Healthy Congregations Grants

Healthy Congregations Grants are available to Kansas United Methodist Churches to start or expand church-based health and wellness ministries.

The Healthy Congregations Grants program is part of the Health Fund's Healthy Congregations initiative, which includes the Healthy Congregations Recognition program and the Healthy Congregations Retreat.

The full text of the RFP is available below; if you would like a printable version of the RFP brochure, click here for the pdf file (Adobe Reader software required)

Request for Proposals

Health is more than mere absence of disease and illness. Health is 'abundant life' as promised by Jesus: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
-John 10:10

Spiritual health -- seeking and acting on God's will for one's life -- is the heart of the Christian view of wholeness: providing a foundation for the interrelationship of the other three key dimensions of health -- physical, mental/emotional, and social. Placed at the center, spiritual health influences our actions, our choices, and out outlook on this life.

As United Methodists, we are well equipped to address the spiritual health of our communities. However, we are also directed to address the other dimensions of health:

"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again."
-1 Thessalonians 5:23

If your church is prepared to make health and wholeness a priority with health education and awareness, social support, volunteerism, and prevention activities, this grant opportunity may offer financial assistance.

Kansas United Methodist Churches are invited to apply for grants to support the start or expansion of comprehensive ministries of health and wellness.

Size and period of grants

Grants may be requested for up to $5,000 and will generally be for a period of one year. Grants may cover two years, but the total amount of the grant will be no more than $5,000 regardless. These are one-time grants and are not renewable. The Health Fund has committed $100,000 to this grant opportunity. Applications will be accepted until all committed funding is awarded in grants.

Eligibility and selection criteria

Any Kansas United Methodist Church may apply. A church committee or council must accept responsibility for oversight of the program (Administrative Council or Health and Wellness Committee, for example) before a grant will be awarded. Preference will be given to applications that include:

Demonstrated commitment of the church and church members, including financial support, and a strong volunteer component involving more than one person.
Holistic approach to health that considers the physical, mental/emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of health.
Plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and to document program activities.

Eligible expenses

Healthy Congregations Grants generally provide for one-time needs to start or expand a church-based health ministry. Following is a partial list of eligible expenses to serve as examples:

Parish nurse training
Train the Trainer education
Educational materials
Equipment
Supplies
Promotional materials
Furniture
Needs assessment

These grants are not intended to fund on-going costs of programming or pay for health care for individuals. Some of the expenses that are not eligible for Healthy Congregations Grants include:

Staff salaries
Donations to individuals
Vehicles
Administrative/overhead costs
General church improvements including handicap accessibility
Payment for medical/dental services
Scholarships
Operation of established programs

Requirements

One written report, including a financial report and a narrative summary of program development, is required at the end of the grant.
A telephone conference call will be arranged to discuss the grant program at six-month intervals throughout the grant.
It is expected that a church representative will attend the annual Healthy Congregations Retreat
A ledger, signed by the church treasurer, of all financial transactions related to the grant is required at the conclusion of the grant.

Applying for a grant

Call, email, or write the Health Ministry Fund to discuss your health ministry program's eligibility. Direct your correspondence to Matt Kuzma or Virginia Elliott. You will be sent instructions and an application authorization code.
Complete the online grant application and send supporting documents to the Health Fund office by regular first-class mail.
A site visit may be scheduled at the church for Health Fund staff to discuss the proposal with the planning committee.
A decision will be made within approximately six weeks of submission of an application. A letter will notify applicants of the grant decision.

Contact information

For more information about this Request for Proposals, please contact Matt Kuzma, Business Manager and Assistant Treasurer or Virginia Elliott, Vice President for Programs.

United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
PO Box 1384
Hutchinson, Kansas 67504-1384
620-662-8586 (voice) 620-662-8597 (fax)

If you are interested in receiving notice of any changes to this grant opportunity or other church-related activities of the Health Fund, we invite you to subscribe to our e-mail newsletter by going to our website: www.healthfund.org.

The Health Fund was endowed by the Kansas West Conference in 1986 with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Charged with advancing health, healing, and wholeness throughout Kansas, the Health Fund makes grants of approximately $3 million each year.

In addition to Healthy Congregations Grants, the Health Fund awards grants to support efforts to improve oral health, access to health care, and healthy nutrition and physical activity. Other programs of the Health Fund include the Healthy Congregations Recognition program and the Healthy Congregations Retreat.

The Fund is governed by a Board of Trustees, all members of United Methodist Churches in the Kansas West Conference.