Diocesan Heritage & McDevitt Grants

About the Grants

History of McDevitt Gift

• In 2008, Bob and Kay McDevitt made a bequest to the Diocese of Syracuse which at the time was worth about $40 million (only income could be used).

• One third of the annual income must be used for the purposes, objectives and goals of Diocesan HOPE Appeal.

• Using that provision of $350,000, the Development Office made a proposal to share those funds with the parishes in the categories of food pantry and the general area of evangelization for youth or family life.

• A total of $200,000 is available for Evangelization grants and $150,000 for Food Pantry grants.

McDevitt Grant Process

Q. Who is eligible?A. Only parishes of the Diocese of Syracuse are eligible to apply. The program areas must be programs of the Parish. A parish

must have met its most recent HOPE Appeal goal to be eligible to apply for an Evangelization grant. There are no preconditions for the Food Pantry grants.

 

Q. May we apply for a grant this year if we received one last year?A. Yes, the same criteria apply. A parish must have met its previous year’s HOPE Appeal Goal to be eligible to apply for the

upcoming year’s grant cycle. 

Q. Can we submit more than one grant request?A. Yes, parishes may submit a grant request for one or both programs (Evangelization or Food Pantry) areas as long as

preconditions have been met. Grant maximum still applies. 

Q. If we receive a grant, when will the funds be sent out?A. Grant notifications are sent the week of May 25. Grant funds are distributed around July 1. A single check in the amount

approved will be provided.

Q. Are there any other requirements of the grant?A. Yes, a mid-year report form must be completed and sent to the Office of Stewardship & Development with a complete

accounting of the funds used to date and how the remaining funds will be spent. All funds must be used within the fiscal year. Forms are available on line and will be emailed to parishes in early November. Mid-year reports must be received by stated date in order to remain eligible for the upcoming year grant cycle.

 

McDevitt Evangelization

GrantsEvangelization Programs:

All parishes of the Diocese of Syracuse that meet or exceed their 2015 HOPE Appeal goal as recorded in the HOPE Appeal final report are eligible to apply for a McDevitt Grant in support of Evangelization Programs in Youth or Family Life. Generally speaking all grants are to support creative and innovative approaches to the continuing evangelization of our young people and families, and will not exceed $10,000. Priority will be given to programs that can be replicated in other parishes.

McDevitt Evangelization

Grants• Projects with the lowest priority:– Facility Improvements to create spaces– Overnight retreats– Bus trips and attendance at events not

connected to a plan– Funds for Catholic School education purposes– Stand alone parties not part of a larger plan

McDevitt Evangelization

Committee• Cathy Cornue

– Diocesan Director, Faith Formation

• Danielle Cummings– Vice Chancellor, Director of Communications

• Tina Dyer– Executive Secretary, Diocesan Pastoral Council

• Mary Hallman – Director of Evangelization

• Mike Huynh– Director of Campus Ministry, SUNY Oswego

• Father Mark Kaminski – Pastor, St. Anthony & St. Agnes Church

• Bob Walters– Diocesan Director, Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry

McDevitt Food Pantry Grants

Food Pantry Programs: All parishes of the Diocese are eligible to apply for a McDevitt Grant in support of parish operated food pantry programs. All grants are to support the purchase of food items and essential non-food items (infant care: diapers, formula, wipes), and will not exceed $5,000. Priority is given to those parishes that operate their own food pantry and spend the majority of their funds on food.

McDevitt Food Pantry Grants

• Projects with low priority:– Cash grants for individuals or other entities– Gas cards– Utility Assistance– Personnel costs– Gift Cards

• Projects not considered for funding:– Equipment purchases / capital projects

McDevitt Food Pantry Committee

• Deacon Ed Blaine– St. James, Johnson City

• Father John Manno – Pastor, St. James, Syracuse

• Annie Ockert – Member Programs Coordinator, Food Bank of

CNY

• Joe Slavik – Diocesan Director, Catholic Charities

Heritage Grants for Young Adult

MinistryEvangelization to Young Adults:

The Heritage Committee approved the use of funds to support evangelization efforts to young adults. Funding, in the amount of $50,000, has been allocated for grants to parishes, or groups of parishes, that will provide creative and innovative approaches that focus on evangelization to young adults ages 18-39 (18 year olds should be post high school). These are single year grants up to $5,000 (in subsequent years grant amounts will be up to $5,000). Grants have the potential to be renewed for two additional years (each year will require a new application and approval). If awarded a grant for 3 years in a row, the parish must wait a year before applying again.

Heritage Grant Committee

• Danielle Hendricks– Diocesan Young Adult Ministry Coordinator for West Region

• Deacon Zachary Miller– Seminarian, Our Lady of Sorrows, Vestal

• Father Jamie Schultz– Associate Pastor: Church of the Holy Trinity, Fulton, Christ Our Light,

Pulaski, St. Anne Mother of Mary, Mexico

• Mary Angela Fisher– Program Coordinator, Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry

• Bob Walters– Diocesan Director, Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry

How Many Applicants?

2015 Number of Parishes Amount applied for Amount Available

McDevitt

57 Evangelization40 Food Pantry

$319,415.85$154,026.00

$200,000$150,000

Heritage*

21 Parishes $136,100 $100,000* Note: Heritage Grant funding will

not exceed $50,000 in 2015-2016 and forward.

Grants are awarded using a criteria based approach to the process: applications are ranked according to merit and the highest-ranking applications will be funded. Ranking is completed by a committee of content experts who review all proposals. The applications are ranked, and the committee recommends grants based on those rankings.

