Grants for Churches: Where to Look and How to Apply
Looking for funding to help your church thrive? I’ll share where to find the best church grants, common eligibility requirements, and how to apply.
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Looking for funding to help your church thrive? I’ll share where to find the best church grants, common eligibility requirements, and how to apply.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!Religious organizations and churches brought in a whopping $4.3 billion in grant funding last year.
These grants provide vital cash flow for churches looking to launch new projects or shore up existing community programming. For some churches, grant funding is the difference between staying open and closing their doors for good.
If you’re on the hunt for a grant to support your church, I’ll share the ins and outs of what to expect, where to find them, and how to apply.
A church grant can help fund everything from major initiatives to day-to-day community programming. Grants can help you grow your church or maintain your building.
You can find church grants to support the following projects:
And more. If you have improvements you’d like to make to your church, chances are there’s a funder out there who’d like to support your efforts.
Not every church grant will be well-suited to your project or initiative. And not every funder will be excited enough about your project to support it. That’s okay! Finding alignment between your goals and the goals of your grantmaker is key.
Different funders have different eligibility requirements – along with different preferences. For example, a funder who supports capital improvements may prefer to support churches looking to restore their main building to historic accuracy.
As you narrow down grants to apply for, ensure you meet both their bottom-line requirements and any preferences. That will increase your chances of securing funding.
If you have a specific project in mind, reach out to grantors to learn whether your proposal would be eligible for funding under their grant.
Generally, you can find active grants for churches on these websites:
Additionally, many states provide state-issued funding for church projects, especially those that serve the wider local community.
If you don’t feel like hunting for grants on one of these databases, I’ve compiled some of the top church grants for you to consider. I’ll also share eligibility information, deadlines, and the typical grant amount available.
This partnership between Partners for Sacred Places and the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides capital grants for churches of historic importance.
Amount: $50,000 to $500,000
Application Due Date: Grant cycle typically opens in January and closes in March.
Eligibility: Must be in the U.S. or U.S. territories. Your building must have been originally built for religious purposes, and you must be an active congregation. View all eligibility requirements here.
This church grant is supported by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and Lilly Endowment Inc. They offer funds to support historic Black churches with preservation and stewardship initiatives.
Amount: $50,000 to $500,000
Application Due Date: The grant application cycle typically runs from early August to mid-September.
Eligibility: Must be a historic Black church that is at least 50 years old. Projects must fall under the categories of capital projects, endowment and financial sustainability, project planning, organizational capacity, or programming and interpretation. View the full guidelines here.
Keeping your pastors and church leaders safe from burnout isn’t always easy. That’s where this church grant comes in. You can use these funds for sabbaticals and leadership wellness initiatives for extended rest and renewal.
This kind of grant keeps your church going and protects leaders from burning out.
Amount: Up to $60,000
Application Due Date: Applications typically open in November.
Eligibility: Must be a Christian congregation or clergy in the U.S. or U.S. territories. The clergy member must be in good standing with their denomination and currently serving as a pastoral leader. Learn more.
Supporting churches in rural areas with no more than 20,000 residents, this church grant can be used for community infrastructure. This includes daycares, community kitchens, food pantries, and health clinics that are partnered with a church.
In addition to grants, this program offers direct, low-interest loans.
Amount: No set minimum or maximum; depends on the project.
Application Due Date: Applications are accepted from October 1 to September 30 every year.
Eligibility: Your church must serve a vital community infrastructure purpose and must exist in a rural area with no more than 20,000 residents (as noted in the latest U.S. census data). Learn more about eligibility here and funding priorities here.
This grant, provided through FEMA and state agencies, supports the installation of cameras, physical barriers, security training, and reinforced doors.
Amount: $200,000 per site, up to $600,000 for multi-site churches
Application Due Date: Applications are typically due in the middle of July. Connect with your state agency for local deadlines.
Eligibility: You must have tax-exempt status and be deemed at high risk of a terrorist or extremist attack. You must also own or lease your property. See the full application process here.
Here’s a quick overview of the applicaton process:
| Action Item | What to Do | What to Check or Prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Check eligibility | Confirm that your church and project qualify for the grant. | Location, tax-exempt status or other eligibility criteria, project fit, budget limits, and matching-fund requirements. |
| Prepare your application | Gather the information and documents required to submit the relevant grant. | Project summary, itemized budget, project timeline, supporting documents, and intended outcomes. Check application guidelines and deadlines. |
| Track your applications | Keep each application and its follow-up tasks organized. | Submission deadlines, application portal links, decision dates, grant officer communications, and reporting deadlines. |
Now, let’s go over the steps in further detail.
As I mentioned above, meeting eligibility requirements is an important first step to the grant application process.
Confirm that you meet the following eligibility requirements:
If you meet all listed requirements, chances are it’s worth applying. Remember to consider their funding preferences as you create your application.
The requirements for grant applications vary from grantmaker to grantmaker.
Your most important step: make sure you understand all requirements and deadlines.
Many grants require multiple steps for the application. You don’t want to skip a step and miss out on funding for that grant cycle!
Typically, grant applications will require the following materials:
Remember, your grant application needs to be persuasive. Use storytelling and hard facts to paint a picture of why these funds should go to your church.
Check out this guide to writing excellent grant proposals for more tips.
If you’re applying for multiple grants at once, create a tracker to stay on top of deadlines and follow-up steps.
My recommendation? Make a simple spreadsheet tracker with columns for:
This will help you stay on top of all grant tasks without getting in the weeds with some of the more elaborate tracking software options.
If you’re looking for additional funding for your church, the grants and resources I’ve shared above should hopefully help you secure that mission-critical support.
Grants for churches are great for big projects or problems that need a large solution. For day-to-day funding, you likely rely on the generosity of your congregation to keep you going. That’s why it’s crucial to offer easy, cashless giving in your church and one-click giving online.
Donorbox MinistryMomentum was built to help churches like yours bring in more funding, build lasting donor relationships, and streamline backend management. Learn more here.
Yes, small churches can apply for grants. While many church grants target larger, established churches, there are plenty of funders who are interested in supporting smaller churches or those that are just starting out.
There are plenty of grants available for churches looking to make building repairs or capital improvements. You can find grants through an online database like GrantWatch, or try applying for the National Fund for Sacred Places.
Yes, a church can apply for government funding. However, most government grants require funds to be used for secular, community programs instead of religious activities.
Typically, a church should prepare a project summary, budget, timeline, and supporting documents like clergy bios before applying for a grant.
Yes, some church grants require matching funds. Typically, this happens when funders want to support large-scale projects such as capital campaigns but don’t have sufficient funding to support the entire project. However, not all church grants require matching funds, so check eligibility requirements closely before applying to ensure the grant is a good fit.
Lindsey Bower is a writer, content strategist, and nonprofit consultant. She specializes in helping nonprofits craft compelling messaging for websites, blogs, social media, and email marketing, with a strong focus on SEO and AEO strategy. With a background in fundraising and membership management, she knows firsthand what it's like to juggle priorities and wear many hats in the fast-paced nonprofit world.
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