Engage people in their meetings and attract new Friends to join them!
Recently Membership Development Granting Group found joy and fulfillment! Here’s how:
Anytime we disperse money we are joyful, glad that meetings are working toward growing. Grants included support for:
- South Jersey Quakers website:org
- Workshops for Friends on growing meetings
- Supporting many events, new signs, updated websites, and equipment for online and hybrid meeting for worship to bring attention and new attenders to meetings.
Support With the Grant Application:
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For questions, support, or more information, contact the Grantmaking Office of PYM at grants@pym.org.
People who participate in this granting group can learn and grow in this way:
- Get to know about and work with all the various meetings in PYM.
- Learn of and often participate in efforts to bring attention and new members to Quakerism
This granting group functions at its best when there are people serving on it who have these skills or experiences:
- Positive and energetic about increasing attendance at PYM monthly and quarterly meetings, with the object to ultimately increase membership.
- Interest in visiting other meetings, either on-site or by Zoom.
- An outgoing personality and able to meet others “where they are”.
- Time to communicate with grant recipients and “shepherd” the grant process.
- Knowledge of Quaker process and some administrative skills to be the clerk and work with PYM staff.
The realistic time commitment of members of this granting group includes:
- Meet quarterly by zoom. The date and time can be set to meet the needs of members
- Prepare to discuss applications by reading the documents ahead of the meeting.
- Discern through group emails when a request is received more than 30 days before the next scheduled meeting. Time needed for thought, discernment, and response may vary, but perhaps 1-2 hours each for an average of one request per month (not usually spread evenly through the year).
- Possibly contact the recipient meeting during the project, which could take a variable amount of time
- Members who are shepherds of a grant may or may not want or need to visit the applicant meeting
- Occasionally work on a project, such as drafting a document, outside of the actual meeting times.
Membership:
- Members of granting groups are appointed by the Granting Committee and must be a member of a PYM meeting or an at-large member of PYM.
- The Membership Development Granting Group ideally has eight to ten members and currenly needs four to six.
What We Do
The Membership Development Granting Group supports Monthly and Quarterly Meetings of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting in projects that:
- Enhance the visibility and outreach of Monthly Meetings in their communities.
- Attract new people to attend Meeting for Worship.
- Increase engagement of members and attendees in the Meeting community.
- Strengthen and increase membership in Monthly Meetings.
Provided is a list of recent grants to better understand the scope of projects that the Membership Development Granting Group has supported in the past.
Who We Are
Appointed by PYM Granting Committee.
Members
- Sarah Rose Ennis, Clerk, At-Large Member, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
- James Tracy, Providence Monthly Meeting
- Carter Nash, Granting Committee Liaison, Harrisburg Monthly Meeting
- Tom Peterson, Unami Monthly Meeting
For questions regarding your approved grant, please email pymmdgg@pym.org
How To Apply
The Membership Development Granting Group meets in January, March, June, and October for discernment. Please apply using our online grants portal at least two months before the start date of your project.
Purpose
Who Can Apply?
The Membership Development Support Fund is available to all Monthly and Quarterly Meetings of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting for projects that promote membership development.
Grant Size
Grants depend on demand for and availability of funds. Multi-year grants will be considered only in rare cases, and only when a major goal is reachable through clearly identified stages.
Eligible Project Goals
- Enhance the visibility and outreach of Monthly Meetings in their communities
- Attract new people to attend Meeting for Worship
- Increase engagement of members and attenders in the Meeting community
- Strengthen and increase membership in Monthly Meetings
Ineligible Projects
GRANTS WILL NOT BE MADE for projects that have already been completed.
Deadlines
March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1.
You can expect to hear a decision from the granting group within one month of the deadline. Please plan to apply at least two months before your project is due to begin.
Reports
Reports are due within one year of receiving the award. Grantees are expected to return grant money not used for the specified purpose at the time they report. Until a report is received, requests for new grants will not be considered.
Funds
The Membership Development Support Fund was established in 1997 to support projects designed to enhance the visibility and outreach of Monthly Meetings and to bring new members to the Religious Society of Friends. Grants today are made directly from a portion of the unrestricted bequests left each year to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and not from income on investments. These gifts are used to increase and strengthen membership, so that the Society of Friends will remain vital well beyond the donor’s lifetimes and our own.
