Grants
Grants available to member churches and associated ministries
2012 “Triple-Play” Grant
Three committees of our Presbytery are collaborating in the creation of a new “Triple-Play” grant process for congregations to apply in 2012 to receive funds in 2013.
The three committees collaborating are:
- Congregational Development Committee—committed to congregational health and transformation
- Mission and Advocacy Committee—partners with community agencies and programs that reflect our churches’ commitment to peace, justice, and love in action
- Resource and Education Committee—supports congregational leadership through education and training
We are seeking applications in which the categories of
- congregational health,
- community mission & advocacy, and
- leadership training
are combined in a single project.
What we envision are projects that
- aim to improve the worship/program/outreach health of congregations,
- give visibility to congregational involvement in contributing to systemic change for a healthier community, and
- that train leadership for engagement in this new effort.
Grants are available in the range of $10,000 to $40,000 per project, spread over three to five years, beginning in 2013 for a group of congregations in partnership with a community agency or program.
The deadline for the application is Monday, April 30, 2012.
Who may apply?
A partnership of at least two Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations and at least one community agency or program.
An ecumenical group of congregations may apply, but at least two of the participating congregations must be Presbyterian Church (USA).
See the grant application for more details.
Presbytery Partnership Group Grants
Synod of the Northeast
Western NY Presbytery Partnership Group
The Western New York PPG receives grant requests of up to $7,500 originating in the Presbytery of Genesee Valley, Presbytery of Geneva, and the Presbytery of Western New York. Such requests for funding were formerly handled by the Synod, but are now a function of the PPG regional groupings.
See the Presbytery Partnership Group Grants page for details.
Grants Awarded
Self-Development of People Committee (SDOP) Grants Awarded
Self-Development of People (SDOP) is not a “normal” presbytery committee in that it relates directly to the national church office for its funding and mission. A portion of the One Great Hour of Sharing offering is given to the national level of SDOP, which is then allocated to the presbytery-level committees.
In 2011 the Presbytery of Genesee Valley awarded the following grants to organizations that fit the definition of a “Self-Development” group.
- The Community for Social Justice (Rural and Migrant Ministry); $5,000 for educational work.
- Unity NE Surveillance Pilot Project; $1,030 for starting a “Neighborhood Watch” style project.
- Remington Super Urban Project Porch Security Pilot Project; $525 for starting a “Neighborhood Watch” style project.
- Eastern Service Workers Association; $2,500 for expanding its community organizing work.
- NEAD CDF Freedom School; $5,000 for mentoring and entrepreneurship of inner-city residents.
2011 Congregational Development Committee Second Chance Grant Recipients
The Congregation Development Committee is pleased to present the following 2011 Second Chance Grant recipients:
- Community Peace Garden/Peace Circles (Albion) $950
- TGIF Board will establish a youth-designed and planted Peace Garden next to the church’s sanctuary on Village property to provide family members and friends a place to come to reflect and grieve the recent loss of two high school seniors. A second garden will be established at a location provided by Orleans Co. Community Action. The distribution of the produce will include: having the youth take it home, giving it to the local soup kitchen, and giving it away to the indigent. The TGIF Board has also decided to receive training in how to develop and operate Peace Circles for youth. We will be using the M.K. Ghandi Institute for Nonviolence which operates out of the University of Rochester.
- Coaching For Spiritual Leadership (Byron First) $665
- The Byron Presbyterian Church has been making use of Natural Church Development (NCD) as an effective process leading to improved congregational health. The church has taken the NCD survey twice. In this project we seek Presbytery’s support to cover the expense of a third NCD survey in 2011, and also support for the services of an outside “Coach” to work with Session and the congregation in interpreting and acting upon the results over the succeeding twelve months.
