Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Domestic Hunger Grants

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grants accompany congregations and their partners throughout the United States and Caribbean as they draw on the strengths of communities to address local issues such as food security, clean water, housing, job readiness, human rights, policy change, leadership development, and more. Together, these ministries are part of a comprehensive approach to breaking the cycle of poverty and hunger — for good.

Accompaniment of communities toward a just world where all are fed means breaking down barriers between neighbors, ensuring just laws and policies for all, and addressing the root causes of hunger. ELCA World Hunger will partner with ministries and projects that are transformative, holistic, and integrated, providing bread for today and hope for tomorrow:

• Transformative: Transformative ministries work to break down barriers, reduce inequality, and build strong relationships that can move toward a just world where all are fed. Transformative ministries build relationships across the lines that divide communities with an eye toward justice for all. This might look like projects focused on reducing disparities based on race, gender, economic status, sexuality, or citizenship.
• Holistic: The ELCA is called to be both a serving and a liberating presence in the world, meeting the immediate needs of neighbors through mercy and working for long-term, systemic change through advocacy. For example, many holistic ministries start with food — and then address the broader challenges that lie at the root of hunger and poverty. Holistic ministries may address these root causes by creating opportunities for people facing hunger to advocate for meaningful policy change, or they may organize the people most affected for collective community action.
• Integrated: Integrated ministries draw on the many strengths of communities to respond to need in multiple, related ways. Maybe this means providing food for families while advocating for affordable housing, building case management into a financial literacy program, or providing safe space for people who are vulnerable while offering job readiness assistance. Addressing multiple causes of hunger and poverty through integrated services can make ministries and projects more sustainable and effective.

Amount: Awards will be for a three-year cycle, with a maximum award of $10,000 per year, contingent upon fund availability and the completion of annual evaluations.

Eligibility: At a minimum, ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grant applicants must be:

• A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
• Able to demonstrate a strong, recognized, and established relationship with a congregation, ministry, or institution of the ELCA
• Able to demonstrate a strong, recognized, and established relationship with the community in which the work will take place
• Actively engaged in the work described in the application

Given the priority areas described above, ELCA World Hunger especially seeks to support ministries that:

• Clearly address root causes of hunger in communities
• Demonstrate strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in leadership and decision-making, including direct engagement of people who themselves are experiencing hunger or poverty
• Create or foster opportunities for advocacy toward systemic change
• Leverage local assets through partnerships with other local ministries and organizations and invest their own time and financial resources in the ministry

As a ministry of the church, ELCA World Hunger will prioritize ELCA congregations in the award process. Organizations that discriminate among guests and neighbors, require participation in faith-related activities as a prerequisite for services, or apply as “pass-through” organizations will not be considered for funding.

Link: https://www.elca.org/domestichungergrants

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