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Grant
Guidelines
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The Lutheran Foundation is a Christ-centered ministry of
Lutheran congregations dedicated to enhancing lives by demonstrating
the compassion of Christ.
The Foundation is limited to ministries in 10 counties of
northeast Indiana.
The Lutheran Foundation gives priority to requests from
faith-based or faith-linked communities and organizations.
However, no entities involved in charitable work should
be discouraged from applying for a grant. Consideration
will also be given to those whose approach to a common need
is unique or who incorporate others in meeting challenges,
even though there may be an element of risk or a limited
amount of appeal for support.
The Foundation acknowledges the importance of Christian
education and the role it plays in developing the Christian
faith of individuals and families. It expresses its willingness
to encourage, promote, and support Lutheran and Christian
educational opportunities.
The Foundation is willing to consider funding of capital
projects undertaken by organizations and Lutheran congregations.
Special consideration will be given to the mission being
promoted by a project, how necessary the project is in fulfilling
that mission, the applicant's ability to contribute to this
mission, and the applicant's ability to maintain and operate
the project once the capital grant expires. Capital is defined
as buildings and any change to structures, including affixed
items. Equipment is not considered as a capital expense,
but considered as any other grant request.
Proposals for projects that have been completed, deficit
financing, fundraising, and promotional items are not considered.
In addition, the Foundation does not fund individuals, endowments,
and other funds.
As a general rule, The Lutheran Foundation will not fund
the general operating expenses of congregations. The Lutheran
Foundation will not fund medical procedures which are destructive
of life.
The Board may also make other infrequent exceptions at
its discretion.
The Lutheran Foundation may from time to time expand
upon its understanding and interpretation of these guidelines.
Partnership Grant Guidelines
Partnership Grants are available to all Member Congregations
of The Lutheran Foundation. Each congregation is eligible
to request up to $10,000 beginning January 1 and
no later than October 15. Partnership Grants are
designed to proclaim the Gospel and give glory to God by
assisting Member Congregations in many ways. Congregations
may want to consider Partnership Grants to fund the following:
Social Ministry and Public Welfare
Reaching out with compassion to those in their own congregations
and communities. (Examples might include: identified families
in need, family enrichment, neighborhood outreach program
support, outreach music ministry, food bank support, Crisis
Pregnancy Center, jail chaplaincy, etc.)
Schools and Education
Acknowledging the importance of Christian education and
the role it plays in developing the Christian faith of individuals
and families. (Examples might include: day school support,
tuition assistance, Sunday School teacher workshops, adult
Christian education seminars, preschool programs, vacation
bible school, resource materials for members, bible studies,
camp ministries, etc.)
Public Health
Demonstrating Christ’s compassion through health and
healing ministries. (Examples might include: parish health
ministries, counseling programs, grieving programs, health
education, gifts to agencies such as hospice, free health
clinics, etc.)
Parish Needs
Providing enrichment opportunities that equip church staff
and lay leadership for ministry. (Examples might include:
Stephen Ministry training, youth programs, ministry to seniors,
staff and lay leadership development, music ministry, other
parish needs – items not funded through the congregation’s
annual budget, etc.)
Missions and Evangelism
Proclaiming the Gospel. (Examples might include: neighborhood
evangelism, immigrant ministries, ministries for shut-ins,
youth mission trips, congregational missionary support,
radio and television ministries, foreign missions, etc.)
One way a congregation can model good stewardship is by
tithing the first $1,000 of its $10,000 Partnership Grant
for ministries outside their congregation.
A congregation may request any number of Partnership Grants;
however, the total funds requested by any one congregation
may not exceed $10,000. It is strongly recommended that
congregations submit all of their Partnership Grant requests
together on one application.
Applications must include all of the required information.
Incomplete applications will be returned for completion.
Partnership Grant requests are accepted throughout the year,
beginning January 1 and no later than October 15.
The Lutheran Foundation’s Board of Directors will
annually determine the amount to be made available to each
Member Congregation for the following calendar year.
As a general rule, The Lutheran Foundation will not fund
general operating expenses of congregations.
The Foundation will initiate a simple report for each congregation
to return describing how Partnership Grants were expended.
Grant applications will not be considered if prior year
reports have not been received by The Lutheran Foundation.
Guidelines for Funding Member Congregations
The Board generally will not consider applications from
member congregations, their schools, or their inter-congregational
associations for ordinary operating expenses, as defined
below. Special and unusual expenses will be considered when
they are not ordinary operating expenses or when they meet
the definition of exceptions.
Those Lutheran associations that are not focused primarily
on Lutheran families but serve the public at large, such
as Lutheran Social Services of Indiana and the Lutheran
Home, are not considered congregations under this definition.
Non-member congregations generally will not be considered
for funding.
Ordinary operating expenses are defined
as those expenditures normally incurred by Lutheran congregations
and their schools and included in their annual budgets.
This includes salaries and benefits, utilities, monthly
mortgage or rent payments, supplies and minor equipment,
regular maintenance items, assessments and other regular
payments to districts, synods and Lutheran inter-congregational
associations, and ordinary professional development and
conferences.
The definition of ordinary operating expenses does not include
new construction or major improvements to existing facilities,
repairs due to catastrophic loss, remodeling projects, major
equipment purchases, and extraordinary one-time non-budgeted
expenditures.
The Board will consider exceptions for new positions that
comply with the Foundation salary guidelines, start up expenses
for new or expanding programs or services, temporary subsidies
for salaries or critical expenses that face elimination
from the congregational budget due to financial exigency,
and other unusual and non-budgeted expenditures that are
of a one-time nature. From time to time, the Board may also
request applications under special funding initiatives that
are designed to enhance our congregations and schools.
Congregations may request exceptions for Partnership Grants
by certifying that the expenditure is not part of the congregational
budget and is not likely to occur without the grant.
The Board may also make other infrequent exceptions at its
discretion. |