- New Frontiers (Irondequoit) $1,425
- IPC hopes to extend our reach to new members, existing home bound members and to our neighbors in the Irondequoit and Northeastern Rochester communities. By modernizing and renewing the resources we have, these efforts will be easier. New technologies and new programs lead us to new frontiers in our mission journey. Funds will be used on the following: Alpha Program materials and resources; Social Hall repairs; Mission and Outreach support; Technology improvements; Updated phone and internet service.
- Ready, Set, Sew-N-Grow (LeRoy) $1,425
- We have many talented people from our congregation and community that sew or have a strong interest in learning to sew, including many young people. We would like to renovate an empty room to accommodate, supply and organize a place for sewing quilts/comforters to donate to various charities.
- Friday Night Pizza (North Bergen) $2,300
- The Session of North Bergen Presbyterian made a commitment to pursue the building of a wood fired brick oven (for the preparation of pizza, bread, and other foods) in an area located next the church pavilion. In 2012, we intend offer pizza to the Byron-Bergen Community on Friday nights initially starting with 2 Fridays per month. We will provide a comfortable place to eat in the festive atmosphere of our pavilion, an asset underutilized by the community. We will simply ask people to contribute whatever they think the pizza might be worth.
- Patrick Place (Scottsville Union) $1,250
- Patrick Place will be a Comfort Care Home that provides love and support for the terminally ill in a home-like setting. This project is a partnership of Union Presbyterian with St. Mary of the Assumption Church and other churches from surrounding communities.
- Neighborhood L.O.V.E. (Listening Outside for Vision Expansion) Project (Trinity Emmanuel) $2,600
- Based on newly established relationships through neighborhood children’s participation in TEPC’s ministries with non-TEPC adult members of the community, this street-based conversation and parish-network building process will involve adults of different social and cultural realities with the congregation. Bridging these social and cultural differences are central to the process of transforming the relationships of TEPC’s adult members and the children from different backgrounds whom TEPC is already serving. This new community network of parents is key to building the transformation process at TEPC.
- Sread the Word (South) $1,425
- To increase the presence of ASL interpreters for worship, classes, and congregational forums. South currently has two NTID students and one additional person with hearing impairment attending worship. Monthly gatherings of neighborhood people will also be offered, with particular outreach extended to the graduate student population at the UR and RIT where relationships with students have already begun developing.
- Youth Worship Initiative (Twelve Corners, Geneseo, Chili, Pittsford) $750
- Youth Worship Initiative is being created to invite youth to meet together across Presbytery throughout the coming program year for fellowship and to learn about worship experiences. For our first event in October, the International Peacemaker, Dr. Emad Ramzy Philobbos, will speak about Christian-Muslim relationships and experiences that challenged, strengthened, and developed his faith in Christ. This project was first developed at a Youth Leaders dinner that included 32 leaders from 21 different churches to discuss ways to continue fellowship and worship interest that is experienced at PC(USA)’s Triennium.
Presbyterian Hunger Program Awards Grant to Rural & Migrant Ministry
In October, Rural & Migrant Ministry gratefully accepted a grant from the Presbyterian Hunger Program for our work at the Liturgia Rural Workers Education Center. We want to extend our thanks to all Presbyterians who contributed to One Great Hour of Sharing to support the grant program.
Liturgia is a welcoming space where farmworkers in Central New York get to know each other and learn about workplace rights and grassroots organizing. This knowledge is the foundation for strengthening the Justice for Farmworkers campaign, an effort to establish fairer working conditions for farmworkers. As farmworkers come together to learn how to make their voices heard with policy makers, they're joined by people of faith and others who are also receiving training at Liturgia.
All of these efforts fall under the Hunger Program’s category of Public Policy Advocacy, which addresses the root causes of hunger by dismantling “oppressive and unjust systems that fail to meet basic needs." The people whose labor puts food on our tables live in poverty, but the support of the Hunger Program will help farmworkers to change that unjust situation.
Thank you again for joining in this work!
