Program Support Grants:
St. John Paul II Fund for Faith Formation

Applications Open February 15th and Close April 5th

Grant Awards approved in June, funds transferred in July

Parishes and ministries in the Diocese of Bridgeport are welcome to apply for program support grants from the St. John Paul II Fund for Faith Formation starting on February 15!

The St. John Paul II Fund for Faith Formation supports parishes and diocesan organizations with innovative approaches to religious education and youth ministry programs.

For the 2024-2025 application cycle, programs should take place between August 1, 2024 and July 31,2025.

Pastors and ministry leaders in the Diocese of Bridgeport are invited to apply for grants up to $10,000 per parish/organization in support of faith formation programs. This is a competitive process that aims to fund strong, new approaches.

 

St. Therese Fund, St. John Bosco Fund, St. Catherine Center Fund and Lourdes Fund

APPLICATION WINDOW: Thursday, February 15 to Friday, April 5th

Applicants are required to create an account and submit applications via Foundations in Faith’s Grant Applicant Dashboard.

To create an account and log in: foundationsinfaith.org/grant-applicant-login

SELECT "APPLY" UNDER PROGRAM SUPPORT GRANTS

Application Tips:

Login issues? -  Try using a different internet browser.

Details matter—include specific and measurable goals.

Numbers matter too—a descriptive, itemized budget is required.

For an application example, click here.

 

****THE APPLICATION PAGE WILL TIME OUT IN 2 HOURS. GATHER YOUR MATERIALS AND BEGIN THE APPLICATION WHEN YOU HAVE TIME TO COMPLETE IT.****

 

Have Questions? Need Assistance? Contact Carol Incarnacao-Schirm, Grants Manager at 203-416-1393 or carol.incarnacao-schirm@foundationsinfaith.org

 

General Operating Support Grants: 

 

General Operating Support Grants are non-competitive grants offered by invitation based upon donor-designated donations aligning with pastoral care priorities of the Curia. These grants are offered through the St. Charles Borromeo Fund, St. John Vianney, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton funds.

Final reports are due February 15. To file your Final Report, you’ll select the Details & File Reports option next to last year’s application record under the My Applications section at the bottom of your Grant Applicant Dashboard page.

The application window opens on February 15 and runs through March 6.  Access your grant application account by logging in via foundationsinfaith.org/grant-applicant-login.

To submit next year’s application, you’ll select Apply from the General Operating Support Grants option as shown below.

****THE APPLICATION PAGE WILL TIME OUT IN 2 HOURS. GATHER YOUR MATERIALS AND BEGIN THE APPLICATION WHEN YOU HAVE TIME TO COMPLETE IT.****

 

Mini Grants:

Mini grants are available on a rolling basis and provided to parishes or Diocesan initiatives that demonstrate exceptional innovation or need related to pastoral care. Applicants can request between $500 and $2,000 in funding. To pitch your idea, please contact Kelly Weldon at kelly.weldon@foundationsinfaith.org or Carol Incarnacao-Schirm at Carol.Incarnacao-Schirm@foundationsinfaith.org.

****THE APPLICATION PAGE WILL TIME OUT IN 2 HOURS. GATHER YOUR MATERIALS AND BEGIN THE APPLICATION WHEN YOU HAVE TIME TO COMPLETE IT.****

Foundations in Faith awarded 12 mini-grants in the last fiscal year. Learn more about them below!

  • Diocese of Bridgeport Office of Clergy: Funded a speaker from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia for the yearly Diocesan priests’ convocation. The speaker focused on mental health and wellness, which was much needed given the continuing reality of the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Diocese of Bridgeport Office of Safe Environment: Provided funding for an abuse survivor to travel to Ukraine to distribute rosaries and provide essential aid to those impacted by the war with Russia.
  • Guild of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Georgetown: Funded the launch of a Saturday art school at Sacred Heart Church, aiming to spark and encourage children's interest in the sacred arts.
  • Our Lady of Aparecida Parish, Danbury: Funded a barbecue and catechetical scavenger hunt for the parish's young adult group.
  • Project Beloved, Stamford: Helped fund a Feminine Genius Brunch, which sought to evangelize women in the Diocese of Bridgeport.
  • St. Aloysius Parish, New Canaan, and St. Matthew Church, Norwalk: Funded a Summer Mission Day for the parish's teen ministries. The teens served at Filling in the Blanks and Malta House, both in Norwalk.
  • St. Catherine Center for Special Needs, Fairfield: Funded a faculty and staff development day for St. Catherine Center personnel.
  • St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Bridgeport: Funded a summer Bible camp focusing on Biblical gardens and culminating in the creation of a garden on the St. Charles campus.
  • St. Joseph-St. Ladislaus Parish, Norwalk: Supplied essential tech for the upcoming religious education registration period.
  • St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Bridgeport: Funded the first-place prize for a raffle fundraiser seeking to repair the parish's steeple. The prize -- a plane ticket to Poland -- was particularly moving for the largely Polish-American parish community.
  • St. Stephen Church, Trumbull: Provided essential funding for new religious education programming.