All Souls / Beckner Advancement Fund
2015 Guidelines for Internal Grants
Background
All Souls Church, Unitarian has a long history of working for social justice and fighting
against oppression of all kinds. Our proud tradition of public witness here in the
nation’s capital dates back to standing against slavery and continues to this day. For
almost two centuries, the congregation has worked to make our city, our nation, and
our world more just and compassionate.
All Souls members Earl and Meta Beckner endowed the Beckner Fund in 1973. The
Deed of Gift states their desire to “make the Church and surrounding community more
cohesive, attractive, and forward-looking; foster human rights and dignity; and enhance
the influence of All Souls Church in the Washington metropolitan area.”
Goals
Grounded in commitment to social-change philanthropy, the Beckner Fund distributes
about $70,000 each year to support efforts that advance the church’s social justice
mission. External grants support DC organizations with significant presence in Ward 1,
where All Souls is located. Internal grants fund the church’s own social justice activities.
Funding priorities for All Souls committees include projects and activities that further
our goals by:
 Supporting the social justice focus of All Souls Church,
 Educating the congregation,
 Helping draw people of all ages and backgrounds to All Souls Church,
 Building the advocacy and activism skills of our congregation, and
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
Addressing the church’s current social justice priorities, as follows:
o Safe, affordable housing
o Environmental justice
o Peace and reconciliation
o Immigration
o Voting rights
The Beckner Fund Committee, made up of All Souls Church members and coordinated
by an appointed member of All Souls’ staff, manages the Fund.
Eligibility
All Souls committees requesting funds must demonstrate the necessary internal
leadership to complete proposed projects, as evidenced, for example, by past successful
initiatives. New activities or programs should provide a sound, achievable
implementation plan. All applications must explicitly describe how the project
addresses a particular social justice issue of importance to the congregation (e.g.,
tensions caused by gentrification).
The Fund will not consider requests to fund:

General operating expenses of the Church

Reimbursement for expenditures already made
Funding Considerations
The Committee prefers to make one-year internal grants of $500-$5,000 to fund new
initiatives or project components that build capacity of existing programs. However, the
Fund will consider smaller or larger amounts, as well as requests to support ongoing
activities, on a case-by-case basis.
How to Apply
Previous applicants should note that this is a revised process.
Timeline
Please plan ahead. The Committee accepts internal applications on a rolling basis;
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however, the Fund frequently awards all available grant funds prior to the end of the
calendar year.
In general, the Committee attempts to make funding decisions within one month of
receipt of internal applications. However, as the committee is composed of volunteers,
immediate consideration is not always feasible. Many applications also warrant followup for clarification prior to final decisions.
Please note: The Fund’s external grant season runs from December through early April.
During this time, the committee is extremely busy. Except in unforeseen cases of a timesensitive nature, the Fund will hold internal applications received during this time for
consideration in May.
Proposal Components
Applications must include the three sections listed below:
1. Cover Sheet (attached)
2. Narrative
Narratives must be typed, double-spaced, with at least 12-point font, and must include
the following:
1. Committee overview (up to 250 words)
a. Committee background and goal(s)
b. Committee structure and leadership
c. Any current programs or activities
d. Any past programs or activities that give context to the current application
2. Building Beloved Community (up to 500 words)
To build the Beloved Community, All Souls Church cultivates and celebrates…
…spiritual growth and transformation as we question, learn from others,
and seek lives of meaning and reverence.
…a welcoming, diverse, and vibrant community where we love, respect,
and care for one another.
…service and prophetic action to move the world toward justice, healing,
and sustainability.
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a. Describe your committee’s vision for this project as it relates to building
the Beloved Community.
b. How did the concept for this project arise? As you design it, how are you
actively engaging the specific individuals, communities, or groups –
internal to the Church and/or in the broader community – who you
expect to be most affected by your work?
c. How will this project engage and/or educate the broader Church
congregation?
d. Which social justice priority area(s) does this project address? Be specific
about the project’s impact on the area(s) identified on the Cover Sheet.
3. Project description (300 words maximum)
a. State the overall purpose of the project within the vision described above.
b. Define the project’s specific, measurable objectives.
c. Explain how project activities will achieve those objectives.
d. If the request is for part of a larger project, describe how it fits among
other project components.
4. Implementation plan (250 words maximum)
a. Provide a timeline for project activities.
b. Identify key leadership roles, the individuals assuming those roles, and
any relevant skills or experience they possess.
c. For projects proposed as collaborations with other All Souls committees,
outline the roles and responsibilities of each.
5. For collaborations with external organizations, please provide the below
information. (150 words maximum)
a. The organization’s name, mission, and contact information
b. The group’s physical location and membership or target population
c. Description of any prior relationship between the group and the Church
d. Current connections between the organization and Church members or
committees
3. Budget
Please provide a detailed project budget that includes:
1. Total cost of the project
2. Itemized expenses and rationale (e.g., 20 books @ $15 = $300)
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3. If this request does not represent the total cost of the project, list sources and
amounts of other funds secured or requested to cover the balance. For pending
funds, include the date you expect to receive notification.
4. If this project is part of a larger program or effort, provide the complete budget
(revenues and expenses) and indicate the line items included in this request.
Please submit applications by email to Consulting Program Minister Rev. Patrice K.
Curtis at pcurtis@allsouls.ws. The Fund will not review proposals that are hand-written
or submitted in hard copy.
For each grant request approved, the Committee will receive an award letter stating the
amount of the grant, the period for which the funds are available, and any special
conditions under which the award is made.
Contact Information
Please first review this document and the website (www.all-souls.org/beckner). If you have
further questions, please contact Rev. Patrice K Curtis, Consulting Program Minister.
All Souls/Beckner Advancement Fund
1500 Harvard Street NW
Washington DC 20009
pcurtis@allsouls.ws
Phone: 202.517.1462
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All Souls / Beckner Advancement Fund
2015 Internal Grant Application Cover Sheet
All Souls committees requesting funds must submit this cover sheet, a project narrative,
and budget as outlined in the attached guidelines.
All Souls Committee Name: Click here to enter name.
Contact Person: Click here to enter name.
Email: Click here to enter email. Phone: Click here to enter phone.
Mailing Address: Click here to enter address.
Amount Requested: $Click here to enter amount. Project Budget: $Click here to enter
budget.
Which of the Church’s social justice priority area(s) does this project address? Check all
that apply.
☐ Safe, affordable housing
☐ Environmental justice
☐Peace and reconciliation
☐Voting rights
☐ Immigration
Project Title: Click here to enter title.
Project Summary:
Type response here. Do not exceed allocated space.
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Date funds are needed: Click here to enter date. Date by which funds will be expended:
Click here to enter date.
This request has the approval and support of the above-named All Souls committee and
will be carried out in conformity with the criteria and requirements for use of All
Souls/Beckner Advancement Funds.
Signature: _____________________________________________ Date: ________________
Printed Name: ________________________________________________________________
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