These grants are specifically designed to empower and support impactful ministries within our church community, and are only available in the United States and Territories.
We believe that each person has a unique gift end talent, and this is an incredible opportunity to make & difference.
Whether you have a passion for outreach programs, youth ministries, or any other area that touches hearts and lives. Together, we can build stronger and more vibrant church communities, reaching out to those in need with love, compassion, and faith.
Grant type
Campus Ministry Convening Leaders
Description
These grants provide funding for continuing education events and trainings for Lutheran Campus Ministry leaders.
Who can apply?
Lutheran Campus Ministry Leaders
Registration Open
All year round.
See Instructions to Register
Grant type
Campus Ministry Projects
Description
These grants provide funding for Lutheran Campus Ministry-related special projects.
Who can apply?
Lutheran Campus Ministry
Registration Open
All year round.
See Instructions to Register
Grant type
Digital Ministry
Description
The Digital Ministry Grant is provided as a result of the partnership between preferred online giving vendors and the ELCA awarded to congregations nominated by Synod to promote electronic giving in the congregation, encourage digital ministry creativity, and help fulfill the mission of the ELCA to reach new, young, and diverse people in the name of Jesus Christ.
Nominees include ELCA congregations proposing to start or enhance ongoing innovative digital ministry strategies that work to serve their mission and are in keeping with the objective of the Digital Ministry Grant.
Congregations nominated by their Synod will have to complete the below grant application in order for them to be eligible to receive the grant.
Who can apply?
Only by nomination
Registration Open
Nominations go live in June
See Instructions to Register
Grant type
Disability Ministries
Description
Thank you for considering Disability Ministries to potentially fund your request or initiative via grant. Grant applicants are required to follow the guidelines below to be eligible to receive grant funding through Disability Ministries.
All applicants seeking funds from the Disability Ministries Campaign must demonstrate how the request or initiative addresses at last one of these three goals of the Disability Ministries Campaign for the ELCA. These three goals are:
- Preparing leaders for serving people with disabilities, raising up people with disabilities for leadership positions, and encouraging the participation of those with disabilities in the wider church.
- Equipping our synods, congregations and members with relevant and practical information that enables them to welcome and support individuals with disabilities so that they might participate fully in the life of the congregation and that, together, all might experience being the body of Christ.
- Gathering and connecting those with disabilities and various groups within the church so that they might help us become an inclusive, supportive and whole community of faith.
Who can apply?
ELCA Churches in the USA
Registration Open
Grant type
Grants for Innovation
Description
Grants for Innovation are provided by the ELCA Innovation Lab to assist in the implementation of user-centered experiments within congregations, synods, or other organizations. These grants provide monetary support for organizations who have worked with the ELCA Innovation Lab to define, prototype, test, and evaluate their innovative project ideas. Currently, grant applications are available by invitation only.
Congregations Lead Initiative Experiment Grants to members of the current Congregations Lead Initiative Cohort. These grants are awarded to congregations who are in the process of testing a prototype or implementing a ministry experiment.
Who can apply?
Grant applications are available by invitation only
Members of the current Congregations Lead Initiative Cohort
Registration Open
All year round.
See Instructions to Register
Grant type
Horizon Apprenticeship Program
Description
Program Description: In Baptism all young people are called by God into the community of Jesus, the church. From Baptism and beyond it is the responsibility of the young person's family and church community to help them grow in faith and reflect on what it means to be in school and be a Baptized child of God. This program is designed to help young people acquire a missional imagination that will help them begin to discern their future, and the role that Jesus and the church will have in their life. Each student participant will receive a stipend of $1,800 for the summer.
Who can apply?
Program Expectations:
This program is intended for high school seniors and first year college students. Nominees must be at least 16 years of age at the program start and no more than 20 years of age when the program concludes.
The commitment is for nearly 2 months, beginning June 2nd - July 28th, at 20+ hours per week.
The pastor will serve as the student's mentor, including them in worship, bible study and other aspects of life of the congregation.
Each student participant will work with their mentor to develop and implement a project for the summer (i.e. Bible study, sermon, community or congregational project).
The student will attend a two-day virtual retreat in July.
Registration Open
February
See Instructions to Register
Grant type
Ministry with Children Grants
Description
Ministry with Children of the ELCA serves under Christian Community, Leadership and Mission.
