Safe Church Mini-Grants Available for 2021!

Safe Church is excited to announce that once again we are offering mini-grants for safe church teams of classes! This year we anticipate events, training, or in-person gatherings that were often supported by grants will look very differently than in years past. So we encourage some creative thinking on what a mini-grant could look like for your classis and for congregations in your classis. 

This mini-grant opportunity will allow a classis safe church coordinator to request grant funds up to $750 to help defray costs for hosting an equipping event or for a special project that furthers the mission of Safe Church Ministry at the classis or region.

If your classis does not have a safe church team, we may still be able to offer a grant to congregations who collaborate with other congregations in their classis! Please also note, there is a grant available for classes to create an official position of “Safe Church Coordinator” within their classis. The grant provides a stipend for this position up to $1,500 for the first year with the expectation that the classis would provide the stipend to their coordinator in the years that follow. You can read more information on this here!

Here are some ideas to consider for a mini-grant 2021:

• An online training for your safe church teams. When you consider the fact that you are shifting to an online platform for training, cost lowers significantly for speakers. There is no travel or lodging involved in the cost of hosting speakers. As well, given you are not bound by location, you can reach out to speakers that are further away than budget would have permitted before. This is an opportunity to connect with speakers you may not have considered in the past! Our safe church staff team is happy to help support you in managing an online event. If you are curious how this might look, an online virtual training was facilitated by Tara Boer (Safe Church Coordinator of Classis Heartland and Iokota) and you can view some of the recordings of that training at this Network article. 

• A watch party! This year we recorded a number of webinars with speakers whose voice we highly value within abuse prevention. Review our lineup of 2020 Safe Church Webinars and consider sharing them as a watch party with your classis. Developing this event could include providing all registrants with a copy of the book that is connected to many of the webinars. Why not send a package that includes the book, some hot chocolate or tea, and some snacks to make this event one to remember!

 The sky’s the limit! How creative is your safe church team? We look forward to hearing how your safe church team creates unique and exciting opportunities in the midst of a pandemic! Consider sharing your story about what you did with the funds from the grant with our community! Maybe you will inspire others!

Events most likely to receive mini-grants will possess:

• An event planner or project manager that has demonstrated experience with safe church ministry and/or planning events, and is willing to work hard to promote the event and follow through with necessary details.

• Evidence of support from local and regional collaborators, such as churches, a classis or a group of classes.

• Use of known and respected presenters, including those recommended by CRC Safe Church Ministry; and/or events that include training in the Advisory Panel Process (APP).

• A theme or purpose for the event that fits well with the mission of the CRC and of Safe Church Ministry, and also meets identified needs in the community where the event will be held.

The application will request the following information:

• Name of event or project coordinator; address; phone; email; church and classis

• Title and description of event or project 

• Host site for the event 

• Collaborative partners 

• Name(s) of presenter(s) for event 

• Estimated overall budget   

Funds will be distributed as reimbursement as soon as possible after an event has taken place or project has been completed. A signed contract with each speaker or presenter, and receipts for all expenses, are required for distribution of funds. Therefore, you will need to work with the classis, or with a sponsoring church that is willing to fund the event up front—then the mini-grant funds will be distributed as a reimbursement to the funder. All mini-grant applications will be selected for approval at the sole discretion of the Safe Church Ministry staff. 

Apply for your Safe Church mini-grant here! 

All applications are due by January 13, 2021. Notification of approval will be received by January 31. Events and/or projects are to be completed within the 2021 calendar year.

Questions? Contact Safe Church ([email protected]) or leave a comment below.