explicitly religious activities such as worship, religious instruction or proselytization, and §19.8 lets a congregation keep religious art and symbols in place, so NSGP buys security for the site (planning, equipment, training, contract guards), not ministry. The FY 2026 notice also asks subapplicants for bios and resumes of leaders and board members with names and addresses, says they should not include unvetted foreign nationals or noncitizens, and has the state report with each payment request whether the subrecipient's work supports noncitizens or it has diversity, equity and inclusion practices; the cost of the vulnerability assessment and Investment Justification is unallowable.
Next deadline: Expected: mid-2027 (FY 2027 notice not yet published; federal agencies are funded by a continuing resolution through December 11, 2026) · Annual: FEMA publishes one notice a year and each State Administrative Agency sets its own deadline weeks before FEMA's (FY 2026 notice June 24, 2026; FEMA deadline July 24, 2026; awards announced September 28, 2026).
Applicant tip: Check Appendix B of the notice first: a building outside the listed urban areas applies under NSGP-S, and an organization with sites in both streams can apply for up to six sites in one state but no more than $600,000 combined. In Colorado and Minnesota a federal application is also the only way into the state's own top-up money, which goes to federal applicants left unfunded or under-funded.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofits described under section 501(c)(3), including houses of worship and religious schools, that can show a high risk of terrorist or other extremist attack and whose site is outside the designated high-risk urban areas. Churches, mosques and synagogues do not need an IRS recognition letter. Nonprofits cannot apply to FEMA directly.
How to apply
Through the state: send your State Administrative Agency (SAA) an Investment Justification for each site, a site-specific vulnerability assessment and your mission statement by the SAA's deadline; the SAA scores them and applies to FEMA in FEMA GO.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None
Who wins
More than $2 billion to nonprofits and more than 18,000 applications funded over the program's history (FY 2026 notice); FY 2026 awards announced September 28, 2026.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

California

California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CSNSGP)

California — Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)
Up to $250,000 per location and two locations ($500,000) per organization; Support Services applicants up to $500,000 (FY 2025-26 pool: $76 million)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Reimbursement: you pay first and claim costs in the Grants Central System, with final claims due within 20 days of the performance period's end (March 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027 for FY 2025-26). Construction is capped at $100,000 and contracted security at 50% of the request, personnel and travel are not allowed, and scope cannot change after award. A vulnerability assessment worksheet is required; a self-assessment is accepted.
Next deadline: Not yet announced — the 2026-27 RFP was not posted as of October 25, 2026; the 2026-27 budget carries $80 million a year in ongoing General Fund money for the program · Annual: one request for proposals a year, posted between late July and late October in recent years (FY 2025-26 RFP released October 31, 2025 and due December 12, 2025).
Applicant tip: A proposal needs at least 40 of 48 points to be considered, and Cal OES checks your legal name and address against Franchise Tax Board, Department of Justice and Secretary of State records, deducting points or ruling the proposal ineligible on a mismatch, so fix those registrations before the RFP opens.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
California 501(c)(3) nonprofits at high risk for violent attacks and hate crimes because of ideology, beliefs or mission; churches, mosques and synagogues are automatically exempt and need no IRS letter. One applicant per shared building, and the applicant must occupy the site when it applies.
How to apply
Direct application: email the complete proposal to [email protected] during the RFP window (zip files, links, scanned or combined forms are rejected); awardees then register in Cal OES's Grants Central System.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
May 28, 2026: $80 million round ($76 million in grants plus $4 million for administration) to 343 organizations, 228 of them faith-based; more than $300 million to 1,614 nonprofits and places of worship since 2015 (Governor's office).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

New York

Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) Grant Program

New York — Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS)
Up to $250,000 per organization, in one application that may cover several facilities (2026 round: up to $70 million)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Reimbursement on a contract schedule with no advance payments, over a 24-month contract (from January 1, 2027 for the 2026 round); no match. The money is capital funding, so personnel, indirect and pre-award costs are not allowed; it covers physical hardening, cybersecurity and training on the equipment bought. A facility-specific vulnerability self-assessment is required, with annual progress reports and quarterly fiscal claims.
Next deadline: Not yet announced — the 2026 round closed July 8, 2026 and awards were announced September 8, 2026 · Recurring: a new round every one to two years (requests for applications in October 2021, November 2022, January 2024 and April 2026; the 2026 round closed July 8).
Applicant tip: Start Statewide Financial System prequalification weeks early: the state reserves 5–10 business days to review it. Organizations that have never had an SCAHC award get 5 bonus points.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
New York nonprofits, including houses of worship and religious organizations, at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of ideology, beliefs or mission. Proof of 501(c)(3) status can be an IRS letter or a self-certification letter, and the organization must be registered with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau, have a registration pending, or attest on letterhead that it is exempt.
How to apply
Direct application: apply in the DCJS Grants Management System and prequalify in the Statewide Financial System before the deadline; applicants not prequalified are disqualified.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
September 8, 2026: $70 million to 290 organizations; December 3, 2024: $63.9 million to 336 organizations (Governor's office).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

New Jersey

New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NJ NSGP)

New Jersey — Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP)
Security Personnel track up to $20,000; Target Hardening Equipment track up to $100,000; one track funded per organization per fiscal year (FY 2027 pool: $7 million)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: 24-month performance period. Security Personnel money pays only active law enforcement officers or registered security officers and cannot replace existing security staff; Target Hardening purchases must come from the program's Authorized Equipment List; management, training, exercise and planning costs are not allowed. Payment terms and any match could not be confirmed on the state's pages.
Next deadline: Expected: September 2027 · Annual: the window opens in July and closes in mid-September (FY 2027 round July 13 to September 11, 2026; FY 2026 round closed September 15, 2025).
Applicant tip: Photograph the facility and every area you want to upgrade and put the photos in the vulnerability risk assessment; missing photos may disqualify the application. Preference goes to applicants with no federal or state target-hardening grant in the last two cycles.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
New Jersey 501(c)(3) nonprofits at the greatest risk of terrorist attack; applicants submit proof of tax-exempt status where applicable. The state's page does not name houses of worship; eligibility turns on 501(c)(3) status and risk.
How to apply
Direct application: apply through NJOHSP's program page during the summer window, with a vulnerability risk assessment that includes photographs.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
More than $38 million to more than 700 organizations since the program began (State of New Jersey release, July 13, 2026).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Pennsylvania

Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program

Pennsylvania — Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)
$5,000–$150,000 per request, up to $150,000 per fiscal year (fall 2026 round: $10 million)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Cash match by size: none up to $25,000, 33% for $25,001–$75,000 and 50% for $75,001–$150,000; in-kind does not count. Payment reimburses reported expenditures, with projects running January 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028; indirect costs, civilian firearms training and license-plate readers without a local police letter are not allowed. This is state money, separate from PEMA's federal NSGP.
Next deadline: Not yet announced — the fall 2026 request window closed September 10, 2026 · Recurring state-funded rounds, sometimes more than one a year (eighth cohort awarded March 2026; fall 2026 request window July 28 to September 10, 2026, with a Commission vote December 9, 2026).
Applicant tip: Only items listed in the initial request can be funded later, so list everything you may need at that step; requests of $25,000 or less carry no match.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Pennsylvania 501(c)(3) nonprofits, including churches that claim automatic exemption under IRS Publication 1828, that principally serve a group in an FBI hate-crime bias category, which includes religion. You need not have been a hate-crime victim, but victims and those facing credible threats get priority; a vulnerability assessment is not required to apply.
How to apply
Direct application: two steps — an initial request through PCCD's online form during the window, then a full application in PCCD Egrants if invited.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
$10.8 million to 191 organizations announced March 13, 2026; about $35 million to more than 600 organizations since the program began (PCCD).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Massachusetts

Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CNSGP)

Massachusetts — Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Office of Grants and Research (OGR)
Up to $75,000 per application (state fiscal 2027 pool: $4,465,000)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Equipment only: doors and locks, cameras, alarms, public-address systems, fencing, lighting, access control and first-aid gear; no salaries, general training, major construction or vehicles. State 'use or lose' money with a performance period ending August 31, 2027, quarterly progress and financial reports, and procurement under M.G.L. c.30B.
Next deadline: Nov 20, 2026 · Annual: notice in the fall with a deadline five to six weeks later (fiscal 2027 notice posted October 16, 2026; fiscal 2026 notice September 19, 2025, due October 30, 2025).
Applicant tip: An independent vulnerability assessment uploaded with the application earns 5 points, and first-time awardees scoring 80 or above are funded before any repeat awardee. OGR stops answering questions at 4:00 p.m. on November 6, 2026.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Massachusetts 501(c)(3) nonprofits, such as faith-based institutions, at high risk of terrorist attack or hate crime; churches, mosques and synagogues need not provide an IRS recognition letter. One application per location.
How to apply
Direct application: OGR's online application form; emailed applications are not accepted.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Fiscal 2026: $4,465,000 to 142 organizations, 131 of them partial awards (Governor's office, March 10, 2026).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Personnel Grant Program (CNSPGP)

Massachusetts — Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Office of Grants and Research (OGR)
Up to $40,000 per application, matched dollar for dollar in cash (state fiscal 2027 pool: $750,000)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Pays for security personnel with a required $1-for-$1 cash match; performance period ends September 30, 2027, with quarterly progress and financial reports.
Next deadline: Nov 20, 2026 · Annual: offered alongside the equipment program (CNSGP) in the fall (fiscal 2027 notice posted October 16, 2026).
Applicant tip: Budget the match before you apply: a $40,000 request means $40,000 of your own cash. The police chief's signed support letter is a required attachment.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Massachusetts 501(c)(3) nonprofits, such as faith-based institutions, at high risk of terrorist attack or hate crime; churches, mosques and synagogues need not provide an IRS recognition letter. One application per location.
How to apply
Direct application: OGR's online application form, with a support letter signed by your local police chief; emailed applications are not accepted.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Fiscal 2026: $500,000 to 23 organizations (Governor's office, March 10, 2026).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Connecticut

Connecticut State Nonprofit Organization Security Infrastructure Competitive Grant Program (CT-NSGP)

Connecticut — Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS)
Up to $50,000 per facility, with no limit on the number of facilities (2026 round: $5 million)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Bond-funded, with a performance period of about 24 months from award. Covers cameras, fencing, window film, security vestibules, alarms, access control, bollards and vendor-provided training, not fire alarms, general safety equipment or operating costs. Payment terms and any match are not stated on the state's pages.
Next deadline: Not yet announced — the fourth round closed September 14, 2026 · Periodic rounds paid for with state bonds, $5 million each (2021, 2023, 2024 and 2026); the 2026 round opened in July and closed September 14.
Applicant tip: Awarded buildings 50 years or older must complete a State Historic Preservation Office review, which many sanctuaries trigger, so build that review into your schedule.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Connecticut 501(c)(3) nonprofits, including houses of worship, that the DESPP Commissioner finds at heightened risk of terrorist attack, hate crime or violent act. The organization must own the building when it applies and through the project; leased space does not qualify.
How to apply
Direct application: register the organization in EM Grants (emgrants.despp.ct.gov) and apply under the state program (SSBF) during the window.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Maryland

