A workshop was held on Saturday May 7, and we returned to the questions we’ve held since 2020 about navigating the new normal of life through the ongoing pandemic. We highly recommend to readers the guidance on virtual gathering authored by Emily Provance, a Traveling Minister of New York Yearly Meeting. [Read more…] about Workshop on Gathering Virtually
Grants
Inviting Young Adult Voices into PYM’s Granting Ministry
Photo Above: top left to bottom right: Lucas Richie (staff), Meg Rose (staff), Sarah Ennis, Yelena Forrester, Afroza Hossain, Naomi Madaras, Liana Irvine, Jeremy Graf Evans, Hanae Togami, Afiya Johnson-Thornton
From 2020-2021, PYM staff organized a program to learn how to better engage and include young adults in PYM’s granting witness. During the year-long experimental program, eight Quakers aged 18-35 (YAFs) served on one of PYM’s granting groups and then provided feedback on their experience to PYM’s Granting Committee.
[Read more…] about Inviting Young Adult Voices into PYM’s Granting Ministry
Old Committee, New Name: The Quaker Fund for Indigenous Communities Granting Group
After a year-long discernment process, members of PYM’s Indian Committee, with approval from PYM’s Granting Committee and Administrative Council, have agreed upon a new name, the Quaker Fund for Indigenous Communities Granting Group. The granting group’s statement below has been shared with past members, past grant recipients, Quakers, and organizations with related missions:
Apply for a Travel & Witness Grant at the March 1 Deadline
The Travel and Witness Granting Group (TWGG) provides grants to support active service and witness by individuals following leadings of the Spirit.
The group has made fewer grants since March 2020 as a result of the pandemic’s impact on travel plans and gatherings. This decrease means that the group has more funds available for future grants, and therefore welcomes applications for creative ideas that involve connecting with other communities through travel or witness. [Read more…] about Apply for a Travel & Witness Grant at the March 1 Deadline
Shoemaker Fund Enables Monthly Meeting Tech Support Grants
Update: 2/2/2022: There has been a rapid response to the granting program for Monthly Meetings and all seven of the monthly meeting grants are now allocated. However the Membership Development Granting Group is currently accepting outreach project grant requests for up to $1000. To pursue this please complete the Membership Development Grant Application Form (.pdf).
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is inviting monthly meetings to apply for $1,000 grants for needed technology purchases and implementations to support outreach/in-reach goals, and virtual or hybrid meeting capacity-building.
There is no grant deadline. Eligible projects will be funded on a first-come-first-served basis according to when they are received. The application process for the grants is simple; meeting representatives should fill out the form at the end of this news story. Only one project per meeting will be funded. [Read more…] about Shoemaker Fund Enables Monthly Meeting Tech Support Grants
Grants for Quarterly Meetings – With Thanks to the Shoemaker Fund
Last fall, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting received a grant from the Thomas H. and Mary Williams Shoemaker Fund to support hybrid meetings and meeting outreach. A portion of the grant provides $13,000 as financial support to PYM’s quarterly meetings. Each of PYM’s 13 quarterly meetings is eligible to apply for a $1000 grant. Quarterly and monthly meetings do excellent work that taps into Friends’ talents and meetings’ needs, so it is a pleasure to be able to support them through this Shoemaker funding. [Read more…] about Grants for Quarterly Meetings – With Thanks to the Shoemaker Fund
Pastoral Care Resources for Individuals and Emergency Grants for Monthly Meetings
The Hurricane Ida Storm damaged meeting properties and placed many Friends in our PYM Community in precarious situations. While no injuries have been reported, many meetings sustained multiple tree losses, flooding, and significant building damage. A member of Plymouth Friends experienced damage to her home. Upper Dublin Meeting had many trees fall in their driveway and burial grounds, with estimated damages to the meetinghouse and property of $60,000. As of this date, many are involved in cleaning up in the areas devastated by the storm’s tornados and floods. [Read more…] about Pastoral Care Resources for Individuals and Emergency Grants for Monthly Meetings
Minute of Thanks from Millville Monthly Meeting
In March 2021, Millville Monthly Meeting received a grant from the Quaker Buildings & Programs granting group to address pressing issues with their historic meetinghouse. While not a requirement, grant recipients from time to time reach out to express their appreciation for support they have received. There are many difficult aspects of grantmaking, nothing more so than having to make hard decisions with limited funds available. Getting to celebrate successful projects like this one is a joy. PYM’s grantmaking is a community process; it’s PYM members that choose to serve on granting groups that enables PYM to continue to make grants on behalf of everyone in the yearly meeting. [Read more…] about Minute of Thanks from Millville Monthly Meeting
PYM Grants for Family Planning
PYM’s Natalie Clifford Barney Fund provides grants to organizations providing family planning, specifically planned parenthood and birth control. Over the course of winter 2021, members of the Quaker Buildings & Programs granting group met several times to discern an impactful use of the funds today.
Travel & Witness Grant Report: Quaker Travel in New Zealand
In 2019, PYM’s Travel and Witness granting group awarded Jan and John Schmidt, members of Raleigh Monthly Meeting, a grant for travel to Wellington, New Zealand. Jan and John would be staying there under the care of the Wellington Friends Meeting as Volunteer Resident Religious Worker (the official term for their status).
Travel and Witness’ international outreach funds are available to people engaged in promotion of international understanding, justice and peace through travel. Quakers within and outside of PYM may apply. Now in their second year in New Zealand, Jan and John joined Travel and Witness’ quarterly meeting in June 2021 to share their experience. The granting group recorder took wonderful minutes of Jan and John’s account, shared below.
[Read more…] about Travel & Witness Grant Report: Quaker Travel in New Zealand