Christian community and Leadership Purpose: Recruit, train, and deploy leaders who will establish and grow Christian Communities.
Who can apply?
Ministry with Children Grants are for ELCA partners that engage in faith formation with and for children (birth through age 11) that further the ELCA's mission and purpose.
Registration Open
May 1st to June 30th
See Instructions to Register
Grant type
New Ministry Development and Evangelism Grants
Description
Evangelism Initiatives — The Gospel compels the Church to always share the good news of Jesus Christ. Evangelism initiatives are meant to add and enhance more ways God’s people can engage in evangelism through congregations and synod work.
These grants support Congregations, conferences and/or synods throughout the ELCA as they share the good news of Jesus Christ. Preference is given to lay-led initiatives and training opportunities for evangelism.
Congregational Outreach Ministry (COM) — The purpose of a Congregational Outreach Ministry (COM) is evangelism. These are congregation-based and centered in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through intentional, invitational discipleship and/or outreach ministries located in congregations.
Synod Authorized Outreach Ministry (SAOM) — The purpose of a Synod Authorized Outreach Ministry (SAOM) is evangelism. These are synod-based and authorized, centered in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through intentional, invitational discipleship and/or outreach ministries.
Synod Authorized Worshiping Community (SAWC) / SAWC Exploration — Accompanying synodical initiatives to expand the reach of our church through the development of new congregations. These new communities of faith reflect our ELCA commitments to be evangelical, diverse, inclusive, and ecumenical working for peace and justice in society.
Strategic Ministries — A mechanism to partner with churches in ethnic communities, communities experiencing poverty and others located in strategically important places to strengthen innovative, resourceful ministries enriching the whole church.
Synod Vitality Strategies — A plan created in the synod that involves groups of churches working together to form a learning community and network for ministry over a specified amount of time (e.g., 1-3 years).
Anchor Churches — An Anchor Church is one congregation willing to partner with one, two or several churches (which may include one or more new starts) or other ministries. They learn, collaborate and resource one another to move together into the future.
Holy Innovations — Gifts through the ELCA Campaign have enabled investment in exciting ministry collaborations and experiments within and among synods.
Who can apply?
Only Directors for Evangelical Mission.
Registration Open
All year round.
See Instructions to Register
Grant type
Quality of Call
Description
Pop-up Grants
Quality of Call for Women in Ministry Pop-up Grants are small grants that support small steps toward positive change for women in ministry. Pop-up grants are short-term, collaborative, and designed to empower women in ministry to initiate change within their synod.
Who can apply?
Women in Ministry
Registration Open
Grant type
Total Inclusion
Description
The Total Inclusion Grants are provided by the Total Inclusion program and are awarded to overnight youth camps to increase the understanding of and commitment to inclusion of historically marginalized groups including people of color, people who identify at LGBTQIA+, and people living with disabilities.
Who can apply?
Overnight Youth Camps
Registration Open
Grant type
Young Adult Community Resource Grant
Description
The Young Adult Community Resource Grants are provided by ELCA Young Adult Ministry and are awarded to organizations whose mission serves to connect young adults (ages 18-35) from a defined region, for in-person gatherings centered on community, justice, and love. With plans to develop a sustainable forward-thinking platform for community building and engagement of Young Adults.
Who can apply?
Applicants, include any ELCA organizations whose mission serves to connect young adults (18-35) from a defined region, are invited to submit proposals for projects created by and for young adults specifically that demonstrates how young adults (18-35) can gather in a community faith.
Registration Open
Grant type
Campus Ministry Annual Grants
Description
Campus Ministry Development and Redevelopment grants provide funds over a 3-to-6-year period to aid in the development of new ELCA Campus Ministry Agencies, redeveloping Campus Ministry Agencies that need additional support, or building capacity in active sites by increasing staff availability for ministry to students or to support financial development programs.
Who can apply?
To qualify, Campus Ministry Agencies must be a non-profit organization in good standing or work with a fiscal agent that is a non-profit organization in good standing. Ecumenical sites in partnership with the ELCA and sites in staff transition may apply for these funds.
Registration Open
Registration opens April 1, 2024 for grants in FY 2025.
See Instructions to Register
Impact Church Ministry Grants are not offered to International organizations.
We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person--questions, complexities and all. Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world.
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