By Carol Incarnacao-Schirm
On February 15, Foundations in Faith opens the window for submitting Program Support Grant applications to the St. John Paul II Fund for Faith Formation.
Each year the Foundation welcomes applications from parishes and ministries in the Diocese of Bridgeport for grants up to $10,000. Grant applicants are asked to describe their faith formation programs, identify their leadership teams, and submit a budget along with other information pertaining to participants and the running of the program.
Last year, twenty-seven parishes and diocesan organizations were awarded a combined total of $119,300 in grants covering a range of faith formation programs. Approved applications included initiatives that focused on Sacred Scripture, liturgical music, on the formation for the entire family, the youth, on preparing for the sacraments, and even on missionary discipleship.
For the first time in 2023 grant applicants were asked to submit applications via Foundations in Faith’s custom-made Grant Management System. Applicants must first create an account which then serves as a dashboard where they can access past applications, check grant status, and submit the required reports. The first round of Mid-Project reports were due in January and because of applicants’ adherence to the new system, the Foundation has received valuable feedback which will instruct future improvements to the user experience.
Kelly Weldon, Director of Foundations in Faith is grateful for the new all-encompassing system for managing the grants process: “We owe a big thank you to Liz Tamarkin at Newfound Consulting for working closely with us on building the GMS. For us, customization was essential. Our processes have improved tremendously by having all of our information in one place along with automated actions built into the system. And as we use the GMS, we’ll continue to enhance it.”
To apply for a grant head to foundationsinfaith.org/grant-applicant-login. Returning applicants will login using the same account information. New applicants will first need to create an account. Make sure to select the Program Support Grants application.
Keep in mind that once in the application form, the page will time out in 2 hours, so best to become familiar with the prompts prior to beginning. Consider gathering the necessary information and jotting down your responses in case you have to walk away from it. Remember also that a descriptive itemized budget is required. And a final tip: the best applications are detailed applications!
There’s plenty of time to brainstorm with your team. The JPII Fund for Faith Formation Program Support Grant application window is open through March 31. For more information, contact Carol Incarnacao-Schirm, Foundations in Faith Grants Manager at 203.416.1393 or carol.incarnacao-schirm@foundationsinfaith.org.
Since 2019, Foundations in Faith has distributed $5,404,015 in grants.
