Guidelines & Themes

1. Grants are made to Christ-centered organizations that share their faith in Jesus in word and deed with others throughout the world.
2. The Stewardship Foundation will consider grants to organizations which align with our current values and themes:

   Poverty:

   • We support organizations that alleviate urban and rural poverty with a local emphasis on homelessness.
   • We support organizations that alleviate urban and rural poverty in the developing world through community development including agriculture, economic, education, health, and water initiatives.

   Justice and Reconciliation:

   • We support organizations working on behalf of people suffering all forms of injustice, oppression and persecution, particularly racial and ethnic injustice.
   • We support organizations that promote civil dialogue, constructive bridge building, and restoration initiatives.

   Faith and Discipleship:

   • We support organizations whose work draws people closer to Christ.
   • We support efforts to nurture faith in Christ through genuine, faithful relationships.

   Children at Risk:

   • We support organizations that assist vulnerable children, protecting them from abuse and unfair treatment, helping them to develop and thrive as healthy human beings.

   Leadership:

   • We support organizations that are addressing the realities of a rapidly changing, more diverse world, which calls for the continuing development of established leaders, and providing wider access to leadership for emerging leaders, sometimes through non-traditional pathways and from historically under-represented groups.

   Additional Clarification:
   Two groups are the focus of our intentions and efforts, Established leaders and Emerging leaders. In both cases, we strive to reflect and lift up our values which include Christian commitment, stewardship, listening, mutuality, complexity, the equality of women, advocacy for justice and reconciliation, and inclusivity. Proposals under this theme should specifically identify the focus of your efforts: Established leaders, Emerging leaders, or both.

   Developing Established Leaders
   We support efforts to make existing leaders better. To develop adaptive leaders, not only in such areas as spirituality, change management, innovation, complexity, and collaboration, but also leaders who will promote and advance issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We place a high importance on initiatives that build into existing leaders the capacity to identify and develop prospective, emerging leaders through non-traditional channels and/or programs; emerging leaders who might otherwise be overlooked.

   Developing Emerging Leaders
   We support the promotion and development of prospective leaders. The emphasis will be on programs and priorities creating more access and equipping future leaders who might otherwise be overlooked, especially women and people from historically under-represented groups. We value attention to and development in such areas as equity, diversity, complexity, change and innovation.

3. New grants are generally made in support of programs and projects. Only organizations with a prior funding relationship  are eligible for unrestricted funding and capital project grants.
4. Grants are made to non-denominational parachurch organizations.
5. Domestically, grants are made to (1) local agencies serving Pierce, King and Kitsap counties; and (2) those having a national impact.
6. Internationally, grants are made in Africa, Asia, Europe/Eurasia, Latin America & the Middle East.
7. Grants are generally limited to 10% of total operating revenue.
8. Grants are generally for one year’s duration. Multiple year requests are considered upon proposal review.
9. Grants are accepted only from U.S. charitable organizations ruled to be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, and not a private foundation as defined in Section 509(a) of the Code.
10. Organizations applying for program funding must practice full control of donated funds, discretion over their use and evaluation of their program’s effectiveness.
11. Organizations are eligible to apply once per year.

At this time the Foundation does not fund:

• Individuals for scholarships or fellowships
• Conduit Fundraising participation
• Endowments
• Debt reduction
• Emergency Disaster Relief
• Missionary sending
• Lobbying or influencing elections or legislation
• Camps
• Audio, video or literature production and distribution
• Media organizations including production and airtime