Mini-Grants

These mini-grants are an open invitation to step into creativity of spirit and imagine fresh, meaningful pathways for your community's spiritual life. While warm hospitality and shared meals are wonderful ways to bring people together, these funds can be designed to support other activities. We encourage your congregation to dream boldly: whether that means acquiring art supplies for creative reflection, supporting travel to local or national spiritual retreats, transforming a corner of your church into a quiet contemplation space, or hosting unique, culturally relevant practices. Think of this funding as seed money to experiment, innovate, and cultivate contemplative discipleship in whatever way best speaks to the heart and voice of your congregation.

Mini-Grant Agreement Form

Examples of Congregations using their Mini-Grants

Risen Savior - Bi-Lingual Retreat

Church of the Risen Savior utilized mini-grant funds to support an interactive, bilingual (English/Spanish) women’s retreat designed to foster a synodal, unified parish community. Co-facilitated by spiritual director Jane Cavanaugh and St. Catherine University’s Campus Ministry Director Anne Attea, the gathering invited women across diverse cultural backgrounds to step out of their comfort zones and embrace their shared faith. Through scripture, journaling, small-group sharing, and prayer, participants learned practical ways to bridge differences and cultivate meaningful friendships. By providing low-cost registration and full bilingual access, the parish successfully created an inclusive space that empowered women to move their church from “I” to “we.”

Lord of Life Lutheran and Wayman A.M.E. - Ecumenical Collaboration

Practice leaders Rev. Karen Wight Hoogheem (Lord of Life) and Rev. Dr. Janet Johnson (Wayman A.M.E.) co-taught spiritual practices in both congregations. For some joint meetings between their congregations, Lord of Life used mini-grant funds to invest in a “Meeting Owl” (a 360-degree smart video conferencing camera, microphone, and speaker designed to sit in the center of a table) and Wayman spent funds for hospitality for the joint meetings of the congregations.

St Francis Cabrini - Inclusive Spiritual Care through LGBTQ+ ministry initiatives

St. Frances Cabrini utilized their mini-grant funds to foster deep community and inclusive spiritual care through targeted LGBTQ+ ministry initiatives. The parish hosted a prayerful Transgender Day of Remembrance to honor trans lives and provide a space for communal reflection. They also facilitated a series of restorative circle conversations that brought together Catholic LGBTQ+ individuals and their families to share experiences and strengthen relationships. Additionally, the grant supported bringing in a Catholic theologian to present and guide a parish-wide discussion on Catholicism and gender. Together, these efforts created meaningful opportunities for education, healing, and contemplative fellowship.

How to Apply for a Mini-Grant

Host a Discernment Meeting: Convene at least one meeting with your pastoral leadership, board, council, or leadership group to discern how your congregation will participate in the partnership this year.
Designate a Pastoral Lead: Identify a pastor or pastoral leader responsible for requesting funds and submitting the annual report.
Submit the Agreement Form: Complete the contract by October 1, 2026, including a 3–4 sentence description of how the requested funds will support local contemplative discipleship.
Use Funds Appropriately: Apply funds toward congregational projects, hospitality, materials, or spiritual events through June 1, 2027.
Submit Final Report: Complete and return the report form by July 1, 2027. (If any funds remain unspent by July 31, your congregation must submit a plan to spend them by the end of the calendar year or return the remaining balance to St. Catherine University.)

Do we have to receive all our funds within two years?

No. While two years is the minimum timeframe (since no congregation can receive more than 50% of its total funding in a single year), you may choose to spread your payments across up to four program years (through 2029–2030).

Do we have to leave the partnership once we use all $5,000 or $7,000?

No. While we ask for a minimum two-year commitment, congregations are encouraged to remain in the partnership indefinitely. St. Kate’s will continue funding practice leaders for your congregation even after your mini-grant funds have been fully disbursed.

Do we pay our practice group leaders out of this grant?

No. St. Catherine University pays practice leaders directly. Mini-grant funds are meant entirely for your congregation’s internal use to enhance and support your contemplative practices.

What happens if we don’t spend all our money before June 1, 2027?

If you have unspent funds after July 31, 2027, you must contact the grant directors to submit a proposal for spending the remainder before December 31, 2027, or return the unused funds to St. Catherine University.

Who needs to participate in the required discernment meeting?

Before submitting your application, your pastor or pastoral leader should gather with your parish leadership council, board, or a group of congregational leaders. This meeting is meant for collective discernment on how your congregation wishes to participate in the partnership and utilize the funds for the upcoming practice year.

How detailed does our Mini-Grant Agreement Form need to be?

The form is intentionally simple. Aside from designating your pastoral contact person, we only require a brief 3-to-4 sentence description outlining how your congregation plans to use the requested funds to foster contemplative discipleship.

When and how will our congregation receive the grant funds?

Grant payouts are processed and distributed directly to congregations during the August–September window at the start of each practice year.

Do we have to request the maximum allowed amount each year?

No. You do not need to request the full 50% limit ($2,500 for returning congregations / $3,500 for new congregations) in a single year. You may request smaller amounts and spread your total allotment over two, three, or all four available practice years through 2029–2030.

Can mini-grant funds be combined with other church budgets or event registration fees?

Yes. Mini-grants can be paired with parish funds or used to offset event costs—such as subsidizing retreat registration fees, co-funding guest facilitators, or purchasing bilingual materials—to make spiritual offerings affordable and accessible to all parishioners.

Can our congregation partner with another congregation on a mini-grant project?

Yes! Collaborative projects between congregations are highly encouraged. If two or more congregations choose to pool their mini-grant funds—for instance, to co-host a joint retreat, bring in a shared speaker, or launch a regional initiative—each congregation simply submits its own Mini-Grant Agreement Form. In your 3–4 sentence project description, mention that you are partnering with the other congregation(s) and briefly outline how your parish's portion of the funds will support the shared effort.

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