Laurie Konwinski,
Grants Coordinator
Rural & Migrant Ministry,
WNY Office
324 West Buffalo Street
Ithaca NY 14850
607-272-5062, ext. 12
Presbytery Partnership Group Awards Grant to Rural & Migrant Ministry
The Western New York Presbytery Partnership Group has awarded a $5,000 grant for support of Rural & Migrant Ministry, to the Presbytery of Genesee Valley.
Rural & Migrant Ministry is a mission partner of the Presbytery.
The organization will be holding a conference in the Catskills on the weekend of October 15, 2011, in conjunction with its 30th anniversary. They will bring together a large group of people from the rural and migrant communities and allies from the faith communities to explore issues of rural transformation.
They wish to be intentional about inviting the disenfranchised farmworkers, rural workers and rural women from the Rochester/Buffalo/Geneva region. The grant will cover the cost of transportation, lodging and translators for this group of people.
Learn more about the conference here.
Closed Grants
The following grants are closed. These grants are generally similar in qualifications and timeframe from year-to-year. Information about these closed grants can be used for planning to apply next year.
2011 Congregational Development
Second Chance Grants
Application Deadline:
Friday September 30
The Congregational Development Committee is accepting grant applications for Cooperative Ministry and Congregation Transformation projects.
| Application Deadline | Decision Date | Funding Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9/30/11 | 10/06/11 | 11/29/11 |
- Grants range in size from $500 to $3,000 each
- Regardless of your size or circumstance, please consider enriching your church's ministry by applying. We are seeking to be partners in ministry with all of our congregations. Mission contributions by churches to the Presbytery make these grants possible.
- Cooperative Ministry Grants
- seek to promote congregational partnerships in mission and ministry. Grants are available to two or more congregations who work together to revitalize congregational life. At least one partner should have an average of fewer than 100 attending Sunday morning worship. Non-PC(USA) congregations may be included. Preference is shown to new partnerships.
- Congregational Transformation Grants
- offer congregations an opportunity to engage in bold ministries of transformational change. Is there some arena of church life that would benefit from positive change? Are you willing to take a risk and try something new?
- Projects for either grant may include
-
- implementing a one-time event or an ongoing series of activities
- engaging in mission projects
- training congregational leaders to gain new skills and equip them for ministry
- acquiring resources, equipment, staff, educational support
- developing spiritual revitalization endeavors
- reaching a new audience
- your unique ideas!
- Questions?
- Contact , 242-0099.
Self Development of People Grants
The SDOP committee is annoucing its available grants for 2011. The deadline for receiving grant proposals is Thursday September 15, 2011. Information, including grant applications is on the SDOP Grants page. Questions about the grant program? Contact Walter Stuber.
2012 Ecumenical Funding Program Grants
Application Deadline: Thursday March 31
Mission funds received from the 69 churches of the Presbytery of Genesee Valley are allocated to the Mission & Advocacy Committee for distribution to various ecumenical ministries in communities within the bounds of our Presbytery.
The Mission & Advocacy Committee must receive your completed funding request form by March 31, 2011 in order to be considered for funding in the year 2012. Please note that approved funding requests are not assured until November 2011, when the Presbytery approves its 2012 Budget.
Please see the Ecumenical Funding Program page for program guidelines, criteria, details of the process and application form.
2011 Congregational Development Grants
Application Deadline: Wednesday April 6
The Congregational Development Committee is accepting grant applications for Cooperative Ministry and Congregation Transformation projects.
Cooperative Ministry Grants seek to promote congregational partnerships in mission and ministry. Grants are available to two or more congregations who work together to revitalize congregational life. At least one partner should have an average of fewer than 100 attending Sunday morning worship. Non-PC(USA) congregations may be included. Preference is shown to new partnerships.
Congregational Transformation Grants offer congregations an opportunity to engage in bold ministries of transformational change. Is there some arena of church life that would benefit from positive change? Are you willing to take a risk and try something new?
Learn more and find Grant Applications here…