Grants for projects within the United States
Eligibility and Criteria
The numbers of hungry people in the United States continue to swell despite widespread civil society efforts to feed the hungry through food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens and other direct service programs. Reduced social spending by the government, an outdated minimum wage, growing numbers of working poor, persistent unemployment and other structural issues can be bandaged with feeding programs, but not cured. Eligible organizations are those that work in one or more of the traditional five areas and fit the following criteria:
A. Organizations, including PC(USA) congregations, demonstrating that a significant part of their work, or the specific project for which funds are being sought, attempts to address the root and systemic causes of hunger, will be eligible for grants from $500 to $20,000.
B.Organizations whose strategies, activities and outcomes do not sufficiently attempt to address root causes of hunger will not be eligible for funding. Exceptions to this are:
- Projects that help feed or house an especially neglected and underserved constituency. These must be carried out in ways that ensure the dignity of and empower participants. Eligible for grants up to $5,000.
- Presbyterian congregations running a hunger or homelessness ministry - eligible for one year of funding up to $1,000 to match local financial or in-kind contributions. (see Congregational Hunger Ministry Grant Application below)
- Presbyterian congregations creating a new hunger ministry or adding to an existing hunger ministry with a new type of hunger/poverty initiative will be eligible for seed funds up to $2,000 to match local financial or in-kind contributions. (see Congregational Hunger Ministry Grant Application below)
Specific Criteria
Proposals do not need to fit neatly into one of these five areas, but may include activities in multiple areas.
1. Direct Food Relief:
The proposed activities shall provide food relief to impoverished people in either acute or chronic conditions of hunger with an eye to long-range solutions. Ordinarily, applications for direct food ministries (food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, etc.) in the United States shall come from or through the sessions of Presbyterian Congregations which support those ministries. Grants may be made for (a) start-up costs for new programs and/or (b) new projects of existing programs which attempt to deal with the root causes of hunger in their community. Normally, PHP grants shall not exceed the contribution (financial and/or in-kind) of the applying congregation.
2. Development Assistance:
The proposed activities shall provide for a multi-faceted approach to development and the empowerment of impoverished people in such areas as agricultural training, community organization, economic development, nutrition education, public health and/or family planning. The proposed activities may increase employment opportunities or provide assistance to unemployed persons.
3. Public Policy Advocacy:
The proposed activities shall advocate, through just and peaceful means, political, corporate and/or economic policy changes which (a) provide food for impoverished and hungry people at home and abroad; (b) empower the participants’ self-development; or (c) promote freedom from oppressive and unjust systems that fail to meet basic needs.
4. Lifestyle Integrity:
The proposed activities shall assist the church to move toward sustainable corporate and personal lifestyles sensitive to the reality of the earth's limited resources and the critical needs of the human family.
5. Education and Interpretation:
The proposed activities shall educate the church and the public at large about the root causes of hunger and inspire, equip and connect people to act and to educate others. The proposed activities shall provide opportunities for learning among and with communities of need.
Note: If you are unsure whether or not your project or organization is eligible for funding after you have read the criteria above, please contact Jennifer Evans by email or (502) 569-5819 for assistance.
Application Process
(NOTE: There is a separate application process for Presbyterian congregations applying for a Congregational Hunger Ministry. See below.)
Applicants must follow these steps to submit a grant application to the Presbyterian Hunger Program:
- Submit a Letter of Inquiry no later than May 18.
- If your Letter of Inquiry results in an invitation to submit a proposal, you will be sent a link to the Online Application and submit an application. Mailed or emailed proposals will not be accepted. (Applications will only be accepted from groups invited to submit.)
- Await grant decisions following the Advisory Board meeting. You will receive notification of the Board’s decision by email before the end of October.
The Letter of Inquiry (no longer than 2 pages; minimum of 1-inch margins and 11 point font; no attachments) should describe your organization and the purpose for which funding is being sought. Please include the total project costs and the requested grant amount. Suggested guidelines for LOIs can be found below. The Presbyterian Hunger Program will notify you by email as to whether or not a full proposal will be invited for consideration. Proposals will be due by June 30.
- The Letter of Inquiry must be received by email on or before May 18 to be considered in the current year. Letters received after that will be considered the following year. The Letter of Inquiry should be addressed to: Jennifer Evans, Administrative Assistant, at Jennifer.Evans@pcusa.org
Congregational Hunger Ministry Grant Application
Congregations that use the simplified application are only eligible for up to $1,000 for ongoing work or up to $2,000 for a start up project. Congregations can only be funded for one year or for two years total if it is a brand new ministry. See general criteria above. In addition, these programs must be carried out in ways that ensure the dignity of and empower participants. Here are two cases that illustrate such an approach:
Barr Memorial Presbyterian Church, Norman, Arkansas
This “On to the Land” project is a hands-on, grass roots project that encourages and educates those in the community and particularly those coming to the food pantry to grow and process their own food as a pathway out of poverty. The long range goal is to develop a local farming economy that serves those in need in this rural Ouachita Mountain region of Arkansas. This project provides a community garden and the necessary equipment and supplies that serve as a model agricultural classroom for developing the skills necessary to grow and benefit from these activities. Food processing plus diabetic management classes are taught.