Protecting Against Hate Crimes (PAHC) Grant Program

Maryland — Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP)
Up to $50,000 (annual budget under $500,000), $100,000 ($500,000–$5 million) or $200,000 (over $5 million); one application per organization (state fiscal 2027: $10 million)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Quarterly reimbursement (monthly available above $50,000), no cost share, a one-year performance period with no extensions, and quarterly program and financial reports; SAM.gov registration and a UEI are required. Security personnel are allowed but weapons and vehicles are not, and grant funds may not pay for inherently religious activity such as prayer or worship.
Next deadline: Expected: April 2027 · Annual: notice in March, applications due in April, grant year starting July 1 (fiscal 2027 deadline April 24, 2026).
Applicant tip: Priority goes to first-time applicants and those without a PAHC award in the past three fiscal years, and the user-ID request closes a week before the application (April 17 versus April 24 in 2026), so register in GMS as soon as the notice appears.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Maryland 501(c)(3) nonprofits, including faith-based organizations, with a documented, recent risk of hate crime. Churches without an IRS letter submit an EIN confirmation letter, a signed board statement, bylaws or articles, and any group exemption letter. School-based facilities are not eligible.
How to apply
Direct application: GOCPP's Grants Management System (user IDs must be requested by a cutoff a week before the deadline), plus an Organizational Capacity Questionnaire.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Fiscal 2027: $10 million to 116 organizations in 16 counties and Baltimore City (Governor's office, August 25, 2026).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Ohio

State of Ohio Security Grant (OSG)

Ohio — Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA), Department of Public Safety
State fiscal 2026 round: up to $125,000 per site, two sites ($250,000) per organization; fiscal 2027 pool $6 million (per-site cap not confirmed)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Reimbursement, with a 10% advance once the grant agreement is signed; no match. Nothing may be bought before the agreement is executed and Ohio EMA approves the procurement; firearms, self-defense training, generators, drones and the cost of writing the vulnerability assessment are not allowable.
Next deadline: Not yet announced — the fiscal 2027 round closed May 15, 2026 and applicants were notified June 25, 2026 · Annual, from the state operating budget, with the window moving year to year (fiscal 2026: September 5 to October 24, 2025; fiscal 2027: April 6 to May 15, 2026).
Applicant tip: A vendor who helps write your application is disqualified from supplying goods or services under the award, so keep your grant writer and your security contractor separate.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Ohio nonprofits at risk of terrorism, shown through a vulnerability assessment. Houses of worship state on the Investment Justification that they meet section 501(c)(3) and name their recognized religion (no IRS letter); other nonprofits need 501(c)(3) status and an active Ohio nonprofit corporation filing. A church and its school at the same address may apply as two sites.
How to apply
Direct application: Ohio EMA's online OSG application, with the OSG Vulnerability Assessment Worksheet uploaded for each site.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None
Who wins
About $42 million in OSG awards since the program began in 2019 (Governor's office, April 6, 2026).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Illinois

Illinois Not-for-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP-IL), CSFA 588-40-3019

Illinois — Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS)
Up to $150,000 per site and three sites ($450,000) per organization (state fiscal 2025 pool: $20 million)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: 36-month performance period; the project must stay in Illinois for five years after it ends, and leased sites need a five-year lease or written commitment. Equipment must be on the Authorized Equipment List, training is limited to active-shooter, evacuation and security training, and quarterly expenditure reports are required, with SAM/UEI and GATA registration before award. No match.
Next deadline: Not yet announced — no fiscal 2026 or fiscal 2027 notice posted · State general-revenue rounds when the General Assembly appropriates them, every other state fiscal year so far (fiscal 2023; fiscal 2025 window March 28 to August 1, 2025).
Applicant tip: The high-risk criterion is weighed most heavily, and you may request the same equipment category as a pending federal NSGP application as long as the state money supplements rather than duplicates it.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Illinois 501(c)(3) nonprofits at high risk of a threat, attack or act of terrorism because of their profile, ideology, mission or beliefs; churches without an IRS letter sign the program's tax-exempt statement. Organizations whose primary purpose is medical or mental-health services are excluded.
How to apply
Direct application: email the application package to IEMA-OHS during the window, after GATA pre-qualification in the Grantee Portal.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
351 awards totaling $43,458,206 across the fiscal 2023 and 2025 rounds, including Ravenswood Baptist Church ($150,000) and Islamic Center of Naperville ($139,216) (Illinois CSFA award list).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Tennessee

Houses of Worship Contracted Security Personnel Grant Program (Houses of Worship State Security Grant)

Tennessee — Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Office of Homeland Security
Varies — check official page (no cap published for 2026-27; the 2024-25 cap was $100,000; the 2026 legislative session set $1.25 million for the program)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Cost reimbursement for actual hours worked by POST-certified off-duty officers or guards from a Tennessee-licensed contract security company, over a 12-month grant tied to the state fiscal year; no equipment, training, planning or uniforms. One award per organization per year and one application per building, with competitive procurement where practical.
Next deadline: Expected: July 2027 · Annual: one summer window for the state fiscal year (2026-27 round closed August 3, 2026; 2024-25 round closed July 12, 2024).
Applicant tip: Enter the legal name exactly as it appears on your W-9, with no campus or location words added, and upload attachments as PDFs; images are rejected and revised applications are not accepted.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Tennessee houses of worship — churches, synagogues, temples and mosques — that are 501(c)(3) organizations or described under section 501(c)(3) (no IRS letter needed) and can show threat and vulnerability. Organizations receiving federal NSGP money for contracted security personnel are ineligible.
How to apply
Direct application: the department's online application form during the summer window, with a W-9 and a current invoice or quote for contracted security.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Georgia

Georgia Funds for Protection of Communities (FPC)

Georgia — Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS)
$25,000–$150,000 per applicant (FY 2027: $5 million; FY 2026: $3 million)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Reimbursement grant, no match; performance period October 1, 2026 to June 1, 2027. The FY 2027 round pays only for contract security guards and contracted or off-duty law enforcement (FY 2026 also allowed equipment), with a memorandum of understanding where law enforcement is used, plus financial, progress and closeout reports.
Next deadline: Closed — next round TBD · Created by the General Assembly in 2026, with two rounds so far (FY 2026 due May 22, 2026; FY 2027 open October 1 to October 30, 2026). · Set an alert ↗
Applicant tip: Only off-duty active state, county or municipal officers or Georgia-licensed security officers are reimbursable, so line up the officers or a licensed company and its quote before you submit; requests over $150,000 are not considered.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Georgia nonprofits tax-exempt under section 501(c) — the application specifies 501(c)(3) or organizations described under it — that are at risk of terrorist or extremist attack or have identified security concerns. The application places emphasis on houses of worship, with no scoring preference by religious affiliation; one facility per organization.
How to apply
Direct application: Georgia EM Grants Manager (ga.emgrants.com), with an investment justification, narrative, budget and budget narrative.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Washington

Religious and Nonprofit Security Grant

Washington — Department of Commerce
2025 round: up to $20,000 per organization, reimbursed at up to $10,000 a year in 2026 and 2027 ($200,000 total)
GrantEquity-freesecurity & safety
The catch: Reimbursement only, so you pay first, and work must be finished by June 30, 2027. Covers physical security, cybersecurity, construction or renovation, security personnel, target hardening, planning, training and exercises.
Next deadline: Not yet announced — Commerce says the current round has closed and grants through June 2027 have been distributed · Rounds funded by legislative proviso about every two years (2023; 2025 round due July 31, 2025).
Applicant tip: Attach at least one vendor bid dated within the last six months and document every high-severity incident; only 9 of 62 requests were funded in 2025.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) religious institutions, 'by and for' nonprofits and nonprofit community centers in Washington that have been targeted or are at risk, with verification (police reports, news articles) for each highest-severity incident. Must be licensed to do business in Washington, or become licensed within 30 days of selection.
How to apply
Direct application: Commerce's ZoomGrants application during an open round.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
2025 round: $200,000 to 9 organizations from 62 requests totaling $936,480; 2023 round: about $500,000 to 20 organizations (Commerce).
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

5. Repair, preservation and building grants for houses of worship

Money to repair an older church, synagogue, mosque or temple comes mostly from historic preservation programs, not religious funders, and nearly all of it goes to the building envelope: roofs, masonry, structure, windows and stained glass. National programs run from the National Fund for Sacred Places and the National Trust's Preserving Black Churches program ($50,000 to $500,000) to federal Save America's Treasures and African American Civil Rights grants (up to $750,000). Regional funds in New York, Virginia, western Pennsylvania and Indiana make grants from $1,000 to $50,000, and several states open their preservation grants to active congregations for exterior and structural work. Most programs run one round a year; a few run two. Expect a match, payment in stages or by reimbursement, the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and, with public money, a recorded easement or covenant. Government programs pay for the structure, not worship spaces or religious imagery. The most common mistake is signing a contract or starting work before the award: almost every program here refuses to pay for work already under way.

13 programs

National

National Fund for Sacred Places

National — Partners for Sacred Places with the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Capital grants of $50,000 to $500,000 with a 1:1 cash match, plus planning grants, training and technical assistance for congregations accepted into the program
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: Every grant needs a 1:1 cash match raised within the two-year grant period; a quarter of it must be raised or pledged before any money is released, and pledges made before you entered the program do not count. Work must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and rest on permit-ready construction documents and contractor bids that program staff approve before construction starts; half the grant is paid at approval and half after the finished work is reviewed.
Next deadline: Mar 3, 2027 · Annual: applications open in mid-January and are due in early March; grantees are notified in October
Applicant tip: If the roof or walls still need work, apply for the envelope repair: ADA and interior projects are considered only once a building conditions assessment shows urgent envelope needs have been identified and addressed. The apply page says the fund particularly wants applicants from places it has not yet funded, naming Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, West Virginia and U.S. territories such as the Virgin Islands and Guam.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
A congregation at least three years old, or a closely affiliated nonprofit such as a Friends group, whose building in the U.S. or its territories was originally built as a house of worship, is owned by an active faith community and has historic, cultural or architectural significance (National Register or landmark listing is not required). The congregation must serve nonmembers, have urgent structural or envelope repair needs, and keep a supportive relationship with its regional denominational office where one exists. Open to all faiths.
How to apply
Direct application: one online application in Foundant; staff then invite a limited number of applicants to submit an Additional Information Form before final selection.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
On October 20, 2026 the fund named 30 congregations, chosen from 466 applicants, for grants of up to $500,000 each (over $9 million in all), including Berkeley Methodist United Church (CA), First Christian Church of Fayetteville (AR) and Temple Beth El (Birmingham, AL). Since 2016 it has awarded or pledged over $42 million to 197 congregations.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Preserving Black Churches Grant Program

National — National Trust for Historic Preservation (African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund)
$50,000 to $500,000: capital projects up to $500,000 for active congregations ($250,000 for non-active sites); endowment up to $500,000 (1:1 match); organizational capacity up to $300,000; project planning and programming/interpretation up to $100,000 each
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: Only the endowment track needs a match (1:1 from outside sources, secured before release; existing invested principal does not count). After a first payment when the agreement is signed, later money is reimbursed against paid invoices, so you carry the costs in between. No new buildings or additions; capital and planning work must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and capital documents need Action Fund staff approval before funds flow. Clergy and janitorial positions cannot be funded through capacity grants.
Next deadline: Expected: September 2027 · Annual: applications open in early August and are due in mid-September; status updates by the end of October and final awards the following February
Applicant tip: Project types cannot be combined, so pick the one track that matters most: an active congregation's capital request can reach $500,000 with no match, and up to 15% of it can pay for architectural and engineering plans. Requests under $50,000 are not considered.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Historically Black congregations, active or not, of any denomination (AME, AMEZ, Baptist, CME, COGIC and non-denominational churches, and Black congregations in Episcopal, Lutheran, United Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic and other traditions; non-Christian congregations are reviewed case by case), plus 501(c)(3)s and public agencies that steward non-active historic Black church buildings. The church or associated building or landscape is generally at least 50 years old; landmark designation is not required. You need an EIN and must own the property or have the owner's documented permission.
How to apply
Direct application: online application with no letter of intent; an organization may submit several applications but only one can be funded.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
On February 24, 2026 the program announced 33 grants totaling $8.5 million, bringing its 2026 awards to $13.5 million with five grants made on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It has supported over 170 historically Black churches since its first cohort in 2023.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Save America's Treasures — Preservation Grants (ALN 15.929)

