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The purpose of the St. Francis Project is to bring the hope, healing, compassion, forgiveness and joy of the kingdom of God to a world broken by despair, suffering, anger and need.
The St. Francis Outreach Project was started by Trinity Episcopal Church in 2008. It was a commitment to raise and give back $1,000,000 to our communities over a ten year period. The monies were given out through grants, whose criteria were based on the Prayer of St. Francis. Trinity’s ten year commitment ended in 2019 and three local churches joined with Trinity to extend this ministry another three years. These churches are First Presbyterian Church of Florence, First United Methodist Church of Florence and St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. The goal for each year is $50,000, with a single grant cycle whose due date is July 31st. Guidelines and applications are available on this web site. For 2020, we only have $25,000 to give away and we are asking only for grants under $5,000.
Through these grants, the St. Francis Project has helped to fund addiction ministries and non- profits, provided professional counseling for rape and abuse victims, developed Florence based medical services for AID’s patients, provided Hospice services for those who cannot pay, given daycare and summer scholarships at the YMCA, developed an emergency fund for homeless children in the Florence City Schools, provided anger management counseling at the Florence City jail, fed and clothed those in need. It has sent a Fourth Grade class on a field trip to the McWane Center in Birmingham, sent troubled youth to their first professional baseball game, bought desks for a sixth grade teacher in Waterloo and provided training for school resource officers to recognize child abuse. It built the new playground at the Salvation Army and helped to activate the alarm system in their new housing unit. Since its first grant cycle in 2009, Funds have been distributed to 101 different agencies, ministries and individuals in the Shoals area.
The fund is supported by fundraisers and financial gifts throughout the year and administrated by a 12 member board of directors, representative of our four churches. If you would like to make a donation to this ministry, please make checks payable to The St. Francis Project and mail to P.O. Box M, Florence, AL 35631. All gifts are tax deductible.
If you would like to become involved with this life changing ministry, please contact the church office at (256) 764-6149.
St. Francis Grant Recipients, 2009 – 2019
AIDS Action Coalition
The Alpha Center
The Arc of the Shoals
Big Brothers/ Big Sisters
Brandon Ministry Center
Caring Place (previously Westminster Interfaith Caring Place, WICP)
Children’s Museum of the Shoals
Colbert County Fame Girls Ranch
Colbert/ Lauderdale Attention Homes
Community Action of Northwest Alabama
(Meals on Wheels, Vision Project)
Community Theatre, Inc., dba The Shoals Theatre
Cooperative Community Ministries, Inc. (Help Center)
Cramer Children’s Center
Crossroads Community Outreach
Discovery Outreach
Dyslexia Center of the Shoals
Easter Seals of Northwest Alabama
ECM Newborn Nursery
Edgemont United Methodist Church, Angel Food Ministries
Epilepsy Foundation of Alabama
Florence Addiction Recovery Manor (The F.A.R.M)
12 For Life Fund
Florence City Schools
Florence City Schools/ Harlan and Weeden
Elementary School Resource Officer
Florence City Schools, Homebound Program
Florence City Schools, Florence Learning Center
Florence City Schools/Social Workers
Florence City Schools, Harlan Elementary School
Florence City Schools/ Harlan and Weeden
Elementary School Resource Officer
Florence City Schools/Harlan Elementary/4th Grade
Florence/ Lauderdale Public Library
Freedom House
Gospel Truth Church
The Healing Place
Heart of Alabama Save, Rescue, Adopt
Helen Keller Foundation, Helen’s Closet
Helen Keller Foundation, Cancer Resource Center
High Tide Adventure
Homeless Care Council of NW Alabama
Hospice of the Shoals
Kid Care-A-Van
Kids of the Kingdom Preschool
Lauderdale County Children’s Policy Council
Lauderdale County Juvenile Drug Court
Lauderdale County S.P.A.N. Program (Special
Program for Achievement Network)
Life Management/Anger Management Program
Martha Jo Daniel, L.P.C.
Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry
Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church
Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church
Mustard Seed of Faith
NAMI Shoals, Inc
New Beginning Ministries, Inc
New Beginning Church
Northwest Alabama Reading Aides
Northwest Alabama Spay and Neuter Assistance
NW Community Health Association,
(Shoals Community Clinic)
One Place of the Shoals
Outreach Reentry Ministry
PAWS
Project Say Something
Rape Response (Shoals Crisis Center)
Rolling Riders
Room in the Inn Shoals, Inc.
Safeplace, Inc.
Salvation Army of the Shoals
Sexual Assault Division at One Place of the Shoals
Shoals Area COARMM, Inc.
Shoals Area Community for the Employment of
People with Disabilities
Shoals CASA
Shoals Crisis Center
Shoals Entrepreneurial Center
Shoals Family Council (Families First)
Shoals Family Success Center
Shoals Habitat for Humanity
Shoals Scholar Dollars Foundation, Inc.
Shoals Special Needs Hub
Shoals Storytelling Festival
Sidney Safe Foundation
Singing River Equine Rescue, Inc.
Success By 6
St. Vincent de Paul Conference
Tennessee Valley Art Association
Threadgill Primary School
United Way of Northwest Alabama
Walk With Me Foundation
Waterloo Alumnae Association
Waterloo School Cafeteria
Waterloo School 6th Grade
Westminster Interfaith Caring Place (WICP)
Wilson School Sixth Grade
Wright Cemetery Board
YMCA of the Shoals, summer day camp program
YMCA of the Shoals, Children’s Backpack Program
YMCA of the Shoals, After School Scholarships
The St. Francis Project
In January of 2009, Trinity Episcopal Church adopted a new outreach ministry called the St. Francis Project. The objective of this project is to raise and give away $1,000,000 over ten years to agencies and ministries in our community and world. The money is given out primarily through grant applications and the criteria for these grants are based on the prayer of St. Francis, or as our mission statement reads:
To develop true servants of God and bring the hope, healing, compassion, forgiveness and joy of the kingdom of God to a world broken by despair, suffering, anger, and need.
The St. Francis Board will review grant applications twice a year. The deadline for the first cycle is January 31st, with grants announced by April 1st. The deadline for the second cycle is July 31st, with grants announced by October 1st. All grants requesting $5,000 or more are asked to apply by the January 31st deadline. Grants requesting less that that amount may apply at either time. The amount and method of funding for any grant remains at the discretion of the St. Francis Board. The Board may choose to fund large grants quarterly or semi annually.
Guidelines for Funding
- All grant requests shall answer to the needs expressed in the prayer of St. Francis: To alleviate hatred, injury, discord, doubt, despair, darkness, sadness.
- All recipients of grants shall furnish a yearly accounting of their grant monies. A new grant application will not be considered until this accounting has been received.
- All grant requests of $5,000.00 or more shall also be sponsored by a lay member of Trinity Church and requested by a nonprofit, 501-C3 organization.
- All grant requests of $5,000.00 or more should be submitted by the January 31st deadline.
- The majority of funding shall be used to support local community needs and projects and reflect the value of our Christian faith.
- Monies disbursed can be used for
- Administrative purposes
- Scholarships
- Specific items and/or needs
- Capital campaigns
- Seed monies
- Support for:
- Health issues: for example: handicapped programs, mental health ministries and programs, prescription drug support
- Human Welfare: for example: youth programs, hunger programs, shelter & housing programs, senior citizen projects, daycare, job training, family support programs & direct service organizations
- Human rights programs
- Evangelism: for example: theological education and missionary project
- No grants will be given to:
- Annual fund-raising campaigns or fund-raising dinners.
- Deficit financing, debt service, or loans.
- Support for political candidates or political organizations.
- Production costs of films, videos or television programs or purchase of commercial television or radio time.
- Honoraria for distinguished guests.
- Charities operated by service clubs.
- Scholarly research leading to a book or group travel.
- Group travel.
- Memorials or endowment funds.
- Medical research or requests from hospitals.