Goals are derived from “Principles, Prophecy, and a Pastoral Response: An Overview of Modern Catholic Social Teaching” Publication #5-433 available from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: 1-800-235-8722
For more detailed information about criteria see “Faith-Based Community Organizing: The State of the Field”
Jan 2001.
Available from interfaithfunders@yahoo.com
CCHD builds relationships of solidarity between the privileged and the empowered poor.
The Campaign has a two-fold mandate: to support self-sufficiency and self-determination among people who are disadvantaged; and to educate the privileged about poverty conditions.
CCHD invites marginalized people to enter the circles of exchange in our communities.
We are called to ensure a place for all of humanity at the table of the family of God.
CCHD enables disadvantaged groups to gain economic strength and political power.
Poverty impedes the ability to influence the decisions that impact one’s life. The Campaign funds programs that foster human dignity and enable the disadvantaged to take control of their own lives.
Priorities
· Start-ups. Priority is given to emerging projects or organizations in their first 3 years of development.
· Small scale. Priority is given to grants that amount to no more than one-third of organizational budget.
· Participation. Priority is given to groups that can work with the local CCHD Committee to promote and educate people about the Campaign, and involve local parishes in their efforts when appropriate.
Funding Criteria
1. Benefits the disadvantaged. At least 50% of those benefiting from the project must be from a low-income community. Applicants must describe the criteria used to define low-income persons.
2. Disadvantaged group has decision-making authority. Members of the low-income group should have the dominant voice in setting the goals, priorities, direction, and policies of the project. At least 50% of those who plan and implement policy (i.e., the Board of Directors) should be persons who are involuntarily poor. Clergy, students, and volunteers with nonprofit agencies are considered to be voluntarily poor. Applicants must demonstrate how the low-income group participates in decision-making.
3. Organizational capacity and leadership development. Organizations should demonstrate how they will develop adequate staff and a sufficient level of skill and motivation to bring about the desired change. Applicants must describe their strategy for building the organizational capacity needed to effect lasting change, and demonstrate how they will recruit and train new leadership. Staff and board members’ biographies should be included with each application.
4. Enable institutional change. Projects should seek to bring about institutional change by altering the basic social, political, legal, and economic arrangements and policies that cause powerlessness and poverty, and by rectifying injustices imposed on the disadvantaged by government, corporations, or other institutions. Education and/or advocacy on behalf of the disadvantaged, and organizations or projects that are engaged in partisan political activity, do not meet these criteria.
5. Promote social and economic justice and responsibility. Economic development projects should be community-based, environmentally sustainable, and socially and environmentally responsible. They should create assets or ensure living wage jobs for people living in poverty, provide meaningful work, promote worker participation, ownership, and management, and protect the dignity and rights of workers.
CCHD National Grant Programs
Community Development and Organizing
The CCHD community development and organizing grants program has four primary areas of focus: Empowerment of the poor; training and leadership development of low income leaders; supporting projects with grants of up to $50,000 per year over 3 years which bring about institutional change aimed at mitigating the root causes of poverty; and developing solidarity between and among diverse racial and economic groups.
Growing out of the Church’s preferential option for and with the poor, the Campaign’s community development and organizing grants program requires that the membership and leadership group of any organization applying for CCHD funding be composed of at least 50% low income individuals.
Projects funded by the Campaign must work to bring about institutional change by attacking the basic social, economic, and political causes of poverty. CCHD’s definition of “institution” refers to policies and operational structures of government, corporations, or private agencies which create poverty, keep people poor, or impose injustices on poor people. Projects must also have a plan for recruiting new members and training leaders.
Economic Development
The focus of the program is the development of Economic Development Institutions. EDIs must be community-based, create income and/or assets for low-income people, and have organizational structures that promote low-income leadership and ownership. The program envisions a just society with economic opportunity for all. There are two complementary goals that must be met by all eligible applicants: the empowerment of low-income people and the development of alternative economic structures. Priority is given to model projects, strong collaboration, enhanced systems for data collection and use, and projects that are linked to community organizing.
