New Grant Writing Resource

Jun 23, 2021 | UA News

For many nonprofits, grants offer an important source of funding. On the surface they may seem like an easy way to secure funding. The reality is that grant requests take time and intentionally. Over the last few years, a number of Urban Alliance network leaders have requested training and resources to equip them to write grants.

In response, Urban Alliance recently offered the training, “Grant Writing Basics: Drafting a Strong Proposal, Securing Funds” and developed printed materials to support people through the grant writing process. This training offered grant writing best-practices, practical consideration and strategies for finding and building relationships with funders.

Pastor Esther Mwangi from International Gospel Fellowship was among those who attended the training. She was able to put what she learned to practice and recently received word that she was awarded a grant from the Hartford Foundation of Public giving for $7,000 towards a series of workshops aimed at improving mental and emotional health. We celebrate with Pastor Esther and are excited to see people impacted through her church’s effort!

Check out our new Grant Writing Resource

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The staff at Urban Alliance are familiar with Pastor Frank because he is a regular attendee to many of the trainings Urban Alliance provides on subjects like domestic violence, addressing childhood trauma, and better counseling techniques. “That’s been so valuable to me to be able to bring that back, not only in my counseling but also in my teaching and preaching ministries, “ shared Termine.

Pastor Frank was also one of the original members of the Micah group, a group of pastors that meets at Urban Alliance to discuss and strategize about challenging issues that face the church today. One of those earlier discussions on justice, incarceration, and returning citizens was particularly memorable. “We all lamented the fact that these men and women were coming out of prison into our churches and just kind of being thrown there,” said Termine, “We could do better than this.” That discussion planted the seeds that eventually led to the creation of Second Chance Churches – an opportunity for churches to provide support and mentoring to returning citizens that continues today.

When we asked Pastor Frank what he would say to another church that was unaware of Urban Alliance, he said, “If you are looking to get out in the community and make a difference in the community, Urban Alliance is a super way to do it. We’re a small church … we can’t do everything. Urban Alliance is a pathway to get our people involved in ministries that are already doing it, doing it well, and just need extra volunteers.”

Pastor Frank Termine’s story embodies many things we are trying to accomplish at Urban Alliance: supporting organizations in the communities they serve with training, resources, and opportunities to make a difference. Pastors and non-profit leaders face a wide range of challenges and, therefore, need a wide range of help and resources. Your support can help turn stories of struggle into stories like you find at Calvary Church.

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