The Grant Application

Before you Begin:

• Read and understand the deadlines, materials required, and how to submit.

• Please TYPE your proposal narrative. This way your ideas come across and not your handwriting!– If you can’t type in the PDF form, please use the Word

document version. In addition, the application is now available on Google Forms.

• Download the mid-year and end-of-year report forms and make sure you know the deadlines for each. – There are penalties for not completing these reports, so it is

important to know when they are due!

What do the committees look

for?• Projects with high priority:

– Creative and innovative programs– Replicable in other parishes– Proposals addressing a clear need with a defined

program plan, strategy for implementation, and a plan to measure the effectiveness of the program:• Clear: “Based on a parish survey, we will have 3 events

per month: 1 Bible study, 1 service project, and 1 outing. We will hire a part-time coordinator to schedule and promote these events, and will conduct a follow-up survey after 6 months.”

• Vague: “We will start some kind of program that may include Bible study, service projects, or outings.”

What do the committees look

for?• Projects with low priority:– Facility Improvements to create spaces – Purchase of equipment not part of a larger

evangelization plan– Trips or events that are similar to Diocesan events

(for example, a bus trip to a youth conference, or a speaker series similar to Theology on Tap)

– Funds for Catholic School education purposes– Stand alone events not part of a larger plan

“Description of the Program”

• Clearly explain the program and how it will be implemented.

• Be as detailed as possible!

• Describe who the program will help.• Use real numbers if you have them!

• Describe the need the program is addressing.• For example: are you trying to reconvert young adults who’ve

stopped attending Mass, or are you trying to reach out to young parents to help them raise their children in the Church?

• Clarifying the need or problem will help reviewers understand the importance of the program.

• Be sure you can explain how your program supports the intent and purpose of the grant for which you are applying!

Replicability of Programs

• How can your program be implemented in another parish?

• Is the budget realistic for a smaller size parish?

• How can the budget be scaled to accommodate a smaller parish’s finances?

• Would another parish have the resources both financial and human to replicate the program?

“Experience with Evangelization”

• The purpose of this section is to give the reviewers a better sense for how your parish understands evangelization, and how your proposed program will fit into your evangelization efforts.

• If the proposed program is your parish’s first foray into evangelization – say so!

• Likewise, if you have encountered challenges in the past, explain them.

• Especially if the proposed program will be part of overcoming your previous challenges!

Program Measures

• “Evangelization” is difficult to measure, so consider the following when defining the outcomes:

• Attendance at program events; attendance growth• Mass attendance growth• Collection growth• Increase in volunteers or donations• Surveys

• Clearly describe how you will evaluate your program both during the year and at the mid-year and end-of-year reports. How will you know the program is working? What will you do if it is not achieving desired outcomes?

Sustainability

• Consider how your program will be funded after the grant is over. These grants are meant to be “seed” money, not an ongoing revenue stream.

• McDevitt – only one year• Heritage – up to 3 years, must re-apply each year

• How will you continue to achieve your goals and outcomes once the grant funding is finished?– Not just the operating expenses – how will you continue to

engage your target group, keep new people attending events, etc.?

Budget

• Both McDevitt and Heritage Grants require a detailed plan for how you will spend the grant:

• Separate out operating costs, salaries, training, equipment, etc. Be as detailed as possible!

• Remember – your funding MUST be spent as submitted, so be sure you are realistic and detailed! – If you use the funds for unapproved purposes, you will be required

to return the funds to the Diocese.

• Your budget can’t exceed the amount of the grant.• All funds must be spent within the fiscal year, or any

unused funds will be returned to the Diocese.

• Consider finding ways to assist in funding your project – fundraising, dues or fees, etc.

• Be good stewards

What to do if you receive a grant

• Sign the award letter and return by stated deadline.

• For Heritage Grants: Make a plan with your parish team to address the comments or recommendations received.

• For Heritage Grants: Submit any additional materials requested.

• Review your proposal and make a plan with your parish team to implement the program.

• Make a note of reporting deadlines!

ApplicationTips & Techniques

• DO:– Follow ALL instructions on the application. – Follow guidelines of what are “higher priority” programs vs. “lower

priority”– Be honest and succinct in your responses. Answer the questions,

preferably without “fluff and filler”. If an answer only requires a brief response, a one page narrative isn’t necessary.

– Consider the impact your program will have on your parish, the community and those it is assisting. How many people will benefit from the program? Is the impact greater than the amount requested?

– Consider how you will measure outcomes.– Provide a complete project budget outlining how funds will be spent

and on what. – Follow ALL instructions on the application

ApplicationTips & Techniques

• DO:– Find ways to assist in funding your project: Can you

fundraise? Can a fee be incurred?– BE GOOD STEWARDS – Consider how the project will be funded after the first year.– Review your application before submitting. (Inc. Budget,

all necessary signatures, etc.) – Have your pastor approve and sign your application.– Contact Andrea Marshall or Denise Sero with any

questions as you go along.– Follow ALL instructions on the application.

2016-2017 Grant Process & Timeline

• Mid-Year Report Due: January 29, 2016

• Applications Mailed: February 12, 2016

• Applications Due: March 18, 2016

• Committee Review: Weeks of April 25, 2016

• Grant Notifications: Week of May 23, 2016

• After committee review by content experts, recommendation is made to Bishop Cunningham. Grants must be approved by him before notifications are made.