District Grant Making Policy

DISTRICT GRANTS

The following are grants agreed by the District Grants Committee and approved by the District Policy Committee, as ways in which the District can offer financial support to local Projects.

District Training Fund and District Youth Fund: Applications for these Funds can be made to me, through a brief (side of A4) Reasoned Statement giving the context and purpose of the application, and its financial aspect.

Methodist Action on Poverty Fund: These are monies from Connexion held by the District to help mitigate poverty and its effects. Applications for these grants are again via a Reasoned Statement to me.

District Advance Fund Grants: These can be for Personnel or Property Projects. For Personnel Grants, the maximum allocation is generally 25% of the Project cost, and for Property Grants this is generally 10% of the Project cost. The criteria for these awards are mainly missional (as outlined in the District Grant Making Policy), showing evidence of community outreach and evangelism and/or new ways of working. DAF grants are not generally made for the maintenance of ministry or property. The Application Form for DAF Grants is available on the District website, or from me.  Application Forms (and supporting documents) are to be submitted electronically at least a fortnight before a District Grants Committee meeting. Grants are often made on a reducing basis, and once approved are subject to an annual Monitoring and Evaluation process as a condition of the continuance of the Grant.

Seed Corn Grants: These are awards of up to £1,000, to enable new or recent projects which link in particular with Our Calling and the Connexional God for All Strategy. Application is by a summary (on no more than two sides of A4) of the vision, purposes and aspirations around the project for which the grant is intended, also showing how it links in with the District Policy. Applications can be made to me, in the first instance.         

Most of these applications will be considered initially by the District Grants Committee, which meets three times a year, in October, February and June.

If you have any general queries around grants and grant making, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Andrew Vidamour

District Grants Officer

November 2023