Projects are supported with Planning Grants (up to $10,000) that are available all year long, and Implementation Grants (up to $50,000) that are available for up to three years on the same time line as CCHD’s community organizing grants. CCHD has identified the following five types of EDI projects:
· Worker-Owned and Community-Owned Businesses
· Social Purpose and Training Businesses
· Community Development Financial Institutions
· Business Incubators and Marketplaces
· Land Trusts, Limited-Equity Coops and Similar Real Estate Projects
EDI Program Criteria
Does the application focus on the development of an Economic Development Institution (EDI) that will create income and a just balance of individual and community held assets? Are at least one-half of the intended beneficiaries from the EDI to be low-income?
Does the application include a complete plan for the EDI that documents all three of the following:
· An assessment and analysis of community needs, resources and regional economic conditions;
· A clear, comprehensive and detailed strategic plan for the EDI for the next 3 to 5 years; and
· A commitment and strategy for ongoing low-income leadership development on the board?
Are matching funds committed to the EDI at least equal to the request for CCHD funds? Does the EDI have the potential to create ten or more jobs that pay a living wage as determined by regional standards, and /or will the EDI develop asset ownership for more than ten individuals or families while also benefiting the larger community? Does the EDI link economic development with community organizing; and/or develop information systems that enhance planning, accountability and mutual learning?
Critical issues to consider:
· Will grant funds be used for general operating expenses for the EDI
· Does the line item budget itemize income and expenses, and is it reasonable?
· Does the applicant have a growing base of support reflecting valuable relationships?
· Does the financial operating strategy include likely income sources for the next 3 to 5 years?
CCHD GRANT APPLICATION GUIDELINESPRIVATE
LOCAL GRANT TIMELINE
· Application deadlines for local grants is October 1 and April 1.
· CCHD committee members schedule a site visit with the organization’s project board in October or April.
· Funding decisions are made by the CCHD committee in November and May, and funds are disbursed in December and June.
NATIONAL GRANT TIMELINE
· Application deadline for national grants is December 1.
· Local committee members schedule a site visit with the organization’s members and board in early January.
· Funding recommendations are made by the local committee in early March
· The national CCHD committee makes funding decisions in April and funds are disbursed in June.
· Priority will be given to emerging projects or organizations in the first three years of development
· Generally, no grant shall amount to more than one-tenth of the entire organizational budget, but may fund a specific project for the entire amount. The maximum grant amount is $5,000.
· Funded groups are expected to work with the Archdiocesan CCHD Committee and a local Catholic parish when possible, to involve them in the work.
· Funded groups are expected to help with fundraising by briefly describing their activities during church services on the Sunday of the CCHD collection, which is usually the weekend after Thanksgiving.
FUNDING CRITERIA
1. The project must benefit a poverty group. At least fifty percent (50%) of those benefiting from the project must be from the low-income community. The project must also demonstrate the ability and have a plan to develop leaders from that low-income community.
2. Members of the poverty group must have the dominant voice in the project. At least 50% of those who plan, implement and make policy (e.g. the Board of Directors) of a project should be persons who are involuntarily poor. Clergy, students, VISTA volunteers, etc. are considered to be voluntarily poor.
For projects that do not presently meet this criterion, applications must document the following:
a. A timeline for when the poverty group will have the dominant role in making decisions, planning, and implementing policy.
b. How members of the poverty group were involved in determining the need and design of the project.
3. Projects must work to bring about institutional change by attacking the basic social, economic and political causes of poverty. CCHD defines institutional change as:
a. Modification of existing laws and/or policies;
b. Establishment of alternative structures and/or redistribution of decision-making powers;
c. To a lesser extent: Provision of services which result in the achievement of (a) and/or (b), or leads the recipient community to focus on (a) and/or (b).
