Love of Church grant applications now open, including Neighbors in Need

The Love of Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ has now opened its 2025 grant applications to support the work and mission of local churches.

The unified grant application includes four support programs: CASA New and Rebirthing Church Grants, Operational Support, Neighbors in Need, and Pension Board New Church Benefits.

The deadline to apply is September 15, 2024.

These were formerly known as the Justice and Local Church Ministries grants, and the streamlined process aims to simplify applications and honor the unique priorities of each fund.

These are the funding programs available and their focus areas:

CASA New and Rebirthing Church Grants: These grants assist faith communities affiliated with the United Church of Christ, aiming to achieve sustainability through coaching and financial support. This is awarded based on the community impact aligning with UCC’s vision and mission.

Operational Financial Support Grant: This grant offers financial aid to local churches in crisis, assisting with operational costs like staffing, equipment, and utilities. This is not for long-term support but for immediate operational impacts. Average grants are around $2,500, but the final amount depends on available funding.

Neighbors in Need (NIN) Fund: The NIN Fund is seed funding for congregations and organizations addressing systemic injustice at various levels. Funding is for program development centered around outreach and justice advocacy.

New Church Planters Health, Dental, and Pension Benefit Support: This grant helps new, sustainable churches cover health, dental, and pension costs. It’s given over three years with decreasing amounts each year ($10,000, $8,000, and $6,000). The church must be no older than ten years and meet certain criteria.

The application can be found HERE.

Learn more about applying for these grants by viewing this video:

---

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.