June 28: Federal Grants

Pray 

Pray that religious organizations may receive just and reliable federal grants that assist all people of good will in responding to the needs of our neighbors.  

Reflect 

The Trump administration has shown signs of a desire to work with religious groups to promote the common good. At the same time, some of the administration’s priorities have put religious organizations in a difficult position. The administration made an unexplained decision to suspend funding for federal refugee assistance programs, which led the USCCB to file a lawsuit against the government and ultimately to end its refugee resettlement program. The Department of Homeland Security issued new terms and conditions for their grants, which states that grant recipients must cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, cannot serve undocumented immigrants, and cannot operate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. These terms and conditions could mean that a church that operates a food pantry would not be eligible for disaster relief grants from FEMA if some of the needy people who received food from the ministry were undocumented.  

Of particular concern is how these terms and conditions apply to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which provides funding for houses of worship and religious schools to increase the security on their physical plants. When a church, school, or faith-based program seeks to work with the government, it is depending on a certain level of reliability and transparency. The changes that have been made with some grant programs thus far have been poorly communicated and seemingly ad hoc, with little explanation offered for the rationale behind the changes. If this problem persists, it will prove to be a threat to the ability of the faith-based organizations to partner with the government to promote the common good. 

Act 

Religious charities and social service providers have had their capacity to serve vulnerable communities severely reduced by the loss of government funds. Even if new funding opportunities arise, there is a strong possibility that faith-based organizations will be reluctant to partner with the federal government because of the unreliability of these funds. Learn more about the work of Catholic Relief Services or your local Catholic Charities, and consider how you might support these institutions with gifts of time and treasure.