Churches and other faith-based organizations not only serve members of their congregation, but also members of their community. Many of these faith-based organizations run programs that provide help and assistance to those in need, but due to the increasing demand, they are in need of assistance for themselves. Faith-based grants are available for churches that qualify for funding to operate the assistance programs within their organization.
In order to qualify for any kind of faith-based grant a church or organization must retain a 501(c)(3), which is when the IRS has ruled that you are a charitable organization. Without this your faith-based organization will not be eligible to receive any faith-based grants from private foundations or the government. If your faith-based organization does not already have a 501(c)(3), it is important to apply for one before furthering your grant eligibility research.
There are a variety of faith-based grants available, depending on what your goal is to use the funding for. It is important to know and state when applying for grants where the money will be allotted if awarded. Most faith-based grants are geared towards those in need of funding to help programs that help the homeless and community, but some grants will also assist those looking for funding to renovate the current facility or construct a new one. After determining what the main priority is for the organization, it is important to lay out a plan and create a budget to state exactly where and how the awarded money would be used. Creating a solidified strategy will help narrow down the kind of faith-based grants that you can apply for, as well as help your chances of receiving that grant.
The process of finding private foundations or government faith-based grants can be intimidating, but a good starting point is looking into the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). This catalogue is available online at cfda.gov and lists the amount of faith-based grants that were most recently awarded in your area based on the different categories. For example, if you are looking for a faith-based grant that will help towards renovating your organization’s facility, you would search for renovation on the CFDA website. While this may help determine how many faith-based grants may be available in your area, it will still require more research to find the grant that is most closely related to your organizations goals. If it is your organizations first time applying for faith-based grants it may be helpful to attend grant writing workshops or acquire a professional writer to help complete letters and applications.