Foundation announces second group of grant recipients

By Beth Yeakel, Director
Foundation Services

After attending an International Catholic Stewardship Council annual conference in San Francisco in late 2005, Foundation for the Diocese of Helena president Ron Johnson challenged the foundation’s board of trustees to begin a grants program with two goals in mind: 1) to provide funding for parishes or programs that did not have the resources to fund specific ministries or projects; and 2) to increase awareness and recognition of the foundation within the diocese.
In March 2006, the board of trustees endorsed the grants program and the first grants were awarded in December 2006. After the initial awards, the board decided to select grant recipients in March of each year to aid the parishes with their budget planning process.
The foundation’s grants policy encourages requests for special, non-recurring support, designed to benefit the Diocese of Helena Catholic community as a whole, its missions and rural parishes. Fifteen applications, requesting more than $57,000, were received in the foundation office. Applications were reviewed by the marketing and recognition committee. All applications had merit; however, the committee members were overwhelmed by the needs of our smaller, rural parishes and decided to place the focus of this grants cycle with those parishes.
Applications for grants that will be awarded in fiscal year 2009 will be accepted by the foundation office between Dec. 1, 2007, and Feb. 15, 2008. Please call or e-mail Beth Yeakel (1-800-584-8914 or 442-5820, ext. 36, or byeakel@diocesehelena.org) for guidelines and an application.

Foundation for the Diocese of Helena
FY 2008 Grant Recipients

Christ the King - Missoula, Campus Ministry, $3,000
Resurrection - Bozeman, Campus Ministry, $3,000
St. Bartholomew - WSS, Re-siding, $3,000
St. Ignatius - Jocko Mission, Repair of church structure, $3,000
St. Rose of Lima - Dillon, Replacement of ext. windows, $3,000
St. Jude - Lincoln, RE Building fund, $2,500
Little Flower - Browning, Ministry to children and youth, $2,000
St. Michael - Conrad, REACH youth retreat for Deanery, $2,000
St. Richard - Columbia Falls, Parish/Finance Council Training, $2,000
St. Charles Borromeo - Whitefish, Catechumenate Leadership Training, $1,500

Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 23, No. 8, August 17, 2007.