Young Adult Friends
of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Friends Institute

Instructions and Guidance to Applicants for Grants

Deadline: 1st of February, May, August, and November

The purpose of Friends Institute shall be to support and encourage young adult Friends, between the ages of 18 and 40, in ministry, service, witness and Quaker study. Friends Institute will sponsor activities and programs to provide opportunities for interaction between members of PYM and those forming a community of interest with them, for the purpose of strengthening the Religious Society of Friends. Its activities and programs shall have as a goal spiritual nurture and sharing which will encourage both inward and outward religious experience and service.

Funds are available for the following purposes:

Programs, events or activities which support and build the community of PYM young adult Friends, ages 18 to 40.

Maximum grant amount: $1,000**

• We especially encourage local and creative projects/events.

• We strongly favor projects where there is a significant contribution from other sources or the individual in the form of financial support or services in kind (such as volunteer hours, use of meeting facilities, etc.)

• We do not make multi-year commitments, preferring to make one-time only grants. However, programs may re-apply and may receive funding in more than one year. Priority is given to first time applicants.

• We support individuals and programs of Friends’ organizations active with the PYM area.
Individuals should be understood to mean persons 18-40 years of age, who are active members or attenders of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting constituent meetings.

• We offer grants of up to $1,000 to individuals with a well-thought-out program to develop a particular ministry or calling that has the potential to provide leadership within the Society of Friends. Projects can take the form of putting Quaker values into practice and in action or to apply Quaker perspective to a pressing social concern in the form of service projects.

• We do not provide scholarship money towards college education, nor for general religious study or solely for inward spiritual growth.

• We do not provide salaries or paid internships.

• We ask that Friends seek travel assistance first from other sources, including the Pemberton Grant: www.pym.org/pm/grants

**We occasionally consider grants for larger amounts, including scholarships for Quaker events or gatherings, sponsorship of specific programs as part of a larger event, or grants to fund a percentage of a program or gathering.

Requirements:

All grant applications should provide the following information:

1. Name, address, phone and email address of the individual applying for a grant

2. Purpose for which the grant is sought.

3. The amount of funds requested, and a breakdown of their intended use.

4. How your proposal relates to, or meets the needs/interests of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting young adult Friends.

5. Other funding sources that have been approached for the grant. Amount contributed, if any, from such sources.

6. Date by which you need the grant (awards are March, June, September, and December).

7. A minute of support from your Monthly Meeting, Quarterly Meeting or clearness committee/person familiar with your proposal.

8. Expected date of final report, with the understanding that it should be completed within a year or receiving the grant.

Download Friends Institute grant application guidelines  as a pdf document.

Please make your application clear, complete and concise; it should be no more than two typed pages in length. Submit via email to friendsinstitute@pym.org in MS-Word compatible or text format. If unable to submit electronically, hard copy may be mailed to:
Friends Institute
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
1515 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19102

Sadie Forsythe
Young Adult Friends Coordinator
www.pym.org/education/yaf

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
1515 Cherry St, Philadelphia, PA, 19102

215-241-7075 or 800-220-0796, Ext. 7075
Fax:215-241-7045
sadief@pym.org

Read more about a recent EarthQuaker project supported by the Friends Institute Granting Group.

2008 Awarded Grants:
• Beth E. $500 to travel to India with the India Friends Working Group.
• Tri-Quarter Gathering $500 towards scholarships to enable participation of young adult Friends.
• Emma C. was twice granted $500 (total $1,000) to support the EarthQuaker Bike Trip project – traveling by bike from Wallingford to Johnstown, PA, doing service along the way.
• Clarese D. $500 for travel expense to Israel & Palestine with Guilford College.
• Dan Z. $500 to participate in Quaker education events at Woodbrooke, Birmingham, UK, including Friends Association of Higher Education conference.
• Angelina C. $500 for Quaker Youth Book Project.
• Friends General Conference, $2000, in support of registration scholarships to enable participation of young adult Friends in their annual Gathering – this year in Johnstown, PA.
• Timothy E-H. $500 for living expenses while doing documentary photography in Uganda.