Strategic National Grant Program

I. Background

As part of the Review and Renewal of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the Bishops authorized a new way to carry out CCHD's mission "to bring good news to the poor, liberty to captives and new sight to the blind".

In the Review and Renewal, CCHD committed itself to:

"… establish[ing] CCHD Strategic National Grants, setting aside a portion of CCHD resources for strategic grants focused on particular needs, issues or priorities. The amount and priorities will be determined by the Bishops' Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. In keeping with CCHD's mission, applications will focus on strategies for fighting the root causes of poverty in the United States. In keeping with the idea of a "strategic" program and CCHD's Catholic identity, applications will receive higher consideration if they:

1. propose innovative and promising strategies for helping the poor help themselves;
2. clearly embody one or more of the USCCB priorities (human life and dignity, strengthening marriage and the family, cultural diversity, etc.);
3. focus on neglected dimensions of overcoming poverty (e.g. responsible fatherhood, family life, etc.);
4. anticipate coming problems (e.g. the recent foreclosure crisis); or
5. focus on urgent national strategic emphases (to be established on a year-to-year basis by the CCHD Subcommittee, based on input from key CCHD partners and a survey of the U.S. Catholic Bishops on priorities for overcoming poverty)."

Furthermore:

"iii. These grants are not local, but can be regional or national. A group of dioceses can work together to develop a proposal. Proposals are to be consistent with CCHD mission (overcoming root causes of poverty) and reflect CCHD foundations (Catholic teaching, participation, non-partisanship, etc.). These grants are focused on particular situations or issues where broader, strategic, innovative and focused action is needed. The elements and criteria for this new initiative will be developed in 2011 and applications will be encouraged beginning in 2012."

II. Moving Forward

In the last year, the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has sought to carry out the commitment by reviewing its purpose, refining criteria, discussing potential for priority funding and setting parameters and guidelines.

A. Resources

Each year the CCHD Subcommittee will set aside a portion of CCHD's resources from the annual collection, other gifts and resources to support the national strategic grant program.

B. Priority

The grants will reflect efforts to advance established USCCB/CCHD priorities.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has among its priorities:

• defending the life and dignity of the human person
• strengthening and defending marriage
• promotion of cultural diversity in the church

CCHD supports those goals by advancing:

• The mission of Jesus to "bring good news to poor, liberty to captives, new sight to blind and set the downtrodden free…"
• Priority for the poor: low-income focus and participation in decision-making
• Subsidiarity: focus on local communities, empowering/giving voice to/building capacity of those closest to problems
• Solidarity: building bridges between poor and non-poor, building community concerned for the common good
• Justice/Institutional Change: focus on causes—"charity begins with justice… pursu[ing] the institutional path" (Caritas in Veritate).

C. Types of Grants

There will be two kinds of strategic national grants:

• grants that will address on USCCB priorities
• grants that fund proposals that work on a major priority linked to USCCB/CCHD priorities and developed by local, regional or national groups.

D. Assessment

Each grant will include outcomes that are defined, measurable, assess impact and are replicable (i.e. lessons can be shared with others).

E. Strategic Scope and Focus

Grants will focus on aspects of poverty that have been neglected, misunderstood or have regional and/or national dimensions in order to make significant impact on reducing poverty. These grants should anticipate, look forward and bring new energy or urgency to factors which contribute to poverty on a substantial scale.

F. Duration

Each grant will be for an amount between $250,000.00 and 500,000.00 and is eligible for annual renewal for a period not to exceed five years for a total not to exceed $2.5 million.

G. Process

CCHD staff and consultants will solicit and review grant proposals and interview prospective grantees. A docket of candidates will be presented to the CCHD Subcommittee for approval. Upon approval, the successful grantees will be notified and grant agreement will be negotiated.

III. Plan

A. Focus

For the first round of national strategic grants the Subcommittee has chosen to focus on the crucial links and impacts connecting family life and structure and poverty. Specifically, the Subcommittee wishes to address how poverty impacts families and how family factors contribute to poverty.

There is an unfortunate, unnecessary and unhelpful polarization in discussions about poverty. Some focus primarily on economic factors—unemployment, low wages, lack of opportunity, discrimination, etc. Others focus primarily on family factors—marriage, education, absence of fathers, teenage pregnancy, etc.

The Catholic Church's experience and the realities of life and low-income communities reflect the fact that both economic and family factors contribute to poverty and both factors need to be addresses to overcome poverty.

CCHD is looking for organizations, ideas, proposals, and activities that address and overcome the gulf between economic and family factors.

B. Priority and Strategy

CCHD wishes to address factors that increase poverty among families, including:

• Lack of responsible fatherhood among men
• Instability of marriages among expectant families
• Environmental conditions forfamilies in low-income communities
• Economic pressures on expectant families
• Re-entry of ex-offenders and their families and encouraging family integration
• Lack of parental involvement in public education
• Policies that harm families and contribute to poverty
• Youth gangs and lack of community initiatives that reduce crime and violence among youth
• Sponsoring initiatives to maintain family among those at risk of deportation

IV. Successful Grantees

A. Grantee Requirement

For consideration for a Strategic National Grant, organizations must:

• be an institution or group of organizations with strong ties to the Catholic community and adhere to the same guidelines and legal requirements of current CCHD community development and economic development grants
• establish means for participatory and just social structures and/or redistribution of decision-making powers
• demonstrate the intention and the capacity to effectively employ the pastoral priorities toward the elimination of the root causes of poverty and to enact institutional change
• agree to education and formation on the USCCB pastoral priorities and how they respond to the threats of poverty and its effects on families
• demonstrate a strategic and broad long-range plan for reducing poverty

B. Collaboration

• where possible, agree to work with existing USCCB structures/ departments and local Catholic conferences
• work with broader communities to address social and economic conditions threatening the sustainability of families and the dignity of the human person
• demonstrate ongoing leadership development and increasing the skills of low-income persons and their understanding of the pastoral priorities

C. Financial Stability

Applicants should demonstrate a clear vision for the development of financial capacity. This may include membership dues, grassroots fundraising, foundation, corporate support, and/or other fundraising strategies. They must demonstrate means and plans to leverage CCHD grant funding.

Proposals accepted on a rolling basis.  To be considered during the June 2013 evaluation period, proposals must be received by March 31, 2013.

Please send letters of inquiry about the Strategic National Grant and proposals to:

Ralph McCloud, Director
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
3211 4th Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017