Title: ELCA Awards First 'In the City for Good' Grants
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

June 4, 1999

ELCA AWARDS FIRST 'IN THE CITY FOR GOOD' GRANTS
99-149-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) has awarded $347,179 in grants to new urban ministry initiatives
illustrating a potential for transforming lives, congregations and
communities in U.S. cities.  The "In the City for Good" fund team
selected 23 projects from more than 140 proposals it received in the
program's first year.  The size of the grants ranged from $1,000 to
$30,000.
     "This is a good start," said the Rev. Richard A. Magnus, executive
director of the ELCA Division for Outreach.  The fund team has learned
much in the first year and will improve the process for future years, he
said.
     The fund team has developed new criteria and guidelines for 2000.
Applications for those grants will become available July 1.  New
proposals will be sent to the ELCA's 65 synod offices across the United
States and Caribbean by Jan. 15, 2000.  Synods will evaluate and rank
the proposals for recommendation to the Division for Outreach.
     The urban team intends to work with those whose innovative
proposals were not funded so those projects might be funded in the
future, said the Rev. Warren A. Sorteberg, ELCA executive for
congregational outreach services, Division for Outreach.
     "It was encouraging to hear of the many different approaches to
urban challenges.  There is a lot of creative energy focused on reaching
people and serving needs in our church," said Sorteberg.  In the City
for Good grants are for one year as seed money for projects that can be
sustained beyond the period of the grant.
     "More than $3.5 million was requested in the proposals," said
Sorteberg.  "It is an indication of the needs that exist in our urban
areas and the wide variety of ministry initiatives by our
congregations."
     Sorteberg said $500,000 was available for distribution this year,
and $153,000 was not spent.  That amount will be added to what is
available next year for projects that meet the criteria with innovative
and transforming potential.  The team plans to distribute $500,000 each
year through 2008.  If resources remain available, the grants may be
awarded after 2008, he said.
     The fund was created with money from several sources, including an
initial $1 million grant from the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation.
Lutheran Brotherhood is a member-owned fraternal benefit society based
in Minneapolis.
     Grants were awarded to projects in Fresno, Los Angeles and
Oakland, Calif.; Coral Gables, Fla.; Chicago, Ill.; East Boston, Mass.;
Detroit and Muskegon, Mich.; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; Omaha,
Neb.; Bronx and Buffalo, N.Y.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Dallas and Houston,
Texas; Wheeling, W.Va.; and Milwaukee, Wis.
     Funded projects fit several categories, such as community
development, strategic planning for mission, training for leadership,
and outreach to ethnic communities and strengthening of ethnic
ministries.  They exhibited potential for transforming people's lives
and congregations and for transforming communities into desirable places
to live, work and worship.
     The division has planned a series of convocations to help
Lutherans discuss what it may take to transform lives, congregations and
communities in urban settings and mobilize for action.  Convocations are
planned for Sept. 11 in Chicago, Sept. 18 in Detroit and Oct. 23 in
Reading, Pa.


For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html