Grand Canyon Synod Grants application deadline Sept. 25
The Grand Canyon Synod grant application window closes no later than midnight on Friday, September 25, 2026. Funds support specific new or continuing projects that advance one to three goals in the GCS Strategic Plan. Awards are up to $15,000 per project, with a total of approximately $175,000 available this fall. Priority is given to innovative, strategic-plan-aligned, and collaborative proposals—especially those partnering with another ELCA ministry. Apply and find details: gcsynod.org/grants
Key dates
Application window: August 24 – Sept. 25, 2026 (midnight)
Grants Webinar/Q&A: August 25 at 4:30 pm AZ (Register for the August 25 Grant Webinar/Q&A here)
Committee review due: Nov. 13, 2026
Final review (Bishop, VP, Treasurer): Nov. 19, 2026
Council approvals: Jan. 23, 2027
Applicant notifications: week of Jan. 25, 2027
Funding begins: Feb. 2027 (one-time) or Feb/May/Aug/Nov 2027 (quarterly)
Eligibility
An applicant for this grant must be an organized congregation, a Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community (SAWC), or a Strategic Ministry of the Grand Canyon Synod, or an organization or institution in good standing with the ELCA or the Grand Canyon Synod.
Allowable uses (examples)
Educational and marketing materials; essential capital equipment (e.g., laptops); scholarships for ELCA youth camps/gatherings; essential furnishings; worship materials/musician support; short-term consultant stipends; ELCA-sponsored travel (youth gatherings, Global Mission partnerships, Churchwide Assembly); food-pantry-related building repair.
Not allowable
Salaries; ongoing operating costs (benefits, rent, insurance, utilities); unrelated capital equipment; licensing for health/food pantry services; recreational/social activities; travel for individual member interests; vehicle purchase/payments/mileage.
What to prepare
Complete the 2027 GCS Grant Application (Word or PDF; name file: gcsgrant_organizationname_2027).
Attach a Statement of Financial Position (balance sheet).
If applying as a congregation, include last year’s or current Mission Support amount to the GCS.
Plan for project evaluation, sustainability after 2027, and (if continuing) a brief summary of outcomes to date.
Applicants are expected to attend the online Grants Webinar in September 2026 or view the recording before submitting (Register for the August 25 Grant Webinar/Q&A here).
How to submit
Submit electronically no later than midnight on September 25, 2026:
Email attachment to office@gcsynod.org, or
Through the online grants system at gcsynod.org/grants.
No late submissions can be accepted.
Why this matters (our Lutheran lens)
These grants are one way our synod stewards shared gifts—bequests, congregational tithes from bequests, proceeds from closed congregations, West Valley Lutheran Thrift Shop grants, and other unrestricted gifts—so congregations and ministries can Communicate Jesus, Connect People, and Create Possibilities in their communities. Together we accompany one another in innovative, faithful witness across Arizona, southern Nevada, St. George, and the Navajo Nation.
Questions?
Contact Theresa Thornburgh in the Office of the Bishop at office@gcsynod.org or 602-957-3223.
Apply & details: gcsynod.org/grants