Domestic Hunger Grants

Domestic Hunger Grant Application Essentials

Grant Awards

• Awards will be for a three-year cycle, with a maximum award of $10,000 per year, contingent upon fund availability and the completion of annual evaluations.
• New applications are accepted annually. The application period typically opens in spring.

Criteria

• At a minimum, ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grant applicants must be:
• a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization;
• able to demonstrate a strong, recognized and established relationship with a congregation, ministry or institution of the ELCA;
• able to demonstrate a strong, recognized and established relationship with the community in which the work will take place; and
• actively engaged in the work described in the application.
• Given the priority areas described above, ELCA World Hunger especially seeks to support ministries that:
• clearly address root causes of hunger in communities;
• demonstrate strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in leadership and decision-making, including direct engagement of people who themselves are experiencing hunger or poverty;
• create or foster opportunities for advocacy toward systemic change;
• leverage local assets through partnerships with other local ministries and organizations and invest their own time and financial resources in the ministry.
• As a ministry of the church, ELCA World Hunger will prioritize ELCA congregations in the award process.
• Organizations that discriminate among guests and neighbors, require participation in faith-related activities as a prerequisite for services or apply as “pass-through” organizations will not be considered for funding.

What you need to apply

• Your organization’s contact and tax identification information. If awarded a grant, you will be required to provide a current letter verifying your organization’s 501(c)(3) status.
• The current budget for your organization and the projected budget for the ministry described in your application.
• A personal testimonial from a stakeholder in your project or ministry who has lived experience of poverty or hunger, describing the ministry's impact and importance for them and/or their community - in their own words.
• A letter of support, from rostered or lay leadership of an ELCA congregation, that illustrates the relationship between the ministry and the congregation. How does the ministry’s relationship with the congregation nurture life-changing relationships with God, one another and the world? If the applicant is an ELCA congregation itself, the letter can come from its own leadership.

Application Timeline

• Registration open: March 17, 2021 – May 5, 2021
  
  NOTE: Applicants must be registered in ELCA GrantMaker to access the application. Allow up to two weeks for registration approval. If you have not registered by May 5, you will not be able to start a new application. If you have already registered in ELCA GrantMaker, you do not need to register again. Starting April 19, 2021, you can log in directly at elca.fluxx.io using the Google Chrome browser to start your application.
  
  
• Application open: April 19, 2021 – May 21, 2021
• Application review: June 2021 – October 2021
• Awards announced: Details on the grant decision timeline will be provided at a later date.