There is still time for congregations, dioceses, organizations, institutions and others to apply for the Episcopal Church Constable Fund Grants for the 2012-2013 grant cycle.

Anne Watkins, Executive Council member from the Diocese of Connecticut and current chair of the Constable Fund Grant Review Committee, noted that the deadline for applications is January 2013, “and that’s really right around the corner.”

The Constable Fund provides grants to fund mission initiatives that were not provided for within the budget of the Episcopal Church General Convention/Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS).

Specific guidelines, suggestions, application form and timetable are available here or http://generalconvention.org/ec

Recently, the Episcopal Church Constable Fund Grant Review Committee announced a new cycle and process for Constable Fund Grants.  A Constable Grant Management task force was constituted by the Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Governance and Mission (EC-GAM) which made subsequent recommendations resulting in the establishment of the Executive Council Constable Fund Grant Review Committee.  That committee was charged with promoting the fund and widening its access to more of the Church.

As stated in the guidelines: “All applications for the 2013 cycle will come from either (1) a programmatic office of the DFMS, (2) one of the General Convention CCABs, (committee commission agency or board) or (3) one of the Provinces of the Episcopal Church.  A maximum of one proposal per programmatic office of the DFMS, one proposal per CCAB, and one proposal per Province, will be considered.  Dioceses or individuals within a diocese should submit their proposals through their Provincial structure with final submission coming through the recommendation of the Provincial Synod, Provincial Officers or Executive Committee, or other corollary structure within the Province.”

[Article published October 11, 2012 by the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs]