The new Diocese of California congregation and community growth program provides financial, mentoring, and networking assistance for programs led by clergy and lay leaders with track records for growing Episcopal communities and membership.
$150,000
Program Goal
$46,225
Pledges Received as of March 18, 2013
About
The Church Growth Matching Fund Program is dedicated solely to nurture and support innovative programs and initiatives, which grow Episcopal communities and membership.
We are raising new funds, separate and apart from the diocesan assessment, to enable matching funds to be given to encourage entrepreneurial efforts to create new services, new models, and new delivery mechanisms for growing Episcopal communities.
The Church Growth Matching Fund Program will fund up to 50% of an initiative or program in the first year, 30% in the second year, and 15% in the third and final year.
The Church Growth Matching Fund Program will enable the diocese to assist programs and leaders that already have put in place mechanisms to raise funds and sustain themselves. The diocesan financial assistance is intended to accelerate their growth, without encouraging financial dependency. So this is acceleration money to aid growth and independence, and not a source of permanent funding for a program.
Background
Since 2010, the Executive Council of the Diocese of California has been discussing and seeking input on different strategies for arresting the decline in church membership and attendance and beginning the process of rebuilding and growing the Episcopal community throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2011, the Executive Council and the bishop created a new program, the Church Growth Matching Funds Program for 2013 that seeks new funds from Episcopalian leaders and members to provide matching financial grants to innovative programs developed at parishes and missions by individual clergy, deacons and lay people. The goal is to provide financial assistance to enable growth, not to create new dependencies for the diocese. The October 2012 Convention approved the program; we are raising the money allocated in the budget to fund this.
The bishop appointed Roulhac Austin and Joe Jennings as co-chairpersons, the Rev. Lauran Pifke and himself as honorary chairpersons in October 2012. The program leadership will report back to the Executive Council quarterly.
Donate Now!
What your support for 2013 DioCal Church Growth Matching Fund will do —
With your support the Episcopal Diocese of California will be able to play an important role in encouraging new ideas and reinforcing entrepreneurial efforts to create new services, new models, and new delivery mechanisms for growing Episcopal communities. DioCal has a unique opportunity to fertilize innovative and entrepreneurial ideas, and build networks, between teams of lay people and clergy. To this end, the diocese has created a matching funds program whereby DioCal will provide financial support to new initiatives or to grow existing programs. The model requires the diocese to fund up to 50% of the initiative or program the first year, 30% in the second year, and 15% in the third and final year.
Donate Now online through Network for Good here.
Nominating Process
- The Church Growth Matching Fund Program is inviting innovative programs to be nominated for the first round of grants.
- The online Nomination Form and supporting documents (outlined in the online form) must be completed by March 31, 2013. Submit supporting document via email to Joe Jennings, josephwjennings@sbcglobal.net.
- Site visits will be conducted by Matching Fund Committee members, concluding with a day for presentations to the entire committee.
- Awards will be made by April 30, 2013. A second round of grants will occur in the 3rd and 4th quarter, 2013 based on funds raised after the first awards.
- The criteria for awarding the grants will be either based on an existing programs growth record, or a new program’s clergy and lay leadership track record and history of success.
Click here for the online Nomination Form.
Team and Contact
Honorary Co-chairpersons:
The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, bishop of California, 415.673.0606, bishopmarc@diocal.org
The Rev. Lauran Pifke, president, Executive Council 2012, class of 2012, St. Anne's, Fremont, 510.490.0553, rector@stanneschurch.org
Chairpersons:
Roulhac Austin, president, Executive Council 2011, class of 2011, St. Mary the Virgin, San Francisco, 415.282.7175, roulhac@flash.net
Joe Jennings, Executive Council class of 2014, St. Stephens, Belvedere, 415.927.2716, josephwjennings@sbcglobal.net