Blog Posts, Articles & Announcements

Category: General

By this time, even those of us living in relatively remote areas know of the conflicts and crises around the world. The war in Ukraine has set off a cascade of events that is now reaching thousands of miles beyond that part of Europe. It is leading not only to the tragic death of thousands, it has also caused energy shortages and food insecurity around the world.

One of many lessons to take away from all that has happened is how very connected we have become on this little floating planet we call Earth. The doctrine of the Body of Christ, and our abiding connectedness to each other, shines through even more clearly at a time like this!

One other effect of this cascade has been the triggering of investment and financial crises around the world, too. In the United States alone, the stock markets have not seen a drop in value like this in over 50 years!

HOWEVER, just because foundations and other funders might be seeing a dramatic drop in their investment accounts, that does not necessarily mean they stop making grants or even that they make fewer grants.

Why is this?

Because most foundations and other charitable fiduciaries operate by what is known as “the prudent investor rule”. They choose a fixed percentage of their assets, usually 4 or 5%, to distribute in grants each year. This “prudent” approach means that 4 or 5% may be less than their investments make in a given year, but it also means that they are still able to donate 4 or 5% when their investments make less in other years, like now!

So, keep the focus on your needs, which might even increase at a time like this, and continue to submit grant applications where you can. Continued regards and best wishes!

Category: General

Lent: Developing A Grant Writer’s Superpower

Happy Lent to all missionaries out there!

In late 2021, we shared a message with you at the beginning of Advent.  We wrote about “waiting”, waiting for a birth that changed our lives forever.  We also quoted the French spiritual writer Simone Weil, who wrote that “waiting is the basis for any relationship with God.”

Now here we are again, entering another time of waiting: Lent.  But our waiting is different this time and as grant writers, I believe these 40 days hold a time of paradoxical “superpower” for us.  What do I mean?

During Advent, we know what we are waiting for and the story ends in joy, the birth of the Christ, God’s entering humanity with an unmatchable, irreplaceable gift.

During Lent, we also know what we are waiting for: resurrection, another irreplaceable, unmatchable gift.  BUT the paradox of Lent is that this gift comes through the appearance of failure, rejection, denial:  the complete humility and surrender of Jesus.

I suggest to you that this paradox is our superpower.  To center ourselves in humility and surrender does not mean that we don’t give 100% effort and try and write the best grant application (in fact, many applications!) BUT THAT ONCE WE HAVE DONE THAT we center ourselves in humility and surrender to the outcome.  And there is great freedom in this surrender.  There is also great confidence in this because who better than the Crucified did exactly the same thing?

I think this is why another famous spiritual writer, Thomas Merton, wisely reminds us in New Seeds of Contemplation: “Humility is the surest sign of strength.”

So do your best. Apply. Get denied or rejected.  Apply again.  Use all aids available, then submit with hope and ask for the grace of humility that these 40 days of Lent are here to give us.

Our continued hopes and prayers for your ministries and your own experience of God’s closeness to you!

Category: General

The 10th Edition Mission Project Service Funding Guide 

 

The 10th edition of the Mission Project Service Funding Guide is coming soon and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you! The MPS Funding Guide is a catalog of grantmakers that support Catholic missionary projects. This edition has the most up-to-date list of funders sourced to help you achieve funding success.  Read on to learn how Mission Project Service and the 10th edition of the MPS Funding Guide can benefit your funding efforts.  

 

As Catholic Missionaries, Congregation Leaders, and other members of the church know, there are plenty of things that can be done that can help to improve the communities you serve. However, pastoral and human development projects are costly.   Without the funds and resources you need, your ability to make a positive impact is limited. At Mission Project Service, it is our goal to bridge the gap between project needs and funding shortfalls.

 

We do this in several ways, beginning with Grant writing education and information.

 

Effective grant writing is a viable tool to help you obtain the funds you need through, you guessed it, grants! At Mission Project Service, we have decades of experience in grant writing, and we can help you learn the skills to become a proficient grant writer.  The 10th edition of the MPS Funding Guide includes an entire section devoted to enhancing your grant writing capabilities.  Additionally, MPS continues to produce and provide free grant writing tools and resources on our website (check out our learning library) and Facebook page.  In late 2021, we will also begin to offer online grant writing workshops for those that wish to participate in a virtual workshop experience.

 

Of course, understanding the basics of effective grant writing is only one part of the funding equation. Once you’ve written the perfect grant, you need to be able to research and identify grantmakers who are most likely to fund your project(s).  And that’s where the 10th edition MPS Funding Guide comes in. 

 

The 10th edition includes detailed profiles of over three hundred potential funders looking to hear from missionaries just like you! So, in the guide, we not only break down the components of writing the perfect grant, we provide you with the contacts willing to provide funding to the right applicants. 

 

With the typical grant amount being between $10,000 - $15,000 USD, we are confident that when used properly, the 10th Edition Fund Guide is a purchase that will pay for itself tenfold. 

 

Any questions about the guide? Reach out! We are happy to answer. Would you like to be added to the waitlist for the 10th Edition Funding Guide? Click Here.

 

Happy Grant Writing!

Category: General

Grant Writing can be a difficult task!  It’s nearly impossible to “cut corners” and still obtain the funding you need.   Writing a winning proposal requires effort:  strategic reflection, accurate information, and adhering to all deadlines and requirements.

Mission Project Service provides Catholic missionaries with the knowledge and resources needed to achieve funding success. Our goal is to help you become a better grant writer so your projects and the people you serve can benefit.

Category: General

In Memoriam:  MPS Founder Fr. George G. Cotter, MM

It is said that “we stand on the shoulders of those who precede us.”    As that is true, there is probably no Catholic missionary alive today who does owe some connection or debt of gratitude to Maryknoll Missionary and MPS Founder George G. Cotter, MM.

After 68 years as a missionary and 58 years as a priest, Fr. Cotter passed away on September 6 in Maryknoll, New York, at the age of 88.