The National Fund for Sacred Places to Support Vibrant Congregations
The National Fund for Sacred Places was established in 2016 to provide technical and financial support for congregations, building their capacity and increasing the stability of these critical yet disappearing historic community centers. A collaborative program of Partners for Sacred Places and the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Fund for Sacred Places is looking for congregations that are engaged in their communities and that are serving others. Engaged congregations operate and host programming that serves vulnerable, at-risk, and diverse populations; share space with non-affiliated groups and organizations (often at subsidized rates); work with other congregations, faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and/or municipalities; and have a widespread reputation for being a welcoming center of community life.
The National Fund for Sacred Places provides much more than financial support. The program is designed to help congregations successfully navigate the capital project process through training, technical assistance, planning support, and matching capital grants.
Congregations accepted into the National Fund for Sacred Places program receive wraparound capacity-building and technical support services through training, planning grants, and ongoing assistance, along with matching capital grants.
Each congregation admitted into the National Fund for Sacred Places program is required to send a team of 2-3 key leaders to a training event—led by a staff team from Partners for Sacred Places with the National Trust for Historic Preservation—to begin the grant-making program experience. The training is designed to achieve three goals that build on the participating congregations’ capacity to successfully complete a major capital building project and fundraising campaign:
- Orient participant teams to the timeline of activities and program requirements of the National Fund
- Provide expertise on capital campaign fundraising tailored to various campaign stages
- Introduce participant teams to an ecumenical and interfaith group for peer learning and sharing of ideas
Letters of intent must be submitted by March 7, 2022; full applications will be due July 18, 2022. For detailed application guidelines, CLICK HERE.