The Louisville Institute

General Grant

The Louisville Institute’s General Grant Program supports a limited number of individual and collaborative projects undertaken by pastors, academics, and religious institutions. Such grants, for example, have covered the costs of convening discussion groups of pastoral leaders and academics while others have enabled an academic to pursue (sometimes with pastoral colleagues) a research project of particular interest to the church.

Pastoral leaders in parish and other settings are encouraged to consider applying for a General Grant in support of collaborative research and writing projects, peer groups, and other projects, using the proposal procedures described below. Individual research and writing projects are primarily funded through one of the Louisville Institute's competitive grant programs. Among the many possibilities relating to pastoral leadership, Christian faith and life, and religious institutions, we mention the following to suggest the range of potential projects:

Collaborative research and writing projects focused on pastoral life and practice and issues in pastoral leadership development. For example, a pastor may propose a project on spirituality and preaching that explores the integration of spiritual and vocational formation and effective preaching.

Peer groups, collaborative projects, and consultations. For example, an ecumenical group of clergy may seek support for peer study groups, providing resources for books, retreats, facilitators, etc. Another group might collaborate on a research or writing project or gather around an issue of significance in pastoral life.

The ultimate intent of all Louisville Institute grantmaking is the same—to bring together academics, pastors, and other religious leaders on behalf of the revitalization of North American Christians and their churches. By means of these grants, the Institute seeks to encourage both pastors and academics to renew their vocational commitments and to pursue the distinctive kinds of research, writing, convening, and collaboration that promise to be most helpful to the church.

If you have a project that you think would be appropriate for the General Grant program, please prepare and submit your proposal according to the following procedures. Use the description of the nature and purpose of the program to help you decide which program is best for you. Keep in mind that you may only apply to one program during a given grant year (June 1-May 31).

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

GENERAL GRANT PROGRAM: PRELIMINARY LETTER OF INQUIRY

If your request fits within the guidelines of the General Grant Program, you must first send the Louisville Institute a 1-2 page letter of inquiry, in which you describe your project and the amount of support you are requesting. This letter may be submitted by email to info@louisville-institute.org. It should be submitted at least four weeks prior to the final proposal due date, as described in the section below on Selection Procedure. Institute staff will review the letter and will respond to it in writing after determining whether or not to permit submission of a full proposal for consideration by the Louisville Institute Board of Directors. Proposal applications submitted (either online or in hard copy format) without first sending this letter of inquiry will not be considered.

GENERAL GRANT PROGRAM: PROPOSAL

When Louisville Institute staff determine that the proposed project described in the letter of inquiry warrants further consideration, we will request in writing a formal proposal. A complete proposal includes the following items:

1. an Applicant Information and Project Summary form, 
2. an essay of approximately 5 to 10 pages (double-spaced and typed in a 12 point font, 2500 word limit) that describes the proposed project, and
3. a detailed budget.

The Applicant Information and Project Summary Form and a Guide for Budget Preparation may be downloaded from this web site.

1) The Applicant Information and Project Summary form includes:

• the individual and/or organization name, address, and phone number,

• the dollar amount requested,

• the time period to be covered by the grant, and

• a brief description of the project in one paragraph of approximately 200 words (the summary).

2) The proposal essay should:

• identify an issue of importance in American religious life, related to the priorities of the Louisville Institute, that this project will address,

• pose the major questions that will guide your approach to that issue,

• describe your approach to the issue, including the various activities you plan to undertake (research to pursue, meetings to hold, dissemination strategies to develop, evaluation to complete, and so forth), and

• explain the broader significance of your study or project to American religious life.

3) A detailed budget should list all projected expenditures (personnel, travel, etc.) for each year of the project and for the entire grant period. Please provide totals both by calendar year and by line item. In an attached budget narrative, please explain each line item.  The Louisville Institute allows up to 10 percent indirect costs based on the total direct costs of the project. A document entitled, Guide for Budget Preparation is available on this web site.

Please note that the Louisville Institute does not make grants for basic operational support or educational expenses in connection with a degree program, except for our Dissertation Fellowship Program.

Please submit one copy of the complete proposal, using paper clips, without the use of staples and mail to the office of the Louisville Institute by the appropriate deadline. These materials, except for the Applicant Information and Project Summary Form (if submitted online) should be assembled in the order listed above.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The Board of Directors meets three times per year (April, August, and December) to evaluate proposals for General Grants from the Louisville Institute. Final versions of proposals to be considered by the Board should be postmarked no later than the first day of the month preceding the Board meeting in question. (For example, if the Board is scheduled to meet on April 15 of a given year, the complete proposal materials should be postmarked no later than March 1. For appropriate consideration, the 1-2 page letter of inquiry, should be submitted to info@louisville-institute.org at least four weeks prior to the March 1, July 1 or November 1 due dates.) All applicants receive prompt written notification of the Board's decision.

In making grant decisions, preference will be given to proposals that creatively brings together the wisdom of the church and the wisdom of the academy on behalf of American Christians and their churches. Consequently, we are particularly eager to fund projects that propose genuine collaboration between pastors and academics.

Please note that Louisville Institute grantees may not simultaneously hold two grants from Lilly Endowment-funded organizations that total more than $45,000.