Small Grants Program

Like the Basic Human Needs Grant Making Program, the Small Grants Program allocates its grants to programs that address the needs of the community outside the walls of the church. Programs must be nonsectarian and contain no required religious content.

EC can quickly and easily assist congregations receive grants up to $1,000 for Basic Human Needs Projects, including; FEEDING (food pantries, gardens, soup kitchens, gleaning, backpack, and youth group hunger activities), SHELTER (after-school and senior), CLOTHING AND HEALTHCARE PROJECTS. The Small Grants Program is designed for start-up and one-time activities that target basic human needs. A Small Grant may also support a new component to a presently EC funded program. Congregations are expected to develop additional sources of revenue if the program is a start-up and not a one-time program.

Who is Eligible for a Small Grant?

Any congregation in the Diocese of Southeast Florida. Proposals must be submitted by clergy although congregational leadership and involvement is important. Only one proposal per church per year will be considered.

The granting process is expedited so that the application can be accepted, reviewed and responded to within two to three weeks. Up to twelve small grants are made each year.

Projects That Are Not Eligible for Small Grants Program

The Small Grants Program is designed to support start-up projects, one -time events, and one-time needs within a project. The program is not intended to provide partial support to ongoing programs where there will be no significant changes/additions to the program. And, Episcopal Charities will not consider proposals that have contingencies that must be met before the project can continue, for example, other sources of support must be obtained.

How Small Grants are Reviewed and Decided

The procedure for the Small Grants Program is designed to be as simple as possible. The applicant submits a two-page proposal electronically to the Program and Grants Director at bonnie@ecsefl.org. The applicant will receive a return email acknowledging receipt of the request. After staff review of the proposal to determine completeness and meeting criteria, the Grants Committee of Episcopal Charities receives the proposal, scores the proposal and recommends (or declines) support. The applicant is then notified of the decision. The process is designed to give the applicant an answer within two to three weeks of receipt. As with all funded programs, staff provides oversight and conducts site visits where needed.