Matthew 25 Synod Grants are available to Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations
and institutions within the Synod of the Covenant. Congregations that share ministry
with non-PC(USA) institutions and organizations within the geographic bounds of the
Synod of the Covenant may also apply to fund the ministry contributed by the church.
The congregation must submit the Matthew 25 Grant application, rather than the non-
PCUSA institutions or organizations. 

The purpose of the grant must specifically be Christian in focus and adhere to the
objectives of the PC(USA) Matthew 25 Initiative 2 . Special consideration will be given to
churches, ministries, and institutions which are primarily composed of Black,
Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and/or whose proposals are engaging with
their neighborhood context and focusing on systemic change.

Projects must directly address at least one of the three Matthew 25 mission priorities of
the Synod of the Covenant:

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Building congregational vitality. The PCUSA highlights these seven marks of
congregational vitality:

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• Lifelong Discipleship

• Evangelism

• Outward-Focused Ministry

• Servant Leadership

• Worship

• Caring Relationships

• Healthy Systems
   

Applications which focus on one or more of these specific marks will be more
successful than those that do not.

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Dismantling structural racism. Structural racism causes communities and
individuals of color to experience inequality in accessing money, land, housing,
education, health, information, and social power.  Applications which focus on
addressing this racism in tangible ways will be more successful than those which
simply build awareness.

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Eradicating systemic poverty. Systemic Poverty refers to the economic
exploitation of the poor through laws, policies, practices, and systems that
perpetuate their impoverished status.  Applications which focus on the root causes
of poverty will be more successful than those which focus on immediate/crisis care
for the poor.

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Grants are awarded on the strength of the application and preference will be given to
applications from congregations, institutions and organizations who have not applied
previously. Continuing grants for completion of a project may also be considered.​

The grant awarded may be up to $5000.00 annually. Grants must be applied for every
year. Evidence of institutional or congregational financial support for the project is
strongly recommended.

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Grants may be used for either capital expenditures or program materials and costs, but
not staffing. A midyear evaluation of the project is due to the Synod Grants Committee
the following year in advance of that year’s grants being awarded.