National — U.S. Department of the Interior — National Park Service
$125,000 to $750,000 in federal share with a dollar-for-dollar non-federal match (FY2025 round: $25.5 million available, about 55 awards expected)
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: Dollar-for-dollar non-federal match (cash or documented in-kind) spent at the same rate as the grant. All work must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, and the owner must record a preservation easement whose term grows with the award (10 years for $50,001–$250,000 up to 20 years for $500,001–$750,000); plans and specifications are capped at 20% of project cost and admin plus indirect costs at 25%. Religious-use rule: under 54 U.S.C. 302905 the grant's purpose must be secular, must not promote religion and must protect historically significant qualities, and no HPF money may buy a religious property; standard federal rules (2 CFR 200, Section 106 review) apply.
Next deadline: Not yet announced — FY2026 notice not posted (the FY2025 round closed June 16, 2026) · Annual, when Congress funds the program: notices usually post in the fall with December deadlines, but the FY2025 notice posted May 15, 2026 and closed June 16, 2026
Applicant tip: Check the level of significance on your church's National Register nomination first: a listing for state or local significance is ineligible until it is amended for national significance, and the amendment must be in place when you apply. Owner-consent letters must be signed within 60 days before the due date and must also agree to the easement.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofits (with or without a 501(c)(3) letter), state and local governments, tribes and colleges, for work on a property that is a National Historic Landmark or is listed in the National Register for national (not state or local) significance, individually or as a contributing resource, at the time of application. Active houses of worship can qualify: 54 U.S.C. 302905 allows Historic Preservation Fund grants for religious property listed on the National Register when the grant's purpose is secular. A resource that already received a SAT grant cannot get another.
How to apply
Direct application: Grants.gov, under the Preservation notice (collections projects use a separate notice run with IMLS).
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
In the FY2025 round (NPS, updated October 6, 2026) the program awarded $24.4 million to 49 projects in 31 states, including $750,000 to the California Missions Foundation for sanctuary art at Mission San Francisco de Asís.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

African American Civil Rights Grant Program — Preservation Grants (ALN 15.966)

National — U.S. Department of the Interior — National Park Service
$75,000 to $750,000 for physical preservation, or $15,000 to $100,000 for plans and studies alone; no match (FY2025: $24 million across preservation and history grants, about 45 preservation awards expected)
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: No match, but no more than 20% of a preservation budget may go to architectural or engineering work, admin plus indirect costs are capped at 25%, all work must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, and physical work requires a recorded preservation easement or covenant whose term grows with the award. Religious-use rule: under 54 U.S.C. 302905 the grant's purpose must be secular, must not promote religion and must protect historically significant qualities; Section 106 and NEPA review apply.
Next deadline: Not yet announced — FY2026 notice not posted (the FY2025 round closed July 14, 2026) · Annual, when Congress funds the program: recent notices posted between June and September with deadlines one to three months later
Applicant tip: Those three church awards went to partner nonprofits (a church preservation society, the Cleveland Restoration Society and an Overtown community development corporation) applying with the owner's written consent, a route worth weighing if your congregation has no grant-administration staff. If your church's National Register listing does not cover civil rights significance, budget the nomination amendment into the project.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
States, local governments, nonprofits, colleges and tribes, for properties listed in or eligible for the National Register (or National Historic Landmarks) whose significance is tied to African American civil rights and the struggle for equality. A property not listed for that significance must prepare or amend its nomination as part of the grant. Historic churches are frequent recipients; religious property is funded on the same secular-purpose terms as other Historic Preservation Fund grants (54 U.S.C. 302905).
How to apply
Direct application: Grants.gov, under the Preservation notice (history and documentation projects use a separate notice).
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
In the FY2025 round (NPS, updated October 2026) the program awarded $21.8 million to 54 projects in 18 states, including $750,000 for sanctuary stained glass at Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, $750,000 for Shiloh Baptist Church in Cleveland and $400,000 for Miami's Greater Bethel AME Church.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

New York

Sacred Sites Grants (construction and professional-services matching grants)

New York — New York Landmarks Conservancy
Construction grants of $1,000 to $50,000, up to half of project cost (recent pledges average about $16,000 and cover about 20% of cost); professional-services matching grants up to $15,000 (average about $8,400)
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: Priority goes to essential repairs to the primary worship building (roofs and drainage, masonry, structural work, exterior carpentry, windows including stained glass); ADA work, pipe organs, interiors, mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades and routine maintenance such as exterior repainting are not funded. Work contracted or started before you apply is ineligible, you have one year to match the grant and sign a contract, checks are not issued until the project starts, and a construction grant brings a three-year wait before your next construction application.
Next deadline: Jan 15, 2027 · Two rounds a year: January 15 and June 1, with pledges about four to five months later; New York City planning and consulting requests are reviewed on a rolling basis
Applicant tip: Start with a professional-services grant for a conditions survey or plans: planning grants are exempt from the three-year wait that follows a construction grant. On Long Island, the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation underwrites Sacred Sites grants in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
A house of worship anywhere in New York State, owned by a religious institution and actively used for worship, that is listed on the State or National Register (individually or as a contributing building in a district) or designated under a local landmarks ordinance certified by the state. Churches, synagogues, meetinghouses, mosques, temples and other houses of worship qualify.
How to apply
Direct application: online application form after discussing the project with Sacred Sites staff (email preferred).
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Who wins
In May 2026 the Conservancy pledged 21 grants to 18 houses of worship totaling $287,500, from $2,000 consulting grants to $35,000 for roof repair at First Baptist Church in the City of New York. Since 1986 it has pledged over 1,700 grants worth more than $14.75 million to over 880 religious institutions.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Virginia

Sacred Landmarks Grants

Virginia — The Cameron Foundation
Up to $25,000 for exterior preservation; soft costs such as architectural fees and surveys may not exceed 15% of the request
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: Exterior work on the primary worship building only: no pipe organs, interiors, mechanical upgrades or routine maintenance, and stained glass only when highly significant and severely deteriorated. Grants are not retroactive, and money is released only after you sign a contract with your architect or contractor, show other funds where needed and, where applicable, obtain local preservation review confirming the work meets the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Recipients wait two years before another grant.
Next deadline: Jan 6, 2027 · Two rounds a year: letters of intent due in early January and early May, invited proposals due in early March and mid-July; grants awarded in June and October
Applicant tip: Attach the full State or National Register registration form (excerpts are fine for a contributing building in a district): the foundation says a letter cannot be substituted. Get your denomination details, membership and average attendance right in the Letter of Intent, because those answers cannot be edited at the proposal stage.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Congregations whose building was originally constructed as a church, is owned by a religious institution and actively used for worship, sits in the foundation's service area (Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Dinwiddie, Prince George and Sussex counties, and Chesterfield County south of Route 10), and is listed on the State or National Register or designated under a local landmarks ordinance. Tax-exempt status can be shown by an IRS letter, a group exemption letter or an officer's statement of automatic church exemption.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: submit an online Letter of Intent; the foundation responds at least four weeks before the proposal deadline and invites selected congregations to submit a full Sacred Landmarks application.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None

Indiana

Sacred Places Indiana Fund (planning and capital grants)

Indiana — Indiana Landmarks (Sacred Places Indiana)
Planning grants up to $25,000 with no match; capital grants from a $75,000 minimum request up to $500,000, matched 2:1 (two grant dollars per congregation dollar) up to $100,000 and 1:1 from $100,001 to $500,000
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: Half of the required match must be new money solicited or secured after you are accepted, and a quarter of the match must be raised or pledged before the capital grant is released. Work needs permit-ready construction documents, must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and cannot start until program staff approve; half the grant is paid at approval and half after the finished work is reviewed, and projects must be completed within 18 to 24 months of acceptance.
Next deadline: Expected: June 2027 · Annual: applications open in January and are due June 15; acceptance letters in September and training in November
Applicant tip: Congregations not ready for a capital campaign can take the New Dollars/New Partners track instead: a $500 fee and four Saturday trainings, then planning grants and capital grants up to $75,000, with applications for the next group opening in January 2027.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
An Indiana congregation at least three years old, or a closely affiliated Indiana nonprofit, that owns and occupies a building at least 50 years old that was originally built as a house of worship and has historical, cultural and architectural value (landmark or National Register listing is prioritized, not required). The congregation must serve nonmembers, have significant envelope or life-safety repair needs, have its judicatory's support, and be ready to run a capital campaign and finish construction within about two years.
How to apply
Direct application: online application open to any historic Indiana house of worship; congregations accepted into the program attend a two-day training in Indianapolis before submitting planning and capital grant requests.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
In 2025 the program gave $2,835,950 to 25 congregations for capital and planning needs. Lilly Endowment renewed its support with a $10 million grant in December 2025.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) Acquisition & Development Grants

Indiana — Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA)
$10,000 to $75,000 per project, covering 50% of project cost (60% for Certified Local Governments)
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: You must document the full 50% match as already in your own accounts when you apply, and payment is by reimbursement about 30 days after each documented request, so you front all costs. Open bidding (at least 14 days, formal contract) applies, work must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, and a protective covenant (5 years for grants up to $50,000, 10 years above) must be recorded on the title before money is released. Religious-use rule: this is federal HPF money, so the grant's purpose must be secular, must not promote religion and must protect historically significant qualities (54 U.S.C. 302905).
Next deadline: Expected: June 2027 · Annual: applications due in early June; projects start no earlier than October 1
Applicant tip: Projects with 100% of the match on hand and documented (bank statements with the signed Matching Share Form) earn an administrative scoring priority. If your church is not yet National Register-listed, its nomination has to clear DHPA's technical and substantive review before the June deadline, so talk to the National Register staff early.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Tax-exempt nonprofits, public and private schools and colleges, and local governments; DHPA's FY2026 instructions say the National Park Service lifted earlier restrictions, so religious organizations may apply like other nonprofits. The Indiana property must already be listed in the National Register (individually or as a contributing resource), or have a nomination that passed DHPA technical and substantive review before the deadline; State Register-only listings do not qualify.
How to apply
Direct application: Euna Grants portal through the Indiana State Budget Agency (DNR Historic Preservation & Archaeology listings).
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None

Pennsylvania

Historic Religious Properties Grant Program

Pennsylvania — Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation
Matching grants up to $10,000; technical assistance such as condition assessments, maintenance plans and energy audits is also offered
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: You must provide matching funds (PHLF does not publish a ratio) and finish all work from earlier PHLF grants before reapplying. Once a property's PHLF grants total $20,000 or more, PHLF may require an easement on the exterior or significant interior elements before awarding more.
Next deadline: Dec 11, 2026 · Annual: applications due in mid-December for the following year's cycle; grants announced in February
Applicant tip: Become a PHLF member before you apply, since membership is an eligibility requirement, and ask for a technical-assistance visit if you do not yet have a scope and estimate for the repair.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
A recognized religious institution in Allegheny County with an active (not necessarily large) congregation in an architecturally significant building at least 50 years old, that offers social services to its neighborhood, can raise matching funds, is a PHLF member and will accept a PHLF Historic Landmark plaque if offered. National Register status, inclusion in PHLF's county survey or an existing plaque earns priority.
How to apply
Direct application: download the application from PHLF's program page and submit it by the December deadline.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Who wins
For the 2026 cycle (announced February 23, 2026) PHLF awarded $125,000 in matching grants to 19 Allegheny County congregations, leveraging more than $615,000 they raised, for masonry, roofs, doors and stained glass. Since 1997 it has awarded more than 302 grants totaling nearly $4 million.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants

Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC)
$5,000 to $100,000 with a 50/50 cash match
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: The match must be cash (no in-kind or staff time), the grant is paid by reimbursement, and nothing spent before the agreement is executed counts. A preservation covenant of up to ten years requires PHMC approval before substantial changes, design or construction must start within 45 days of the executed agreement, and projects over $25,000 may fall under the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act.
Next deadline: Mar 1, 2027 · Annual: optional pre-application in early December, application due March 1; awards in June
Applicant tip: Send the optional pre-application by December 7, 2026 so staff can flag problems before the March 1 deadline. Proof that the cash match is secured is not required at application but counts in your favor.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Pennsylvania nonprofits and local governments; PHMC lists religious institutions among eligible applicants. Applicants need tax-exempt status, at least five consecutive years of serving the public and charitable registration where required. The property must be listed in or eligible for the National Register (with State Historic Preservation Office documentation) and open to the public at least 100 days a year, or have a plan to open as a result of the grant.
How to apply
Direct application: Enterprise eGrants (Electronic Single Application); an optional pre-application gets staff feedback first.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Maryland

Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program

Maryland — Maryland Historical Trust
Suggested minimum $10,000, maximum $100,000; about $1 million available each year
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: Spaces used primarily for worship and elements bearing religious imagery are not funded (stained glass is split by structural component or sash to remove ineligible parts). The owner must convey a preservation easement to MHT, money is paid as work progresses in proportion to match and other funds spent (never up front), contractors must be chosen through an MHT-approved advertised process, and work must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Nonprofits owe no match; other applicants owe 1:1.
Next deadline: Expected: March 2027 · Annual: application opens in February and is due in mid-March; awards announced in June
Applicant tip: Interior work in spaces that are not used for worship can be eligible, so price fellowship-hall or restroom work separately from sanctuary work, and ask the Capital Grants and Loans Administrator for an eligibility read before the portal opens in February. Pre-construction plans and specifications are eligible only for nonprofit and local-government applicants.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofits, local governments, businesses and individuals, for Maryland properties listed in or eligible for the Maryland Register of Historic Properties, individually or as a contributing building. Structures used for religious purposes are reviewed case by case and are generally eligible only for exterior and structural work. A church covered by its denomination's tax exemption submits the IRS group (umbrella) letter.
How to apply
Direct application: online grants portal, after confirming eligibility with MHT staff and attending a pre-application webinar.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Speaker Adrienne A. Jones African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) — Capital Grants

Maryland — Maryland Historical Trust and Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture
Up to $250,000 with no match; $5 million program
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: No match, but religious symbolism is not funded (stained glass is split by structural component or sash), money is disbursed as work progresses rather than up front, contractors must be selected through an MHT-approved process, work must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, and an easement or preservation agreement goes to MHT on historic property that receives a grant. Expect a long runway: grant agreements are executed in the spring after the deadline and bidding starts the following spring or summer.
Next deadline: Expected: July 2027 · Annual: application opens in early April and is due July 1; awards go to the Board of Public Works the following winter
Applicant tip: Unlike MHT's Historic Preservation Capital Grants, this program does not require a historic designation and also lists new construction among eligible projects, which matters for congregations whose buildings are significant to Black history but are not listed.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofits, local governments, businesses and individuals, for Maryland buildings, sites or communities important to the African American experience; properties do not have to be historic. For religious properties, exterior and structural work is generally eligible, while interior work is eligible only in spaces not used for worship (restrooms, a fellowship hall used mainly for non-religious activities, a sanctuary converted to secular use); MHT decides case by case.
How to apply
Direct application: online grants portal, open from early April.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

New Jersey

Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund — Capital Preservation Grants

New Jersey — New Jersey Historic Trust
Capital Level I $5,000–$150,000 (Trust pays 60%); Level II $150,001–$750,000 (1:1 match); Level III multiphase $500,000–$750,000 per phase (1:1); planning grants $5,000–$75,000 (25% match)
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservation
The catch: Nonprofits receiving more than $50,000 must record a preservation easement (15 years for $50,001–$100,000, 20 years up to $450,000, 30 years above) before money is disbursed, and capital-funded properties must offer public access (the grounds for exterior work, the building for interior work). Payment is by reimbursement, the match must be cash, project money must be kept separate from other funds, and the grant lapses if the agreement is not signed within 18 months or work does not begin within two years of appropriation.
Next deadline: Expected: April 2027 · Annual: applicant workshop in late January, applications due in mid-April, board decisions at the end of September, money available after the state appropriation the following winter
Applicant tip: Ask the Trust about your specific scope before the January workshop and read the two cited rulings. In Morris County, the county's own Historic Preservation Trust Fund reopened to religious institutions in 2026: it pays 80% of construction costs for exterior, structural and mechanical work if the congregation's stated purposes include historic preservation, with a 30-year easement on construction grants over $50,000.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
County, municipal and state government entities, and nonprofits organized under the New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act with federal tax-exempt status and charities registration (or an exemption letter). Capital projects need a property individually listed in the New Jersey or National Register or contributing to a listed district. Requests to repair or maintain a house of worship are accepted but reviewed by the Trust for compliance with the U.S. and New Jersey Constitutions, citing Mendham Methodist Church v. Morris County (D.N.J. 2024) and FFRF v. Morris County (N.J. 2018).
How to apply
Direct application: online application plus supporting documents on USB, after the free virtual applicant workshop in January.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

6. Community, health and corporate funders open to congregations

Some dependable money for congregations comes from funders that are not religious bodies at all. Health foundations created when a church-related hospital was sold often keep a track only congregations can use, such as renewable health-ministry grants for United Methodist churches in Kansas and Nebraska or rolling mini grants for St. Louis-area Lutheran congregations. Fraternal benefit societies, the member-owned insurers such as Thrivent, Everence, Catholic United Financial and the Knights of Columbus, return part of their earnings to churches, usually because a member recommends the church, leads a project or joins a parish team. Companies such as Walmart and the U.S. Bank Foundation, and some community foundations, accept faith-based applicants only for projects that serve the whole community, like a food pantry or housing help. Expect small, repeatable amounts: $250 seed cards, matches up to a few thousand dollars, local grants up to $5,000, more by letter of interest. Most run rolling or in several cycles a year. The common mistake is applying as the church when the program runs through a member or needs a community-wide purpose.

11 programs

Healthy Congregations

Kansas and Nebraska — United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
$500 initial discovery and planning grant, plus a $100 bonus for each team member who completes orientation; then a $1,500 grant renewable each year
GrantEquity-freehealth & recovery
The catch: Only Great Plains Conference United Methodist churches qualify, and the money comes with participation: two lay members must finish training and the team must keep up with program requirements in good faith. The $1,500 grant is renewed by a yearly application, not automatically.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling enrollment; annual grant renewal application due June 30
Applicant tip: Send more than the two required people through orientation: the Fund adds $100 for each member who completes it, and training credit never expires. Only teams in good standing can enter the Fund's special grant opportunities (Mental Health First Aid, Summer Food Service Program, Bike Share in a Box, Faith in Democracy), whose deadlines arrive through the monthly Healthy Congregations newsletter.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Great Plains Conference United Methodist churches only; the church is the grantee. Its team needs at least one lay UMC member plus one more active UMC member, and two core laypeople (a program leader and one other) must complete the program training; pastors may join as additional members.
How to apply
Direct application: enroll through the Fund's Healthy Congregations sign-up (healthfund.org/hcc/starthere.php), then complete the roughly two-hour training, offered in live virtual sessions with at least one in-person option a year.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Lutheran Congregation Mini Grants

Missouri and Illinois — Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis
Up to $10,000; capacity-building requests are paid at 50% of cost, up to $10,000
GrantEquity-freehealth & recoverycommunity development & disaster
The catch: The money must start or expand a community engagement ministry, or pay for capacity building (strategic planning, leadership development) that helps the congregation serve its community; the Foundation pays only half of capacity-building costs. The form asks for an itemized budget, a goal and how you will know you reached it.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling: no deadline; up to two mini grants per calendar year, typically one active at a time; award notice by email about two weeks after submission
Applicant tip: Use the mini grant to test a ministry before going after the Foundation's larger Program grants, which run on fixed June 1 and December 1 deadlines and require a staff consultation. The current form offers coaching on project design, outcomes, evaluation tools and incorporating faith tools, so ask for it before you submit.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Lutheran congregations in the St. Louis metropolitan area supported by the Foundation: Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Warren counties in Missouri, and Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties in Illinois. The congregation applies itself, signed by the senior pastor.
How to apply
Direct application: send the signed Lutheran Congregation Mini Grant application form by mail or as a scanned email to the Foundation's president, with two years of internally prepared financial statements and a list of church council members.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Community Impact Grants

Texas — Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio
$3,000–$12,000, and no more than 20% of the organization's total actual revenue
GrantEquity-freehealth & recovery
The catch: This track is meant for smaller organizations with a large effect on community health. The Foundation does not fund vehicles, annual fund drives, galas or special events, and organizations funded in the latest grant year may reapply but get lower preference.
Next deadline: Expected: June 2027 · Annual: LOI window in mid-to-late June, invited applications in July, site visits for selected applicants in October, decisions in November
Applicant tip: Because churches are exempt from the $249,999 revenue ceiling, a congregation's health ministry can apply even when the church's revenue is above it; confirm with staff how the 20%-of-revenue cap is figured for a church before you choose a request amount. New applicants should file the Grant Inquiries Form well before June so the portal is ready when the LOI window opens.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) organizations in existence more than a year after their IRS ruling, operating in Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina or Wilson county, with an operating budget of at least $15,000 and prior-year revenue between $15,000 and $249,999 — churches are exempt from the revenue band.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: first-time applicants file the Grant Inquiries Form, then submit an LOI during the June window through the Foundation's online portal; invited organizations submit a full application in July.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Community Grants Program (Capacity Building and Community Assist Grants)

Indiana — Community Foundation of Southern Indiana
Community Assist Grants: up to $10,000, one-time; Capacity Building Grants: $10,000–$50,000
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disaster
The catch: Community Assist requests must line up with a need named in the Foundation's Priorities for Progress in Southern Indiana (2025 update). The guidelines' religion clause also names construction projects of churches and other religious institutions, so check with staff before asking for building money.
Next deadline: Dec 31, 2026 · Quarterly: applications due March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31
Applicant tip: Frame a church food pantry, clinic, tutoring program or historic-building safety repair around the wider community it serves, which is the exception the guidelines carve out. Applications received October through December are reviewed in January, so a December 31 submission is decided early in the new year.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Charitable 501(c)(3) organizations, schools, churches and governments in or serving Clark and Floyd counties, Indiana. Projects aimed at promoting a particular religion are not funded unless they benefit the broader community, preserve a historic site or respond to an immediate health or safety problem.
How to apply
Direct application: apply online through the Foundation's grant portal; the volunteer Community Grants Committee reviews applications each quarter and recommends awards to the board.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None

Thrivent Choice

Thrivent — Thrivent Choice (member-directed charitable grants)
Member-directed giving: Thrivent pays $1 in grant funding for each Choice Dollar a member directs to your organization; no published minimum or maximum
OtherEquity-freeministry & clergycommunity development & disaster
The catch: You cannot enroll without a member's recommendation, Thrivent keeps final authority over every distribution, and the amount depends entirely on how many members direct their Choice Dollars to you. Your organization must be able to receive funds by electronic transfer.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling enrollment; members receive Choice Dollars each January and can direct them any time until December 31; Thrivent pays enrolled organizations monthly by EFT
Applicant tip: Members' balances are set each January from their prior-year product activity and can be directed until December 31, so remind Thrivent members in your congregation early in the year and again before year-end. Once enrolled, use the promotion tools Thrivent posts for enrolled organizations at thrivent.com/thriventchoice.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits and churches that a Thrivent client with membership recommends, that meet the program's eligibility requirements, complete Thrivent's application and accept its Terms and Conditions. Enrolled organizations include churches, camps, schools, seminaries and campus ministries.
How to apply
Nomination: a Thrivent member recommends your church or nonprofit, your organization completes the enrollment application and agrees to the terms, and members then direct Choice Dollars to you online, in the Thrivent app, by phone or through a financial advisor.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit, religious school
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Thrivent reports more than $660 million distributed since 2010 to enrolled 501(c)(3) organizations, including churches; more than 50,000 organizations are enrolled.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Thrivent Action Teams

