Guide to applying for rural church grants page 1 of 7
In its rural church work to strengthen organizations, The Duke Endowment invests in building the infrastructure of effective rural churches. In our efforts to improve eligible United Methodist Church facilities and ministries, we are particularly interested in supporting opportunities that show great promise for long-term gains. We define as helping eligible rural United Methodist churches and programs better accomplish their missions, thereby improving results. We value projects and programs that increase church and organizational quality, effectiveness and sustainability. We assess both immediate costs and continuing expenses needed to sustain funded projects, and base our funding decision on the potential for organizational improvement. eligibility examples Applications in this category may include, but are not limited to, grants that support food ministries, affordable housing, elder ministries and church-based child care. Those applicants approved in this category will be asked to identify specific measures of the program and overall performance of the organization. Applicants should be prepared to answer the following questions: How will the proposed program benefi t the church or organization and its mission? How will the program help the church or organization be more effective or effi cient? please note Before applying, applicants should contact Robb Webb. Applicants for construction and renovation grants must follow additional steps and requirements: (1) Review the Readiness Checklist; (2) Complete the Preliminary Planning Guide; (3) Schedule a site visit; (4) Agree to comply with the Terms of Agreement; (5) Submit preliminary schematic drawings; (6) Inform the Endowment of construction contract; (7) Submit Strengthening Organization application and required documents. page 1 of 7
rural church grant application questions 1: Describe the challenges or opportunities the organization faces, and describe how, if addressed, a clear impact would be made. 2: Describe how the organization plans to respond to the challenge or opportunity. Defi ne in specifi c terms the new capacity the organization intends to put into place. 3: Describe the new or improved results the project will achieve. 4: What broader gains and benefi ts could result from the project s success and be considered as part of the project s return on investment? 5: Identify up to five of the most critical steps in your work plan necessary to achieve full implementation and success. 6: Define any new organizational changes needed for the new capacity to achieve intended results. 7: If a new staff person or consultant is required, please defi ne the roles and expectations for each position. If the individuals have been identifi ed, please describe their characteristics or other factors that most predict success. If they have not been identifi ed, please describe what attributes are most critical in your choice. 8: Will the organizational improvement produce a net increase in operating costs? If so, please indicate how the organization will cover the increased costs. page 2 of 7
guidance & examples grant profile Organization: Seeking: An eligible rural United Methodist Church Investment in equipment to support a volunteer-led food ministry Objectives: Serve prepared food every Wednesday night to 50-75 people in the community Operate a food pantry that dispenses groceries and dry goods to approximately 100 people on Saturdays challenge or opportunity Question 1: Describe the challenges or opportunities the organization faces, and describe how, if addressed, a clear impact would be made. Consider this question from the perspective of capacity building. It may be helpful to link desired outcomes and timing with planning and budget elements. Explain the specifi c challenge(s) hindering the organization s work or the opportunity that, if seized, would signifi cantly expand the organization s impact. People in our community are hungry, and we have a signifi cant opportunity to serve our neighbors in need by establishing a food ministry. At present, state-wide studies available from the Rural Life Center indicate that the median income for our community is 10 percent below the state average, while food stamp usage is 20 percent greater than the state average. Our local elementary school reports a 48 percent free and reduced lunch rate among students. A comprehensive food ministry not only provides needed assistance for our community, but also creates new and sustained vitality in our church through 30 weekly volunteer opportunities for our church members. In order to perform this ministry, we need to purchase shelving, refrigerators and freezers as well as industrial cookware. page 3 of 7
new capacity Question 2: Describe how the organization plans to respond to the challenge or opportunity. Define in specific terms the new capacity the organization intends to put into place. Be specific in defining the desired capacity. Describe the tactical accomplishment, such as a five-year plan as well as the strategic objective associated with this capacity, such as greater staff efficiency, faster service delivery, more effective program implementation and measurement of results. The proposed comprehensive food ministry will initially serve the immediate need of our neighbors: feeding the hungry. We will feed 50 to 75 people prepared meals on Wednesday evenings and distribute groceries and dry goods to 100 people on Saturdays. With the added capacity of refrigerators and freezers, we will be able to offer a wider range of food including dairy and meat. While we plan to address immediate needs in the fi rst year of this grant, subsequent program elements will address some of the root causes of hunger. In the long term, the ministry will include computer training and GED courses. results Question 3: Describe the new or improved results the project will achieve. Defining expected results is essential to measuring success in attaining them. The Duke Endowment will use this information to assess its return on investment. Articulating results also provides an organization with clear goals, as well as valuable insights into what works, what does not, and to what extent. Organizations that achieve positive change often report positive results in three areas: 1. Increased gains and benefi ts. An improvement may prompt better results in two distinct areas: a) more people realize the intended gain, and/or b) additional benefi ts are received by the same people. The latter may be especially important in situations where additional results are needed to ensure that a gain can be maintained over time. 2. Increased revenue. An organization may build income from new capacity, whether or not it is through a new community service. Revenue gains may also be expressed in terms of volunteers and in-kind donations. 