The people of the Diocese of Massachusetts are enriched both by the faithful presence among us of clergy and lay persons from around the world and by our relationships with people of faith across the globe, especially our siblings throughout the Anglican Communion. Many of our congregations draw on their ties to other parts of the communion and develop deep friendships with partners beyond the borders of our diocese.
Our diocese is fortunate to have financial resources to assist with those partnerships. Two million dollars was committed to strengthening relationships through the Together Now fundraising campaign completed in 2013, and a quarter of those funds were set aside as an endowment to provide funding for years to come. In addition, 0.7% of our unrestricted annual diocesan income is set aside for grants to international development programs which further the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Two types of grants are available to churches, schools and organizations affiliated with the Diocese of Massachusetts:
Companion Relationship Grants
Companion Relationship Grants help launch or sustain relationships between the people of our diocese and partners around the world. These grants require matching funds* from the Diocese of Massachusetts partner and are limited to one grant per year for a maximum of five years, with a maximum grant of $12,000 in the launch year and $6,000 in succeeding years.
See the complete guidelines and financial information guide documents attached below.
Complete and submit the online application for a Companion Relationship Grant here.
Sustainable Development Grants
Sustainable Development Grants are designed to strengthen existing relationships where a particular development opportunity aligns with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. These grants require matching funds* from the Diocese of Massachusetts partner and are limited to one grant per year of up to $25,000, with a maximum of three grants per project, or a maximum total grant of $75,000.
See the complete guidelines and financial information guide documents attached below.
Complete and submit the online application for a Sustainable Development Grant here.
* Matching funds from the Diocese of Massachusetts partner are dependent upon budget size of the church, school or organization: 50% for budgets less than $500,000; 75% for budgets of $500,000 to $1 million; 100% for budgets greater than $1 million.
Contacts for more information
If you have questions about which grant is more suitable to further your partnership, please contact the Rev. Canon Bill Parnell, Canon to the Ordinary (bparnell@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 205).
For questions related to submission of a grant application, please contact the Rev. Margaret Lias, Administrator for Governance and Grants (mlias@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 229).
Additional global mission resources
The Global Mission Digital Toolkit developed by The Episcopal Church’s Office of Global Partnerships, the Global Episcopal Mission Network and the Standing Commission on World Mission provides resources to help establish a new partnership, strengthen an existing one or delve deeper into the theology and history of global mission in The Episcopal Church, including:
- Becoming a World Where Love Is the Way: Guiding Principles for World Mission (suitable for individual or group study, in person or online)
- Companion Relationship Guidelines
- History of Mission: Small Group Study
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer ways to explore the 17 goals and progress on their implementation around the world.