Thrivent — Thrivent Action Teams (member-led projects)
Seed money to the member who leads the project, not a grant to the church: up to $250 on a Community Impact Card per project
OtherEquity-freecommunity development & disaster
The catch: The card pays only for the project and should not be handed to the organization you are supporting. The leader must take part (teams cannot be passed to someone else), each project gets one kit, efforts cannot be combined to fund a larger initiative, and Thrivent can change or end the benefit at any time.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; up to two teams per calendar year for each benefit member
Applicant tip: Spend the card on what makes the event possible (supplies for a car wash, food for a benefit meal, materials for a school-supply drive) and let the proceeds go to the ministry. A benefit member can lead two teams a year, so a spring and a fall project are both possible.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
A Thrivent client with membership, age 16 or older, leads the team; the project (fundraiser, educational event or service activity) must benefit the community where the leader lives, works or worships and cannot benefit the leader or immediate family. Benefit members may lead up to two teams per calendar year, associate members one.
How to apply
Direct application: the Thrivent member who will lead applies for an Action Team and receives the Community Impact Card; the church or nonprofit being helped does not apply.
Applicant fit
pastor or lay leader
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Catholic United Financial grant programs (Education Technology, Chastity and Abstinence Education, and Matching Grants)

Upper Midwest — Catholic United Financial and Catholic United Financial Foundation
Education Technology Grants up to $500; Chastity and Abstinence Education Grants up to $1,000; Matching Grants for Catholic-education fundraisers up to $1,000
GrantEquity-freechildren & youthministry & clergy
The catch: Awards are small and purpose-limited: technology grants must buy hardware or software that benefits students, and the match depends on a Parish Volunteer Team holding a fundraiser. A footnote on the page says membership must be obtained at least one year before the date of a fundraising event.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling (no deadlines posted for parish and school grants); the separate Schuler Seminarian Fund opens October 1–31 each year
Applicant tip: If your parish has a Catholic United Parish Volunteer Team, run the school or religious-education fundraiser through it to qualify for the up-to-$1,000 match. The same page lists parish and school event supplements (up to $500 per grant, $1,500 total) and MinisTREE, which pays a parish $5 per volunteer task up to $500 a year.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Catholic parishes and schools (and, for chastity education, dioceses) in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, where Catholic United Financial is licensed. Chastity grants must be a collaboration with other parishes, youth groups, schools or regional or diocesan efforts; Matching Grants support a Parish Volunteer Team fundraiser for a school or religious-education program.
How to apply
Direct application: log in or create an account at my.catholicunitedfinancial.org, choose Catholic United Programs, then Catholic United Grants, and complete the form.
Applicant fit
congregation, religious school, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Everence Sharing Fund

Everence — Sharing Fund (fraternal benefit society)
Up to $3,000 per year per eligible congregation, generally matching what the congregation gave toward a need without exceeding the need
GrantEquity-freefamilies & seniorsfood & hungercommunity development & disaster
The catch: It works like a reimbursement match: the congregation gives first, then applies. Funds are limited each year, cannot support mission workers on an ongoing basis, and requests dated before December 10 are not carried over if the money runs out.
Next deadline: Dec 10, 2026 · Annual budget year: applications due December 10; submit within 90 days of the church's gift; church checks dated December 11–31 count toward the next year (application due before February 28)
Applicant tip: File each request soon after the church gives rather than batching at year-end: complete applications usually bring a check in 7–10 working days, slower in November and December. Congregations with a stewardship advocate can also request an Everence Safe Church Grant (separate guidelines) for protecting children, teens and vulnerable adults.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Congregations with an active Everence stewardship advocate (Everence is a fraternal benefit society rooted in the Anabaptist tradition). The congregation applies on behalf of a U.S. individual or nonprofit with basic-living or emergency needs; recipients do not have to be Everence members.
How to apply
Direct application: the congregation's Everence stewardship advocate (or another church leader, with a brief explanation) submits the application with the church's verification of the money it gave and an estimate of the need.
Applicant fit
congregation
Equity taken
None
Who wins
Everence reports $786,000 in Sharing Fund grants in 2025.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Spark Good Local Grants

Walmart — Walmart.org Spark Good Local Grants
$250–$5,000
GrantEquity-freefood & hungercommunity development & disaster
The catch: The project must serve the broader community, not only the congregation, and Walmart may exclude organizations that deny service, membership or involvement on the basis of religion or other protected characteristics. A funded organization cannot reapply to the same facility in the same fiscal year, and banking information is due within 21 days of notice.
Next deadline: Dec 31, 2026 · Three cycles a year: February 1–April 15, May 1–July 15, and August 1–December 31
Applicant tip: You may have up to 25 pending or approved applications at once, so apply to each store, Sam's Club and distribution center that serves your area rather than only the nearest one. Finish Deed verification before a cycle opens; decisions come before the next cycle starts.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Faith-based organizations whose proposed projects benefit the broader community (such as food pantries, clothing closets or soup kitchens) and 501(c)(3) public charities, each verified by Deed and serving the same area as the Walmart or Sam's Club facility they ask. 501(c)(4), (c)(6), (c)(19) and 509(a)(3) organizations are not eligible.
How to apply
Direct application: create a Spark Good account on Walmart.com, complete verification through Deed, then apply to the store, club or distribution center that serves your area.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Ultrasound Initiative

Knights of Columbus — Supreme Council Culture of Life Fund
50% of the cost of an ultrasound machine once the sponsoring council raises the other 50%; 100% of the machine when a council fully funds a vehicle outfitted as a mobile medical unit
GrantEquity-freehealth & recoveryfamilies & seniors
The catch: A pregnancy center cannot apply on its own; it needs a council willing to sponsor and fundraise, plus approval from the local diocese. The match buys a machine from the Supreme Council's preferred-pricing list rather than arriving as cash.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling (standing program)
Applicant tip: Ask the sponsoring council about ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) at the same time: for every $500 a council or assembly gives a pregnancy resource center or maternity home, up to $2,000, the Supreme Council adds $100.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Qualifying pro-life pregnancy centers sponsored by a Knights of Columbus state or local council and approved for funding by the local diocese and the Supreme Council.
How to apply
Through a Knights of Columbus council: a state or local council sponsors the pregnancy center and raises its half; after diocesan and Supreme Council approval, the council receives the list of preferred machines at discounted prices.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-27

Community Possible grant program (Work, Home and Play grants)

U.S. Bank — U.S. Bank Foundation
Varies — check official page (amounts not published; grants to 501(c)(3) partners in designated U.S. Bank communities)
GrantEquity-freehousing & homelessnesscommunity development & disaster
The catch: A faith-based applicant must run a non-sectarian program that serves the broad community, and funding is limited to the three pillars: economic and workforce advancement (Work), safe and affordable housing (Home) and community arts and culture (Play).
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling Letter of Interest for new applicants; annual invitation for established partners
Applicant tip: Pitch a program that touches more than one pillar: the foundation says it prioritizes organizations that address more than one of work, home and play and that are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
501(c)(3) nonprofits based in and serving designated U.S. Bank communities that certify a non-discrimination policy (religion included). Religious organizations are not funded unless their program is non-sectarian and benefits a broad base of the community.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry: organizations new to the U.S. Bank Foundation submit an electronic Letter of Interest any time of year; established partners apply annually by invitation from a community affairs manager.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-27

7. Federal money that reaches congregations through states, counties and local boards

Most federal money that reaches a congregation never comes straight from Washington. Congress funds a formula or block program, a state agency, county, local board, Continuum of Care, food bank or area agency on aging picks the local providers, and your church or ministry nonprofit applies there. These programs pay for the work congregations already do: food pantries and meal sites, shelters and rapid re-housing, victim services, senior meals, child care and summer meals. Awards range from a few thousand dollars from an EFSP local board to multiyear homeless-housing grants, and some come as food or per-meal reimbursements rather than cash. Cycles are set locally, so the only reliable calendar is your intermediary's. The mistake applicants make most often is assuming the federal agency's rules stop at the state line. They do not: the religious-activity rule, matching requirements and reporting all pass through to you. Federal dollars cannot pay for worship, religious instruction or proselytizing, and any such activity must stay separate and voluntary.

11 programs

Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) — Local Recipient Organization funding (ALN 97.024)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security — FEMA (Emergency Food and Shelter National Board)
Varies — check official page (FEMA awarded the National Board $117,000,000 for each of Phase 42 (FY2024) and Phase 43 (FY2025); each qualifying county or city has a posted allocation and its Local Board sets each agency's award)
GrantEquity-freefood & hungerhousing & homelessness
The catch: EFSP supplements existing programs and is not seed money for new agencies; the National Board will not release payment to an agency whose UEI has expired or that is debarred, and open compliance holds from earlier phases block payment. Religiously affiliated agencies may not proselytize in EFSP-funded programs, and DHS's rule (6 CFR 19.4) requires any worship, religious instruction or proselytization to be separate in time or location from the funded service and voluntary, bars turning anyone away on the basis of religion (6 CFR 19.5), and requires written notice of these protections to beneficiaries (6 CFR 19.12).
Next deadline: Varies by Local Board — the National Board's August 2026 notice said Phase 42 and Phase 43 Local Board Plans were not yet released · Annual phases tied to each federal appropriation; Local Boards advertise and select agencies after the National Board posts allocations and releases Local Board Plans
Applicant tip: Look up your county or city on the Phase 42 (FY2024) and Phase 43 (FY2025) allocation lists on efsp.unitedway.org, and get your SAM.gov UEI active now: the National Board verifies UEIs daily and holds payment until the UEI is active. If your area did not qualify, ask your State Set-Aside Committee instead.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Local public, nonprofit and faith-based organizations that already run emergency food, shelter, or rent, mortgage or utility help in a county or city that qualified for an EFSP allocation; the agency needs a Federal Employer Identification Number and an active SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier, and the Local Board decides who is funded.
How to apply
Through your EFSP Local Board: each qualifying county or city convenes a Local Board (a State Set-Aside Committee covers areas that did not qualify) that advertises the money, sets priorities and selects Local Recipient Organizations; the National Board then pays the selected agencies directly.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
FEMA says EFSP serves more than 2,500 local jurisdictions with Local Boards and funds roughly 10,000 to 12,000 public and nonprofit Local Recipient Organizations.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program — subgrants to local governments and private nonprofits (ALN 14.231)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — Office of Community Planning and Development
Varies — check official page (formula grants to states, metropolitan cities, urban counties and territories; HUD's FY2026 CPD formula allocations spreadsheet lists each recipient, and the recipient sets subgrant sizes)
GrantEquity-freehousing & homelessness
The catch: The recipient must match its ESG grant dollar for dollar (the first $100,000 of a state's grant is exempt, and that benefit must pass to the subrecipients least able to match). ESG applies HUD's equal-participation rule (24 CFR 576.406 and 5.109): no ESG money for worship, religious instruction or proselytization, any such activity separate in time or location and voluntary, no discrimination against participants on the basis of religion, and the organization that determines eligibility gives the written beneficiary notice. ESG cannot pay to acquire, build or renovate a sanctuary or other principal place of worship, and in a shared building it covers only the share used for ESG activities.
Next deadline: Varies by state, city or county — check your ESG recipient's funding calendar · Annual formula allocation; each state, city or county sets its own subrecipient application window
Applicant tip: Check whether your city or county gets ESG directly from HUD (it is on HUD's FY2026 allocations spreadsheet); if not, apply to the state, and secure the local government's written approval early, because the state cannot subgrant for a nonprofit's emergency shelter without it.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Units of general purpose local government and private nonprofit organizations; ESG defines a private nonprofit as a secular or religious organization described in IRC section 501(c) and tax-exempt that has an accounting system and a voluntary board and practices nondiscrimination. A state cannot fund a nonprofit's emergency shelter without written approval from the local government where the shelter operates.
How to apply
Through the state, city or county ESG recipient: states must subgrant everything beyond their own administration (and HMIS work if the state is the HMIS lead) to local governments or private nonprofits, and metropolitan cities and urban counties may subgrant to private nonprofits; each recipient runs its own application round within its consolidated-plan program year.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Competition (ALN 14.267)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — Office of Community Planning and Development
FY2026 competition: about $4.04 billion nationally, an estimated 7,000 awards of $2,500 to $25,000,000 (Grants.gov), with $1.3 billion set aside for new grants prioritized for transitional housing and supportive-services-only projects
GrantEquity-freehousing & homelessnesshealth & recovery
The catch: The FY2026 NOFO limits Tier 1 to 60% of each CoC's renewal demand, scores treatment and recovery and required participation in services, and lets HUD weigh factors outside scoring; a district court vacated it on August 7, 2026 and the First Circuit stayed that order on September 16, 2026, so terms can still shift. Cost sharing is required. HUD's rule, 24 CFR 5.109, applies: no CoC money for worship, religious instruction or proselytization, any such activity separate in time or location and voluntary, no discrimination against participants on the basis of religion, and the recipient or subrecipient that determines eligibility gives the written beneficiary notice.
Next deadline: Expected: June 2027 · Annual national competition; HUD's NOFO usually opens in summer and closes in late summer or fall, and each CoC sets an earlier local deadline
Applicant tip: The FY2026 NOFO scores each CoC on whether it accepts and considers proposals from organizations that have never had CoC funding, including faith-based organizations, and steers new money to transitional housing and supportive-services-only projects; ask your CoC for its local competition calendar and project-scoring tool now so a new project is ready when the FY2027 NOFO opens.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofit organizations, states, local governments and their instrumentalities, tribes and tribally designated housing entities, and public housing agencies (24 CFR 578.15); a nonprofit must have a voluntary board and a functioning accounting system or fiscal agent, and every applicant must be designated by the local Continuum of Care. For-profits cannot apply or be subrecipients.
How to apply
Through your local Continuum of Care: submit a project application to the CoC's local competition by its deadline; the CoC's Collaborative Applicant scores and ranks projects on one Priority Listing, submits the consolidated application to HUD in e-snaps, and must tell you in writing whether your project was accepted, reduced or rejected no later than 15 days before HUD's deadline.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
FY2025 grants were renewed for 12 months under P.L. 119-75: HUD announced $349,205,436 for 622 projects (March 31, 2026), $1,094,870,517 for 1,826 projects (April 27, 2026) and $2,402,872,704 for 4,241 projects (May 21, 2026).
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance Formula Grant — state subawards (ALN 16.575)