3. Reduced costs. Increased effi ciency supports an organization s sustainability. For example, as a result of strengthened internal operations, an organization may reduce overhead costs, freeing up funds for investment in other critical areas. page 4 of 7
Question 4: We will operate two programs in our facility with specifi c results: a. A Wednesday night dinner will serve at least 50 persons on average, most of whom would not get a nutritious evening meal without us. b. We will operate a food pantry serving at least 100 people on average each Saturday with free food (primarily canned and other dry goods). While we start by focusing on feeding programs, we envision future programming that pairs church members with low-income families to provide further assistance and support over time. What broader gains and benefits could result from the project s success and be considered as part of the project s return on investment? Explain any additional benefi ts or gains. These may be consequences that fall outside the realm of direct impact, but reflect the fullest potential of the work. One of the broader gains resulting from a food ministry is the growth in discipleship of church members. Opportunities for volunteering in the feeding programs will offer our members a personal understanding of the church s call to serve those in need. We believe such engagement will foster spiritual growth. tracking success Question 5: Identify up to five of the most critical steps in your work plan necessary to achieve full implementation and success. Please indicate the most critical activities for this project. This will refl ect the essential activities in the organization s work plan. The critical steps are: Find volunteers who will provide leadership for the two hunger programsº (Wednesday dinners and Saturday food pantry) as well as volunteers to staff the ministries. Create a Food Ministry committee to coordinate and oversee activities. Purchase two commercial-quality refrigerators and two commercial-quality freezers to expand pantry offerings. Complete application with and become approved by the local food bank in order to stretch our food dollar for maximum effectiveness. Construct and install shelving and stock that shelving with food. Build relationships with county agencies to provide screening so that resources assist those in true need. page 5 of 7
Question 6: Define any new organizational changes needed for the new capacity to achieve intended results. In many cases, an improvement in capacity requires a change in some aspect of organizational practice to become fully effective or effi cient. The church will form a fi ve-member Food Ministry committee to coordinate activities and oversee the program. Each committee member will provide leadership in one of the following areas: budget, volunteer staffi ng, agency coordination, advertising/church relations and pantry management. We feel that assigning specifi c tasks to individuals on the committee will aid efficiency and ensure accountability. key people and groups Question 7: If a new staff person or consultant is required, please define the roles and expectations for each position. If the individuals have been identified, please describe their characteristics or other factors that most predict success. If they have not been identified, please describe what attributes are most critical in your choice. In capacity-building projects, key staff people or consultants are as important as plans and funding. A new paid staff position is not needed; however, a pool of volunteers must be recruited. As noted in question six above, we will need lay persons with gifts for budgeting, scheduling (volunteer staff coordination), relationship building (agency coordination), communications (advertising/ church relations) and engineering/procurement (pantry management) to serve in leadership roles on the Food Ministry committee. page 6 of 7
costs Question 8: Will the organizational improvement produce a net increase in operating costs? If so, please indicate how the organization will cover the increased costs. In addition to a one-time cost to develop a new capacity, some new capabilities involve ongoing maintenance expenses. In these situations, explain how the organization will develop the capacity to sustain the change. In some cases the cost of new capacity, such as a new child care project, may be covered by the resulting revenue increase. Grant dollars will be used to cover the start-up costs of this ministry including shelving, refrigerators and freezers. Over the life of the grant, we plan to refi ne and make enhancements in the pantry so that when grant dollars cease in year three, the infrastructure is sound and the church may incorporate the routine maintenance and operation of the program into its budget. page 7 of 7
The Duke Endowment, located in Charlotte, N.C., seeks to fulfi ll the legacy of James B. Duke by enriching lives and communities in the Carolinas through higher education, health care, rural churches and children s services. 100 north tryon street, suite 3500 charlotte, north carolina 28202-4012 telephone 704.376.0291 2009