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Grants for justice and peace ministries

Posted on by James Deaton
Volunteers preparing bulk food for distribution
2016 General Conference attendees volunteer at the Bethlehem House of Bread (Portland, OR) to prepare bulk foods for distribution. ~ photo by Steven Dixon, UM Communications

The General Board of Church and Society is accepting applications through July 24 for grants from their Ethnic Local Church, Human Relations Day, and Peace with Justice programs.

GENERAL BOARD OF CHURCH AND SOCIETY

The General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) awards grants to United Methodist congregations and groups related to The United Methodist Church through the Ethnic Local Church, Human Relations Day, and Peace with Justice programs.

Last year, over $98,000 in grants were awarded to a variety of congregations and groups worldwide, including one organization here in Michigan.

Swords into Plowshares Peace Center and Gallery, a ministry of Detroit: Central UMC, was awarded a grant to fund a Plowshares Artist Residency to host emerging socially engaged artists in the Detroit area for three months. Swords into Plowshares is also one of our EngageMI Ministry Partners supported by Michigan United Methodists.

To apply for 2023 grants, applicants must complete forms via the GBCS online system. Only complete online applications with all required documents submitted by 5:00 pm EST, July 24, 2023, will be considered for funding.

Church and Society provides grant awards in three categories.

    1. Ethnic Local Church Grants focus on the self-identified needs of ethnic local churches and persons as they address one or more chronic social issues or concerns.
    2. Human Relations Day Grants support advocacy and community engagement aimed at uplifting the right of all God’s children to realize their potential in right relationship with one another.
    3. Peace with Justice Grants support programs and projects that witness to God’s demands for a faithful, just, disarmed, and secure world.

Here’s what to expect when applying for Church and Society grants.

Applicants are required to submit the following:

    • Program or project summaries
    • Budget and supporting documentation, including no fewer than two references
    • Letter from the Resident Bishop

Complete criteria and documentation are provided in the online application.

Grant awards range from $2,000 to $5,000. None of the money can be used to fund individual scholarships, salaries, purchases of equipment, purely administrative costs, or direct delivery of services.

Funding decisions for all qualified applications will be made at the GBCS Board of Directors Meeting in the fall of 2023 and announced shortly after that.

Click here to see the list of grantees from the 2022 grant cycle, including Swords into Plowshares Peace Center and Gallery.

Questions? Contact the grant administrators by email at [email protected].

Last Updated on July 3, 2023

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The Michigan Conference