Lack of education and the resources necessary to enable individuals and families to grow their own food and alleviate hunger has been a debilitating factor in the lives of many of those who come to our food pantry, particularly in these difficult economic times. This in spite of the fact that earlier generations had no choice but to grow and raise their own food, especially in this mountainous region. Plus the belief system that supports a willingness to accept the truth that it is even possible and reasonable to do so seems to be lost by many of the people that come to our food pantry. Our job is to provide them with enough courage to be willing to accept the fact that it is possible, and to provide them with the education, the training, and the resources necessary to rise to this level of consciousness. It is our belief that rising above these levels of subsistence living is an important step in the spiritual journey toward experiencing the love of Jesus Christ. Once some individual families have taken this step, a Farmers Coop will be created to enable progress toward a viable farming economy.
A preliminary list of class subjects is 1) Basic Gardening, 2) Food Processing with a Pressure Cooker and a Dehydrator, 3) Making Jelly and Jam (Arkansas Plums, Arkansas Hybrid Blackberries, and other fruits), 4) Planning and Cooking Attractive Nutritious Meals, and 5) Diabetic Management.
The Basic Gardening classes will cover topics including 1) Garden Soil and Preparation, 2) Planting Times and Vegetable Types, 3) Pest Control in the Garden, 4) Fertilization and Irrigation. The course will also cover specialty topics such as building a raised bed garden, planning a “4x4” garden as defined by the cooperative extension service, composting, use of hot beds for seedlings, and raising Blackberries along the fence row. It will discuss the benefits of a Farmers Market.
The Diabetic Management classes will be given by a Gretta Lane volunteer who is a registered dietician. We have given diabetic workshops at Gretta Lane Food Bank in the past, and they were well attended. Our Gretta Lane Food Bank Recipe book, published 2 years ago, includes diabetic management information with each recipe.
A local Farmers Coop will be created as an extension of the Gretta Lane Mission. It will use the results and the greater understanding fostered by the On to the Land project to work toward a viable farming economy.
Faith Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, North Carolina
This Outreach Ministry is establishing a community garden on church-owned property. The harvest will go to Pathways, a 16-family emergency shelter and neighboring transitional housing communities. The congregation will support the project by planting and nurturing seeds, tending the garden, harvesting and delivering produce.
Acts 16:5 has inspired Faith Presbyterian Church to commit to more personal outreach involvement. By planting the garden on an unused parcel of land that the church has long owned, they are able to expand the serving capacity of the church and to become more thoughtful stewards of God’s abundant blessings. The Outreach Ministry Team will oversee the project and coordinate volunteers to design, grow and harvest, making the garden a unique opportunity to connect with members of the community inside and outside of the congregation. Families of Pathways and neighboring transitional housing communities will be invited to join the garden efforts.
This garden will include colorful, easy-to-grow vegetables that kids will find fun and also provide access to fresh vegetables to these families as well as others in need. The garden will also serve as an educational tool for the Health Ministry and will be incorporated in Vacation Bible School as an activity.
The congregational grant form must be filled out on your computer and emailed before the June 30th deadline.
You can reference these line-by-line instructions that explain each question in more detail.
Download the Congregational Hunger Ministry Grant Application
Congregations that wish to apply for a larger amount must fit the criteria for regular grants (see A. under Eligibility and Criteria) and may use the regular Letter of Inquiry process.
If you do not have Microsoft Word, other formats are available by request. Contact Jennifer Evans by email or (502) 569-5819 for assistance.
Writing a Letter of Inquiry
An effective letter of inquiry is often more difficult to write than a full proposal. The letter of inquiry should be brief―no more than two pages―and must be a succinct but thorough presentation of the need or problem you have identified, the proposed solution, and your group's qualifications for implementing that solution. The letter of inquiry should be sent by email to Jennifer Evans at Jennifer.Evans@pcusa.org no later than May 18. Letters received after that date will be considered the following year.
Not unlike a grant proposal, the letter of inquiry should include the following sections:
The introduction serves as the executive summary for the letter of inquiry and includes the name of your organization, the amount needed or requested, and a description of the project. The qualifications of project staff/volunteers/participants, a brief description of evaluative methodology, and a timetable are also included here.
The organization description should be concise and focus on the ability of your group to meet the stated need. Provide a very brief history and description of your current programs while demonstrating a direct connection between what is currently being done and what you wish to accomplish with the requested funding. You will flesh this section out in greater detail if you are invited to submit a full proposal.
The statement of need must convince the reader that there is an important need that can be met by your project. The statement of need includes: a description of the target population and geographical area, appropriate statistical data in abbreviated form, and several concrete examples.
The methodology should be appropriate to your statement of need and present a clear, logical, and achievable solution to the stated need. Describe the project briefly, including major activities, names and titles of key project participants, and your desired objectives. As with the organization description, this will be presented in far greater detail in a full proposal.
Other funding sources being approached for support of this project should be listed in a brief sentence or paragraph.
The final summary restates the intent of the project and affirms your readiness to answer further questions.
Optional Guides for Self-Monitoring and Self-Evaluation
Optional Guides for Self-Monitoring and Self-Evaluating (Word) (PDF)
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We give grants to 501c3 non-profits and PC(USA) congregations. Non-faith-based organizations are eligible. Please make sure you read the criteria on this page, http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/hunger/grants-projects-within-united-states/, before you get started. For direct relief, we work almost exclusively with PC(USA) congregations. There are two exceptions to that on that page.
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Is this program for non-faith base organizations? We are CBO in Stockton that serves hungry youths that are at-risk, homeless, runaway youth ages 12-20. Our Drop-In Center is open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks. We also have a Street Outreach team that provides snacks and drinks to those out on the streets.