Outreach
Outreach & Benevolence Committee
Mission: To follow Christ into the needs of the world.
The Outreach Committee is responsible for wisely distributing the church’s yearly mission budget on behalf of the congregation and identifying creative ways to engage the congregation in hands-on mission work outside our walls.
Ministering as Christ’s body, we commit to serve those most vulnerable in our human family through the resources of our time, skills and wealth, supporting programs which relive suffering, restore hope and dignity and provide tools for the future.
The Mission budget for 2012 is $176,100 which is divided roughly evenly between Neighborhood, Urban, Global and Denominational giving. First Congregational Church currently supports 37 different not-for-profit organizations.
Registered 501-C organizations are invited to submit a completed “2012 Grant Application” to Outreach. The committee, which meets once a month, convenes in early fall and spends the first few months of the program year reviewing applications from both new and previously supported organizations (applications must be resubmitted annually and past support is not a guarantee of future funding). Funding decisions are made in January and letters outlining budget decisions are sent out by the end of February each year.
Some of the factors that we look at when making funding decisions include:
- Is this a 501-C organization?
- Is the organization in good fiscal health and a wise steward of its financial resources?
- Will our contribution making a meaningful difference in helping the organization fulfill its mission?
- Does the organization directly help those in need?
- Are there opportunities for our congregation to provide meaningful volunteer support involving church members of all ages?
- Does the organization have a religious affiliation?
- Is there an existing link to our congregation (are there church members who volunteer for or work at the organization)?