CCHD's definition of "institution" refers to policies and operational structures of government, corporations, or private agencies that create poverty, keep people poor, or impose injustices on the poor. The following examples do not fit CCHD's definition of institutional change:
a. Advocacy for an individual or many individuals resulting in an improved situation for the individuals but not changing the structure or official policy of the institution.
b. Changes in attitudes of persons who provide services to poor people, but not affecting government, corporate, or service agency policies and structures.
c. Attitudinal or relational changes in the "institution" of the family.
4. Projects which focus on community-based economic development receive special consideration
This refers to organized groups of poor and low-income people who seek to:
a. Start or expand economically viable businesses which gainfully employ low income people.
b. Develop businesses which promote worker participation in management and ownership, and include a plan for the just distribution of profits.
c. Create capacity for community based economic development in low income communities.
CCHD QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Low Income Control and Membership: Members of the disadvantaged group must have the dominant voice in the project. At least 50% of those who make and implement policy should be persons who are involuntarily poor.
Questions to Consider: Does the project benefit a poverty group? Are the poverty indicators reasonable? How do low-income people participate in the organization's decision-making processes? What percentage of the leadership is low-income? Are the leaders representative of the group being served? How has the membership base changed over the past six to 12 months? If the applicant does not meet the low-income criteria at this time, do they have a realistic plan and timeline to achieve this goal?
Organizational Development: Organizations applying for funding must outline specific, realistic, and achievable goals, and demonstrate the ability to succeed at those goals. This can be established by documenting an organization's track record in planning strategy and developing organizers and leaders.
Questions to Consider: Does the applicant organization have sufficient staff, trained leaders, and a realistic timeline to effectively carry out its goals and objectives? Have they identified resources for technical assistance if needed? If technical assistance providers are to be used, are their credentials included and is a scope of work and budget provided in the application? Does the Interim Report demonstrate sufficient progress in achieving stated goals?
Leadership Development: Organizations must describe the process whereby members are provided training and guidance that enables them to become leaders. Skills trainings, social analysis, issue identification, elements of organizing, fundraising, board development, etc. are important facets of leadership development.
Questions to Consider: Is there an ongoing process to identify leadership potential and then recruit and train new leaders? What portion of leaders are new to the organization? How do the existing leaders foster the development of new leaders? Can leaders and members articulate what they have learned and specific goals they have accomplished through their membership? If this is a refunding request, does the Interim Report show progress in meeting the groups' leadership development goals?
Institutional Change: CCHD defines institutional change as: (a) a modification of existing laws and/or policies; (b) establishment of alternative structures and /or redistribution of decision-making powers; (c) the creation of a framework which enables the achievement of the above.
Questions to Consider: Are the institutional change goals realistic given the organization's capacity (effectiveness of leaders, size of constituency, experience of staff)? What specific change(s) has led to the reduction and/or alleviation of poverty? Does the group have a track record of success in bringing about institutional change? What changes in laws, policies, or decision making processes have resulted from the organization’s efforts? If this is a refunding request, does the Interim Report demonstrate sufficient progress in meeting the applicant's stated goals for institutional change?
Financial Capacity: The ability to develop financial capacity is demonstrated by internal and external fundraising. Organizations should demonstrate that they have been able to raise funds, and that they have current and future plans for increased support of their organization during and after CCHD funding.
Questions to Consider: Does the organization have a stable and diverse base of financial support as demonstrated by funding levels and types? Is the organization raising funds from the community and through membership? Has the organization provided a realistic plan that involves low-income leaders in budget decisions and fundraising? Does the organization keep good financial records, and do they manage funds well?
Teachings of the Catholic Church: Is the organizational activity in conformity with the moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church? Is there any information on their website that indicates otherwise?
Nonpartisan Political Activity: Is the organization's political activity non-partisan? Is there any information on their website that indicates partisan political activities?
Other Questions to consider:
§ List the project objectives and explain how these objectives will be (have been) met.
§ List the project's most significant accomplishments to date.
§ What additional funding has this project received?
§ Have any funds been raised through local fundraising activities or events?
§ If there are any funds still remaining in the project budget, how will they be used?
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