Fund a Mission

Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.

– Deuteronomy 15:10

Apply for a Fund for Mission Grant for Your Congregation

In 1997, the Metropolitan Chicago Synod created a mission endowment fund for the purpose of assisting congregations to energize and extend the reach of their mission. The primary purpose of these grants is to stimulate creative approaches to evangelical outreach, or invitational evangelism. Congregations that have previously received funding may, after a year, apply for one follow-up grant for the same project. Congregations may only receive one grant per calendar year.

The form is designed for clarity and consistency in the requests. More importantly, it emphasizes that strong preference will be given to the requests that are part of an integrated mission plan emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive vision built around the intersection of:

Proclamation: Worship, Faith Sharing, Invitation into Christian Community
Service: Ministries of Compassion and Generosity toward those in need
Justice: Working toward social and economic structures that allow access and opportunity for all

Although individual grant applications may focus on only one or two of these mission principals, in making awards, preference will be given to congregations that see this grant request as part of an integrated mission plan.

It is also important to remember that these are PARTNERSHIP GRANTS. Grant applications will be accepted for up to $20,000 and must reflect a congregational commitment both to the project and to the mission of the whole Church.

Grant requests are evaluated by the Fund for Mission Board. This board consists of 8-12 members chosen from the congregations of the synod. The composition of the board reflects the representational principles that guide all structures of the ELCA. The Board meets twice annually to award grants with grant application deadlines falling on October 1 and April 1 and awards granted in November and May of each calendar year.

Innovation

General, but not comprehensive, types of innovative projects:

Technology Grants
*Projectors, screens, computers, website design

Publicity Grants
*Mass mailings, brochures, event advertising

Music and the Arts
*Artist honoraria, rented tech support, publicity costs

Community Organizing
*Tuition subsidies for Community Organizing training, or Cultural Competency training

Leadership Development
*Tuition subsidies for youth and young adult training, conflict management training, mission leadership training, etc

Coaching/Consulting
*Program, coaching, and consultation fees for professional consultants to develop an integrated mission plan

Stewardship Development
*Comprehensive stewardship development consultations

Community Redevelopment
*Integrated mission engagement in communities of concentrated poverty, health/nutrition deficits, crime, or violence

Mission Site Improvements
*Building and grounds improvements to congregation-owned assets that will have a direct impact on the ministry and the community (excludes improvements to parsonage and market-rate rental housing)

Exclusions
*Grants will generally NOT be awarded to pay for staff salaries or benefits
*Grants will generally NOT be renewed more than once for a similar or identical project in the same congregation

Instructions

Applicants must use the following Google Form application in order for their project to be considered.
Failure to provide the requested report describing the project’s result prevents congregations from being considered for future Fund for Mission grants.

Application Deadlines

Submission Deadline

April 1

October 1

Grant Award

May

November

Application

Apply HERE

Learn more about missions

Mission Resources

If you have any questions about the Fund for Mission, please contact or 773-248-0021.

Additional Resources

Your Constitution

If your congregation is revising its constitution, or if you have a question about your constitution, email the synod secretary, the Rev. Erin Clausen: .

Find It Fast

Looking for a specific form, policy or guideline? Try a keyword search at the top of the page, or search document library here→

Change of Contact?

Has your congregation had a change of contact information? Send any updates of your address, phone number or key contact e-mail addresses by emailing Heather Haynes, .