U.S. Department of Justice — Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
Varies — check official page (annual formula grants from the Crime Victims Fund to each State Administering Agency; the Fund's distribution cap was $1.9 billion in FY2025 and $1.95 billion in FY2026, and each state sets subaward sizes)
GrantEquity-freejustice & reentryfamilies & seniors
The catch: Subrecipients must match at least 20% of total project cost in cash or in-kind from non-federal sources unless a waiver is granted through the state (28 CFR 94.118). DOJ's rule, 28 CFR 38.5, bars using the money for worship, religious instruction or proselytization, requires any such activity to be separate in time or location and voluntary for victims, and prohibits religious discrimination against beneficiaries; subrecipients of a State Administering Agency are direct recipients under 28 CFR 38.3, and the state must ensure faith-based subrecipients comply with 28 CFR part 38.
Next deadline: Varies by state — check your State Administering Agency · Annual federal formula award to each state; each State Administering Agency sets its own subaward solicitation and project period
Applicant tip: Ask your State Administering Agency about a match waiver before you build the budget: OVC's September 2021 bulletin sets the waiver process under 28 CFR 94.118, and the VOCA Fix Act of 2021 allows or requires states to waive match in certain circumstances.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Crime victim assistance programs that meet VOCA's requirements, including faith-based and neighborhood programs (28 CFR 94.112), with a record of effective services to victims and support from sources other than the Crime Victims Fund; each state must give at least 10% of its grant to each of sexual assault, spousal abuse and child abuse victims and 10% to underserved victims of violent crime.
How to apply
Through the state: your State Administering Agency (listed on OVC's state directory) runs the subaward solicitation and selects programs; OVC does not take applications from local programs for this money.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
OVC reports that VOCA assistance subgrantees served 6.8 million victims in FY 2025.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) (ALN 93.569)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services
Varies — check official page (formula block grant to states; at least 90% must go to designated eligible entities such as Community Action Agencies, and the remainder funds statewide activities, with state administration capped at the greater of $55,000 or 5%)
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disasterfamilies & seniors
The catch: CSBG has its own Charitable Choice rule, 45 CFR part 1050, rather than the general HHS rule: no directly funded money for worship, religious instruction or proselytization, any such activity separate in time or location and voluntary, and no discrimination against beneficiaries on the basis of religion. Religious organizations must keep CSBG funds in an account separate from non-federal funds, and only that account is subject to government audit (45 CFR 1050.3(f)).
Next deadline: Varies by state and Community Action Agency · Annual federal block grant; Community Action Agencies and states set their own subcontract and discretionary cycles
Applicant tip: CSBG law requires each state to assure it will partner with religious organizations and requires every eligible entity to have a procedure for a religious organization that feels inadequately represented on its board to petition for representation (42 U.S.C. 9908(b)(9)–(10)) — use that to get a voice where your county's CSBG priorities are set.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
States pass at least 90% of CSBG to designated eligible entities (mostly Community Action Agencies); other organizations, including religious organizations, reach the money as partners or contractors of an eligible entity, through recaptured funds redistributed to a local private nonprofit, or through state remainder funds for innovative programs by community action agencies or other neighborhood-based organizations (42 U.S.C. 9907).
How to apply
Through your Community Action Agency or state CSBG office: find your CAA through ACF's Find Your CAA directory and ask how it partners or subcontracts; for state remainder funds, ask the state CSBG lead agency about discretionary competitions.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) — child care certificates at faith-based providers (ALN 93.575 / 93.596)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care
Payment for care, not a grant: the state's subsidy rate for each eligible child whose parent chooses your program with a CCDF certificate; some states also buy slots through grants or contracts with providers
OtherEquity-freechildren & youth
The catch: A certificate is assistance to the parent, not to the provider: certificate payments may support sectarian worship or instruction that is part of the child care, but CCDF grants or contracts to providers may not (45 CFR 98.30(c), 98.56(d)). Grant- or contract-funded slots may not use religion in admissions (98.48), religious hiring rules apply with extra conditions once 80% or more of the budget is federal or state money (98.48–98.49), and a state law barring public funds to sectarian organizations still governs state dollars (98.3). The general HHS equal-treatment rule, 45 CFR part 87, does not apply to CCDF (45 CFR 87.2).
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling: provider enrollment with the state Lead Agency
Applicant tip: Lead Agencies must give families information on the full range of providers, including sectarian ones, and CCDF quality funds may support faith-based settings' distinctive approaches (45 CFR 98.30(e)(2) and 98.53) — ask your state's child care resource and referral agency to list your program and about quality grants.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Child care providers that meet the state Lead Agency's licensing or approval, health and safety, and background-check requirements, including sectarian providers; parents choose the provider, and the Lead Agency may not limit or exclude care by a sectarian provider (45 CFR 98.30(e)).
How to apply
Through the state: enroll as a subsidy provider with your state's CCDF Lead Agency so eligible parents can use their certificate at your program; there is no grant round for certificate payments.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Older Americans Act Title III — Senior Nutrition Program (Title III-C) and Supportive Services (Title III-B) (ALN 93.045 / 93.044)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Administration for Community Living
Varies — check official page (formula grants to state units on aging and area agencies on aging, which award grants, subgrants or contracts to local service providers)
GrantEquity-freefood & hungerfamilies & seniors
The catch: Title III supportive and nutrition services require a 15% non-federal match at the state level (one-third from state resources), and participant contributions must be voluntary, with suggested amounts based on the actual cost of service (45 CFR 1321.9). HHS's rule, 45 CFR 87.3, applies: no direct funds for worship, religious instruction or proselytization, any such activity separate in time or location and voluntary, no religious discrimination against beneficiaries, and the state or AAA as pass-through entity must ensure beneficiaries get written notice of these protections (87.3(k)).
Next deadline: Varies by Area Agency on Aging · Annual federal allotment; each Area Agency on Aging procures providers on its own area-plan cycle
Applicant tip: Before you pitch your AAA, confirm your kitchen can meet the program's meal standard: ACL requires meals that follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, provide at least one-third of the Dietary Reference Intakes and comply with state and local food-safety rules.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Local organizations awarded funds by an Area Agency on Aging (or, in single-planning-area states, the state) to deliver services under the area plan; ACL notes congregate meal sites in senior centers, faith-based facilities and other community locations. Services are for people 60 and older and their spouses of any age, plus certain people with disabilities.
How to apply
Through your Area Agency on Aging: AAAs fund service providers by grant, subgrant or contract under their area plan; ask your AAA (or your state unit on aging in a single-planning-area state) when it next procures nutrition or supportive services.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Who wins
ACL says the Senior Nutrition Program serves nearly one million meals a day through about 5,000 local providers.
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) — child care, at-risk afterschool and emergency shelter meals (ALN 10.558)

U.S. Department of Agriculture — Food and Nutrition Administration
Reimbursement: per-meal and per-snack rates set annually by USDA, paid through your state agency for eligible meals you serve
OtherEquity-freechildren & youthfood & hunger
The catch: You are paid only for meals that meet CACFP meal patterns and are documented, after you serve them. USDA's rule, 7 CFR 16.4, applies: subrecipients of state-administered programs are direct recipients (7 CFR 16.2), so no explicitly religious activity such as worship, religious instruction or proselytization as part of the funded meal service, any such activity separate in time or location and voluntary, no religious discrimination against participants, and written notice of beneficiary rights.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling: apply to your state agency at any time
Applicant tip: If you run an afterschool program that continues into summer, read FNS's transition memos CACFP 03-2014 and CACFP 12-2013 on moving between the at-risk afterschool meals component and the Summer Food Service Program, so one site can serve meals year-round.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Public or private nonprofit child care centers, outside-school-hours centers, Head Start programs, adult day care centers, emergency shelters serving homeless children and at-risk afterschool programs (which must meet 7 CFR 226.17a), participating independently or under a sponsoring organization; for-profit centers only under added conditions.
How to apply
Through the state: apply to your state CACFP agency as an independent center, or join a sponsoring organization that handles applications and claims for several sites.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) — sponsors and meal sites (ALN 10.559)

U.S. Department of Agriculture — Food and Nutrition Administration
Reimbursement: per-meal operating and administrative rates set annually by USDA (see SFSP Reimbursement Rates), paid through the state agency
OtherEquity-freechildren & youthfood & hunger
The catch: Reimbursement covers only eligible meals served and documented. USDA's rule, 7 CFR 16.4, applies to sponsors as direct recipients of a state-administered program (7 CFR 16.2): no explicitly religious activity as part of the meal service, any such activity separate in time or location and voluntary, no religious discrimination against children or families, and written notice of beneficiary rights.
Next deadline: Varies by state — sponsor applications are due before summer operations; check your state agency · Annual (summer): sponsors apply to the state agency before each summer's operating period
Applicant tip: FNS notes SFSP may go by a different name in your state, so search your state agency's summer meals page, and use the Summer Meals Site Finder to see whether a site already runs near your building before you apply as a new sponsor rather than as a site.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
A private nonprofit sponsor must be described in IRC section 501(c) and tax-exempt, run year-round activities for children or families, show adequate management and fiscal capacity, and control every site it sponsors (7 CFR 225.2); open sites generally serve areas where at least 50% of children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. Meals go to children 18 and under.
How to apply
Through the state: apply to your state's SFSP agency to become a sponsor before the summer operating period, or partner with an existing sponsor to run a site at your building.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) — eligible recipient agencies (ALN 10.568 / 10.569)

