Grant Guidelines
The Smock Foundation provides grants to Indiana Presbyterian Church (USA) members and churches. Grants are given to individuals in need, to churches for improvement facilities, to churches for Deacon funds and for programs that will improve the lives of elderly Indiana Presbyterians, including senior adult ministry programs.
The Smock Foundation Board of Directors meets monthly to review grant applications, usually the second Monday of the month. To assure review, applications should be submitted by the first of the month.
For Churches
Smock Deacon Fund Guidelines
These grants are specific to Indiana Presbyterian Church (USA) churches. The Smock Foundation Board of Directors believes that churches have the best knowledge of their members’ individual needs. Smock Deacon funds allow churches to help meet these needs in a confidential and sensitive manner.
Funds are to be used to assist Presbyterian church members who require assistance for such things as emergency medical bills, prescriptions, utilities, rent, home and auto maintenance. These funds are intended for church members, other congregants, or staff. They are not to be used for community outreach programs that the church may offer, or for those outside the church requesting assistance.
Smock Deacon Fund applications require prior session approval. Requests should also include a breakdown of the church’s membership, including church demographics and church budget. There is no time limit on requests for Smock Deacon funds. When a church depletes its fund, it needs only to apply again, accompanied with a report of how the previous funds were used. A disbursement of funds form will be supplied with these grants. Reports do not need to include the names of those receiving the funds; initials or an ID number will suffice.
For Churches
Church Facility Improvements Guidelines
These grants are specific to Indiana Presbyterian Church (USA) churches for facility improvements to make the building, grounds and church equipment more accessible to all members of the church and community, especially seniors. The application must include at least one, and preferably two, contractor bids for the scope of the project, if possible.
The application must also include information about how the church and congregation are able to make a financial commitment to the project. Facility grants are generally capped at $25,000 per request.
The church's current financial statement and budget must be included with the application.
For Individuals
Individual Church Members
These grants are specific to Indiana Presbyterian church members who need financial assistance for approved independent-living home care or for assisted-living and nursing-care facilities. The grants can also provide assistance for living-expense bills and unpaid balances for living expense and medical bills. These grants provide assistance until other funding sources can be secured. The application form for these grants requires some personal financial information.
For Churches
Senior-Adult and Cluster Ministry Programs
These grants are for multiple Presbyterian Church (USA) churches to covenant together to develop and implement a shared senior-adult ministry program. Each partnering church must submit a request in writing that indicates the commitment to and purpose of the grant request. The request must be signed by the pastor/moderator of each church represented in the collaborative ministry. These may be multi-year programs but will be funded on a one-year basis. At the conclusion of the first year of the funded program, the participating churches must provide a summary showing specifics of the programs including, but not limited to, the
number and demographics of people who participated, specifics about kind of programs presented, if pastoral care was included, if outings were included and any other relevant program activity. Program grant requests for individual churches will also be considered.
Applications for cluster or individual church programs must include specific vision, mission, and programming goals as well as an operating budget. Senior ministry programs do not have a specific annual cap but are generally limited to $25,000/year.