Eligibility Guidelines for Grant Applications:

Grants for Basic Human Needs, 2005
Keystone Partnership for Youth, 2005-2006

Dear Rectors, Clergy-in-Charge and Program Directors:

In 2004 Episcopal Charities will provide two funding opportunities for outreach programs for congregations in this Diocese: the grants program for Basic Human Needs, for the calendar year 2005, and the Keystone Partnership for Youth, for the academic year July 2005-June 2006.

The Basic Human Needs grant program provides funding from January 2005 through December 2006. The Keystone Partnership for Youth grant program provides funding from July 2005 through June 2006 for all youth programs.

All application materials for both grant cycles are in this package. The application is also available online at http://www.episcopalcharities-newyork.org. Please refer to the timetable below for each grant’s deadline.

Over the past year, Episcopal Charities supported 90 programs in 58 congregations. We are gratified and inspired by your impressive good works and look forward to our work together in the future.

The Rev. Mark W. Hummell, MSW , M.Div.	David P. Shover, MSW, M.Div.
Associate Director	Executive Director

Calendar and Deadlines

Basic Human Needs Grants
All Parish Mailing	September 6, 2004
Grant Application Deadline	October 18, 2004		5 pm
Notification Letters Mailed	December 17, 2004
Keystone Partnership for Youth Grants
Reminder Mailing		January 3, 2005
Grant Application Deadline		February 14, 2005	5 pm
Notification Letters Mailed		March 30, 2005

Information for New Applicants

If this is your first application: All new applicants must attend one of our grant writing workshops, which are held each September and January.

If you’d like help with the application: Episcopal Charities’ staff will be pleased to review a draft of your proposal several weeks before the deadline. This review will help you revise the proposal, if needed, and submit a complete proposal. However, this staff review does not guarantee that your proposal will be funded.

Please do not submit Keystone Applications before January, 2005.

About Episcopal Charities Grant Programs

The focus of Episcopal Charities’ grant application process is to support the community outreach work of congregations in the Diocese and the visions they are nurturing. This process is an opportunity for Episcopal Charities to review the work of congregations and find the ones addressing the most compelling needs with the most creative uses of the resources available.
Grants For Basic Human Needs	Episcopal Charities seeks to allocate resources in the most effective way possible, in our effort to relieve human suffering. Proposals should address community needs as identified and defined by your congregation.
The Keystone Partnership For Youth	Episcopal Charities seeks to allocate resources in the most effective way possible, in our effort to promote the healthy development of young people. Proposals should address services to young people as identified and defined by your congregation.

General Eligibility Requirements

We have defined eligibility carefully. Our task, beyond determining eligibility, is to exercise care, objectivity, and responsibility in identifying those programs that meet our funding guidelines, being certain not to exclude any eligible program that may have been supported in the past.

The following requirements are your starting point. Any program submitting an application for support must be able to demonstrate that it meets these requirements.

Congregational Connection
Programs must be sponsored by and in partnership with one or more Episcopal congregations, as evidenced by the presence of these characteristics:
At least one of these three	1. The congregation is ultimately responsible for the effective delivery of services and the management of the program and the grant funds for which it applies; 2. Members of the congregation are involved in the program’s activities, as a significant number of volunteers, and/or a majority of the board, or a majority of the advisory committee members; 3. The congregation provides material financial and/or substantial in-kind support to the program.
At least one of these two	1. The program is described as an integral part of the congregation’s mission; 2. The program is clearly identified as a ministry of the congregation.
Community Outreach
The program must represent an effort by a local congregation or group of congregations to respond to an identified need affecting members of the community in which the congregation is located.
Clients’ Eligibility for the Service
Any person needing the service offered is eligible to receive the service. Eligibility for services cannot be determined by church membership, a statement of faith, or participation in church activities.
Non-Religious Program Content
Programs must be non-sectarian and inclusive, and services provided cannot include religious content.
Core Values
Successful programs will exhibit several of these characteristics:		· They address root causes as well as symptoms. · They represent a collaborative effort of two or more congregations and/or community organizations. · They represent an opportunity to leverage additional funds beyond the Episcopal Charities grants. · They represent a primary resource addressing this problem in their communities.
Grant Allocation Limitation
Episcopal Charities will fund no more than 70% of a program’s total budget. In addition, no single program will be eligible to receive more than 10% of the total funds available for allocation in any grant cycle. Budget information provided in the application should clearly demonstrate that the request meets these requirements. The average grant awarded last year for Grants for Basic Human Needs was $6,200 with a range of $3,000 to $27,500. The average grant for the Keystone Partnership was $2,200 with a range of $1,000 to $12,000. Grant requests should fall roughly within these parameters.

The Application Process

You must:

ü Use the attached application format.

ü Type all narrative materials single-spaced.

ü Submit 22 copies of the completed proposal and 2 sets of attachments.

ü Submit the application on time.

The completed Basic Human Needs proposals must be received in the office of Episcopal Charities by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 18, 2004. Completed Keystone Partnership for Youth proposals must be received in the office of Episcopal Charities by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 14, 2005. Episcopal Charities is located in Diocesan House on the Cathedral Close.

The Rules

ü Proposals received after the deadline’s date and time will not be considered.

ü Incomplete proposals will not be considered.

ü Emailed and faxed proposals will not be accepted.

ü Do not include any other materials than those requested.

ü Make sure the proposal is complete and in order, following the order of our item and page numbers.

ü Make sure that the proposal addresses all items in the proposal.

ü For the budget, use the format of the financial form included in this application. All budgets must include both income and expenses.

Your Program’s Responsibilities during the Grant Cycle

Funded programs must use grant funds for the purposes described in the proposal; grant funds cannot be diverted to other uses.

Funded programs are responsible for timely submission of evaluation materials

Funded programs must provide a program-specific accounting of the use of funds granted. In a program where funds are co-mingled with parish funds, separate financial reports must be regularly prepared.

Based on an assessment of program effectiveness, some programs may be asked to participate in workshops that focus on areas needing improvement as a requirement of future funding.