U.S. Department of Agriculture — Food and Nutrition Administration
In-kind: USDA Foods, plus administrative funds to states, distributed through state agencies and food banks to local pantries and meal programs
In-kindEquity-freefood & hunger
The catch: TEFAP food is free to recipients and only for eligible households or predominantly needy meal guests. USDA's rule, 7 CFR 16.4, applies: no explicitly religious activity such as worship, religious instruction or proselytization as part of the distribution, any such activity separate in time or location and voluntary, no turning anyone away for religion or for refusing to take part in a religious practice, and written notice of beneficiary rights.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling
Applicant tip: Raise the tax-status question with your food bank first: a congregation can show it is automatically tax-exempt as an organization operated exclusively for religious purposes instead of producing an IRS determination letter (7 CFR 251.5(a)(3)(iii)).
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Organizations that meet TEFAP's eligible recipient agency definition: pantries must limit USDA Foods to households meeting the state's eligibility criteria, and meal programs must serve predominantly needy people without a means test. A congregation can qualify without an IRS letter because organizations operated exclusively for religious purposes are automatically tax-exempt (7 CFR 251.5(a)(3)).
How to apply
Through your state TEFAP agency or regional food bank: the state agency, or the food bank it has delegated, checks that your organization is eligible before releasing USDA Foods or administrative funds (7 CFR 251.5).
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) — local agencies and distribution sites (ALN 10.565)

U.S. Department of Agriculture — Food and Nutrition Administration
In-kind: a monthly USDA Foods package for each enrolled low-income person 60 or older, within the caseload the state assigns; USDA also gives states administrative funds
In-kindEquity-freefood & hungerfamilies & seniors
The catch: Caseload is capped by USDA's annual assignment to each state, so new local agencies depend on available slots. USDA's rule, 7 CFR 16.4, applies: no explicitly religious activity as part of the food distribution, any such activity separate in time or location and voluntary, no religious discrimination against participants, and written notice of beneficiary rights.
Next deadline: Varies by state — check your state CSFP agency · Annual caseload cycle set by USDA; local agency applications follow the state agency's schedule
Applicant tip: FNS memo FD-163 covers public posting of CSFP local agency information — find your state's posted list, identify the agency serving your county, and offer to host a distribution site before applying as a new local agency.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Public or nonprofit local agencies approved by the state agency; a nonprofit must be tax-exempt or moving toward it, and agencies organized or operated exclusively for religious purposes are automatically tax-exempt (7 CFR 247.7). Participants must be at least 60 and low-income.
How to apply
Through the state CSFP agency: apply to become a local agency, or offer your building as a distribution site for the local agency already serving your area; the state approves or disapproves local agency applications.
Applicant fit
congregation, faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

8. Federal grants faith-based organizations apply for directly

These are federal programs where your faith-based nonprofit, and in several cases the congregation itself, applies straight to the agency rather than through a state. They fund the work congregations already do: walking with people leaving prison, mentoring kids, mobilizing older volunteers, doing free tax returns, housing veterans and building rural child care centers and clinics. Awards run from a $5,000 tax-site grant to $1 million reentry grants and multimillion-dollar veteran housing grants, plus AmeriCorps members and USDA building loans. Most open once a year; Justice Department notices land in the fall with two-step deadlines, IRS opens every May and VA every December, and some programs skip years. Every one of them lets you keep your name, symbols and board, but none will pay for worship, religious instruction or proselytizing, and you cannot turn anyone away for their faith. The mistake applicants make most often is registration: SAM.gov and Grants.gov take weeks, and a church without an IRS determination letter can be shut out of programs such as VITA.

11 programs

Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Program (O-BJA-2026-172717, ALN 16.812)

U.S. Department of Justice — Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Up to $1,000,000 per award for 36 months starting January 1, 2027; about 13 awards from up to $12.5 million in FY 2026; no match
GrantEquity-freejustice & reentry
The catch: You must attach a memorandum of understanding with the correctional agency that runs the facility where you will recruit participants, certify that you will collect recidivism indicator data on every participant, and keep the proposal narrative to 10 pages. DOJ's faith-based rule applies: direct DOJ money cannot pay for explicitly religious activities (worship, religious instruction, proselytization); any such activity must be offered separately in time or location from the funded services and be voluntary for participants (28 CFR 38.5), and you must give participants DOJ's written notice that they cannot be turned away or treated differently for their religion (28 CFR 38.6).
Next deadline: Expected: October 2027 · Annual: one notice per fiscal year with a two-step deadline (Grants.gov SF-424 first, full application in JustGrants about a week later); the posting month has moved between spring and early fall · Set an alert ↗
Applicant tip: BJA released six Second Chance Act notices this year and lets you reuse narrative text across them, so check the sibling SCA notices before you write. Get the corrections MOU signed early: it is a required attachment, and without pre-release access the application is not responsive.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofit organizations, with or without 501(c)(3) status from the IRS (institutions of higher education excluded), and federally recognized tribal governments that provide mentoring and transitional services to adults returning from prison or jail who are assessed as moderate to high risk of reoffending. Services can start before and/or after release.
How to apply
Direct application: submit the SF-424 in Grants.gov by October 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET, then the full application in JustGrants by November 6, 2026, 8:59 p.m. ET. Your SAM.gov registration must be active first.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Second Chance Act Youth Reentry Program (O-OJJDP-2026-172751, ALN 16.812)

U.S. Department of Justice — Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
Up to $750,000 per award for 36 months starting January 1, 2027; $12,440,720 total in FY 2026 (about 11 Category 2 awards for nonprofits and 5 Category 1 awards for governments)
GrantEquity-freejustice & reentrychildren & youth
The catch: Category 2 has no match (Category 1 requires one), but you need a documented partnership with corrections and supervision agencies and other providers, usually an MOU. DOJ's faith-based rule applies: direct DOJ money cannot pay for explicitly religious activities (worship, religious instruction, proselytization); any such activity must be offered separately in time or location from the funded services and be voluntary for participants (28 CFR 38.5), and you must give participants DOJ's written notice that they cannot be turned away or treated differently for their religion (28 CFR 38.6).
Next deadline: Expected: November 2027 · Annual: OJJDP's Second Chance Act youth reentry notice, two-step deadline (Grants.gov, then JustGrants a week later) · Set an alert ↗
Applicant tip: The notice itself names collaboration between government agencies and community- and faith-based organizations as the program's purpose, so describe the specific juvenile facility and probation partners who will refer youth to you. A congregation-based program can also be named as a subrecipient on a government Category 1 application instead of applying alone.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Category 2 (Strengthening Community-Based Youth Reentry Programs) is open to nonprofit organizations with or without IRS 501(c)(3) status, other than colleges, that provide transitional services to moderate- to high-risk young people coming home from juvenile facilities. Category 1 is for states, local governments and tribes.
How to apply
Direct application: submit the SF-424 in Grants.gov by November 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET, then the full application in JustGrants by November 9, 2026, 8:59 p.m. ET. Apply to one category per application.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Mentoring for Youth Impacted by Opioids and Other Substance Use (O-OJJDP-2026-172743, ALN 16.726)

U.S. Department of Justice — Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
Category 1 local project sites: up to $650,000 (about 10 awards); Category 2 statewide and regional: up to $2,000,000 (about 5 awards); 36 months starting January 1, 2027; $16.5 million total in FY 2026; no match
GrantEquity-freechildren & youthhealth & recovery
The catch: Before you apply you need an MOU with a licensed or accredited substance use treatment provider serving your project area, and your organization must deliver the mentoring itself. DOJ's faith-based rule applies: direct DOJ money cannot pay for explicitly religious activities (worship, religious instruction, proselytization); any such activity must be offered separately in time or location from the funded services and be voluntary for participants (28 CFR 38.5), and you must give participants DOJ's written notice that they cannot be turned away or treated differently for their religion (28 CFR 38.6).
Next deadline: Nov 16, 2026 · Annual: OJJDP posts its mentoring notices each fiscal year; two-step deadline (Grants.gov, then JustGrants a week later)
Applicant tip: The three-year track record is a hard gate, so document uninterrupted mentoring since at least late 2023 (match logs, annual reports) before you start writing. Most congregation-based programs fit Category 1 local project sites; Category 2 is for statewide or national networks that subgrant.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, local governments, tribes, school districts and colleges (Category 2 also states and national organizations with affiliates in 45+ states) that have run a structured youth mentoring program for at least three consecutive years without interruption and are running one now. Organizations whose main mission is substance use treatment cannot apply.
How to apply
Direct application: submit the SF-424 in Grants.gov by November 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET, then the full application in JustGrants by November 23, 2026, 8:59 p.m. ET.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, congregation
Equity taken
None

AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants (FY 2027, AC-08-28-26, ALN 94.006)

AmeriCorps — AmeriCorps State and National
Varies — cost-reimbursement grants up to $26,800 per Member Service Year (one full-time position); Education Award Program grants $800 (or $1,000) per member; match of 24% in years 1–3 rising to 30% by year 10
GrantEquity-freecommunity development & disasterchildren & youthfamilies & seniors
The catch: Cost-reimbursement grants need a cash or in-kind match, and AmeriCorps money cannot pay for members' childcare in the federal share. While on AmeriCorps time, members and staff may not give religious instruction, conduct worship, proselytize, or build or operate facilities devoted to worship (45 CFR 2520.65(a)(7); 45 CFR 2540.100(b)), and you may not discriminate on the basis of religion against participants or against staff paid with AmeriCorps funds, except staff you employed before the award (45 CFR 2540.210(c)).
Next deadline: Jan 13, 2027 · Annual: notice posted in late summer, applications due in January, awards around mid-April
Applicant tip: For FY 2027 AmeriCorps lists "organizations that are faith-based" as its first funding priority, alongside strengthening families and serving high-poverty and rural communities; say plainly in the narrative which priority you meet and make it central to the program design, because AmeriCorps only gives priority consideration when the priority is a significant part of the program. Single-state applicants should call their state commission now: its deadline can be weeks before January 13.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), tribes, colleges and state and local governments that will enroll AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed service. New applicants can seek cost-reimbursement, Education Award Program or Professional Corps grants but not full-cost fixed-amount grants.
How to apply
Direct application: multi-state programs, and applicants in South Dakota, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, apply to AmeriCorps in eGrants by January 13, 2027, 5:00 p.m. ET. Single-state programs apply through their Governor-appointed state service commission, whose own deadline comes earlier.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, congregation, denomination or diocese
Equity taken
None

AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Competition (ALN 94.002)

AmeriCorps — AmeriCorps Seniors
Federal share up to $75,000 plus $350 per unduplicated volunteer per year (no maximum request beyond that formula; $0 requests allowed); three-year awards; match of at least 10% of total costs
GrantEquity-freefamilies & seniorscommunity development & disaster
The catch: RSVP grants are cost-reimbursement with at least a 10% match, and you sign a memorandum of understanding with every volunteer station. RSVP volunteers and AmeriCorps-funded project staff may not give religious instruction, conduct worship services or proselytize as part of their duties (45 CFR 2553.91(g)), and stations must agree not to discriminate against volunteers or beneficiaries on the basis of religion (45 CFR 2553.23).
Next deadline: Not yet announced (the FY 2027 round closed October 20, 2026 and was the last year of the current three-year competition cycle) · Recurring competition run in three-year cycles (one cohort of service areas a year); the latest notice posted in August with an October deadline and grant years running April 1 to March 31
Applicant tip: The FY 2027 notice listed building strong families, supporting older adults and caregivers, fraud prevention, homelessness and behavioral health as priorities, so a congregation network already running senior ministries can frame them as volunteer stations. Watch AmeriCorps' funding opportunities page, whose forecast table lists the target month for each upcoming RSVP notice.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), tribes and tribal organizations, nonprofit colleges and state and local governments that will recruit and place volunteers aged 55 and older at partner volunteer stations to meet local needs.
How to apply
Direct application: apply to AmeriCorps in eGrants under the RSVP notice when a competition is open; the FY 2027 round closed October 20, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

AmeriCorps VISTA Project Sponsorship (concept paper and project application)

AmeriCorps — AmeriCorps VISTA
In-kind: full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members serving one year on your anti-poverty project, each receiving a modest living allowance and benefits; some sponsors also receive a VISTA support grant, and some cover member costs under cost-share agreements
In-kindEquity-freecommunity development & disaster
The catch: You must recruit, train and supervise the members, and the project must follow VISTA's four core principles: anti-poverty focus, community empowerment, sustainable solutions and capacity building. VISTA members may not give religious instruction, conduct worship services or proselytize, and AmeriCorps assistance may not support those activities, though the sponsor keeps its religious mission and character (45 CFR 2556.175); sponsors may not discriminate on religion against participants or against staff paid with AmeriCorps funds (45 CFR 2556.170(c)).
Next deadline: Not yet posted (AmeriCorps' forecast targets a new-application notice in October 2026, with awards in the third quarter of fiscal 2027) · Annual request for concept papers (the last one opened in late March); AmeriCorps' forecast targets the next new-application notice for October with awards in the third quarter of the fiscal year
Applicant tip: The FY 2026 VISTA guidance named faith-based organizations among the partners AmeriCorps plans to invest in. AmeriCorps encourages applicants to develop the concept paper with their regional office, so email yours (addresses are on the concept paper page) before the window opens.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Public or private nonprofit organizations (not limited to 501(c)(3)s if they focus on anti-poverty outcomes), tribal governments and state and local agencies that will use members to build lasting anti-poverty capacity in economic opportunity, healthy futures, education or veteran and military families. Organizations whose principal purpose includes lobbying or electoral activity cannot sponsor.
How to apply
Direct application: submit a concept paper in eGrants during an open request period, ideally after talking with your AmeriCorps regional office; if accepted, you are invited to submit a full project application with budget and performance measures.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Matching Grant (ALN 21.009)

U.S. Department of the Treasury — Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
$5,000 to $2,000,000 (2027 cycle: about 325 awards from $46 million); dollar-for-dollar match required
GrantEquity-freefamilies & seniorscommunity development & disaster
The catch: Every federal dollar must be matched by non-federal cash or allowable in-kind support (indirect costs don't count), at least 90% of the people served must fall under the Earned Income Tax Credit income limits, and volunteers must be IRS-certified. Treasury has no faith-based regulation of its own (it was not one of the nine agencies in the 2024 rule), but the government-wide principles of Executive Order 13279 as amended by Executive Order 13559 apply: direct federal money cannot pay for worship, religious instruction or proselytization, any such activity must be separate in time or location and voluntary, and civil rights information must be available to every taxpayer at the site.
Next deadline: Expected: May 2027 · Annual: applications May 1–May 31; awards announced around October 1; one-year period of performance October 1 to September 30
Applicant tip: Publication 4671 says a church must include an IRS determination letter to apply. If yours never requested one, attach your denomination's current group-exemption subordinate listing, which the publication accepts, or have a separately incorporated ministry apply.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Organizations already recognized as tax-exempt under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, which IRS Publication 4671 says includes faith-based and community organizations, plus state and local governments, colleges and coalitions, that run free tax preparation for low- and moderate-income, elderly, disabled and limited-English taxpayers. Organizations still waiting for a determination letter cannot apply.
How to apply
Direct application: download the package from Grants.gov and submit it there between May 1 and May 31 (next business day if May 31 falls on a weekend), following Publication 4671.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit, congregation
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program (ALN 64.033)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — SSVF Program Office
FY 2027 round: $855 million for about 245 grants; Grants.gov listed awards from $262,981 to $23,153,846; no match
GrantEquity-freehousing & homelessness
The catch: Grants carry VA's program rules in 38 CFR part 62, and new applications are scored under 38 CFR 62.22–62.23. Direct SSVF money cannot pay for explicitly religious activities (worship, instruction, proselytization) or equipment and supplies used for them; such activities must be separate in time or location and voluntary for veterans (38 CFR 62.62; VA's general rule at 38 CFR part 50).
Next deadline: Expected: February 2027 · Annual: notice posted in December with a deadline in mid-February to early March; grants fund operations starting October 1
Applicant tip: New applicants are a separate priority tier (Priority 4) scored on different criteria from renewals, so read 38 CFR 62.22 and 62.23 and build the application around those factors; VA's SSVF NOFO training walks through the scoring criteria and award information.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Private nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives that provide case management and supportive services to very low-income veteran families to prevent the loss of housing or rapidly rehouse veterans who are homeless. New applicants compete under Priority 4; existing grantees renew under Priorities 1–3.
How to apply
Direct application: submit the full application in VA's electronic grants management system by the notice deadline (the FY 2027 round closed February 19, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. ET); late or incomplete applications are automatically ineligible.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program (ALN 64.024)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Homeless Providers GPD National Program Office
Reimbursement: Per Diem Only grants reimburse the cost of care per veteran per day in transitional housing; FY 2027 round anticipated about 350 Per Diem Only, 40 Transition in Place and 13 Special Need awards for three years
GrantEquity-freehousing & homelessness
The catch: Per diem is paid as reimbursement for care actually provided, so you carry the cost first. Direct GPD money cannot pay for explicitly religious activities or equipment and supplies used for them; worship or religious instruction must be separate in time or location from GPD services and voluntary for residents (38 CFR 61.64; 38 CFR part 50).
Next deadline: Not yet announced (VA's GPD forecast expects no notice for awards starting in fiscal 2028; FY 2027 awards run three years from about October 1, 2026) · Periodic: VA rotates Per Diem Only, Transition in Place, Special Need and Case Management competitions, usually posted in December with a mid-February deadline; not every grant type is offered every year
Applicant tip: Past GPD notices stay on Grants.gov and the GPD provider website, so read the FY 2027 Per Diem Only notice now to see the application you will face (VA warns past notices don't guarantee future requirements), and check VA's GPD forecast on Grants.gov, which it says it may update closer to the time.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Community-based organizations that run transitional supportive housing or case management for veterans experiencing homelessness; each notice sets the exact eligibility, and capital grants are offered only intermittently.
How to apply
Direct application: apply through VA's online portal, which opens only while a GPD notice is open (posted on Grants.gov and va.gov/homeless/gpd.asp).
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Community Facilities Grant (Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program)

U.S. Department of Agriculture — Rural Development (Community Facilities Programs)
Varies — no dollar maximum published; the grant covers up to 75%, 55%, 35% or 15% of eligible project cost on a sliding scale set by community population (5,000 / 12,000 / 20,000 or fewer) and service-area median household income
GrantEquity-freebuildings & preservationcommunity development & disaster
The catch: You must show you cannot finance the project yourself or through commercial credit, show substantial community support, and complete an environmental review; most projects pair the grant with a loan. USDA's faith-based rule, 7 CFR part 16, was narrowed by a correction effective May 18, 2026 (91 FR 20577) to USDA domestic social service programs; where it applies, direct USDA money cannot fund explicitly religious activities, which must be separate in time or location and voluntary (7 CFR 16.4(b)), and cannot pay for the share of a building used for them (7 CFR 16.3(f)). Ask the state office how it applies to your facility.
Next deadline: Rolling (until the fiscal year's grant funds are committed) · Rolling; applications accepted year round (October 1 through September 30) and funded competitively while grant funds last
Applicant tip: Priority points go to communities of 5,500 or fewer and to service areas with median household income below 80% of the state nonmetropolitan median, so document both before your first meeting, and bring a preliminary architectural feasibility report with a cost estimate.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Community-based nonprofit corporations (as well as public bodies and federally recognized tribes) building, buying or improving an essential community facility such as a clinic, child care center, food bank or community center in a rural area of no more than 20,000 residents. The facility must serve the community; private, commercial or business undertakings are not eligible.
How to apply
Direct application: talk to the Community Programs Specialist at your USDA Rural Development state office, then apply there; applications are accepted year round. Get a UEI and SAM registration first.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

Community Facilities Direct Loan (Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program)

U.S. Department of Agriculture — Rural Development (Community Facilities Programs)
Loan: no published maximum; up to 40 years (or the facility's useful life, if shorter) at a fixed rate set by service-area income and population (4.500% poverty, 4.625% intermediate, 4.750% market for October 1 – December 31, 2026)
LoanEquity-freebuildings & preservationcommunity development & disaster
The catch: You need legal authority to borrow, pledge security and operate the facility, must show you cannot finance it elsewhere, and need an acceptable environmental review; the rate is fixed for the life of the loan and there is no prepayment penalty. USDA's faith-based rule, 7 CFR part 16, was narrowed by a correction effective May 18, 2026 (91 FR 20577) to USDA domestic social service programs; where it applies, direct USDA money cannot fund explicitly religious activities, which must be separate in time or location and voluntary (7 CFR 16.4(b)), and cannot pay for the share of a building used for them (7 CFR 16.3(f)). Ask the state office how it applies to your facility.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; applications accepted year round (October 1 through September 30)
Applicant tip: A single project can stack a Community Facilities direct loan with a Community Facilities grant, a loan guarantee and commercial financing, so a ministry-run child care center or clinic can cover most of its cost; confirm your rate tier with the state office before sizing the debt.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
Eligibility
Community-based nonprofit corporations (as well as public bodies and tribes) financing an essential community facility in a rural area of no more than 20,000 residents when they cannot get commercial credit at reasonable rates and terms. Private, commercial or business undertakings are not eligible.
How to apply
Direct application: discuss the project with your USDA Rural Development state office's Community Programs Specialist, then apply there year round.
Applicant fit
faith-based nonprofit
Equity taken
None (loan — repayable)
Official page ↗ · On OpenGrants ↗Verified 2026-10-25

12-month calendar

Each program with a known or expected deadline, plotted by month. Solid = a confirmed date, from the official page or the program's OpenGrants listing. Grey italic = expected, based on the program's past cycle. The calendar follows the filters above.

Get alerts when these windows open

This page covers recurring programs. OpenGrants tracks 43,000+ open opportunities (grants and contracts) across federal (Grants.gov, SAM.gov, SBIR/STTR), state and local programs, private foundations, and corporate giving, refreshed daily. Searching is free and needs no account. A subscription ($9/month after a 7-day free trial, or $8/month billed annually) adds AI match scoring, funding alerts, saved grants, deadline tracking, and pipeline management.

Get Started FreeSearch open grants

Methodology

Programs were found through the OpenGrants database (open and awarded opportunity records, plus funder records) and then checked one by one against each program's own official page: the agency, denomination, foundation, state or company site, not an aggregator. Each card shows the date it was verified. Where an amount, date or rule could not be confirmed, the card says so rather than estimating it. Federal rules are cited from the eCFR and the Federal Register as of the verification date.

Cards bound to an OpenGrants record take their deadline from that record whenever the listing is open; the date at the top of the page says when that record data was last refreshed. When a window passes, the card shows the next expected one, worked out from the program's own published cycle, until a new date is confirmed. One-off notices, programs dormant since 2024, invitation-only funders and programs we could not verify are not listed.

Record data refreshed: November 4, 2026. Editorial verification: October 27, 2026.Details change. Confirm on the official page before applying.

Nothing here is legal, tax, or investment advice. Inclusion is not an endorsement, and OpenGrants has no role in any program's selection decisions.