Grants and financial assistance

There are many grants and scholarships available for individuals (ordained and lay) and groups. There are also many types of grants available, including theological education, youth ministry, lay education, continuing education, regionalisation, tertiary education, secondary education and bursaries for ministers’ children.

For further information, go to Educational grants and scholarships.

Mission Grants assist UCA congregations in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania with the cost of mission programs and ministries. Grant programs run on specified application periods and are approved through the Mission Grants Committee. Specific grant programs are held for:

• Ministry and Mission programs

Grants may be available to support ministry or mission projects, to assist with the cost of lay or ordained personnel and program costs over a period of up to five years.

• Small Mission Projects

Grants may be available to UCA congregations, to assist small mission projects.

• Camping and Temporary Community Programs

Grants may be available to offset program costs, or participant attendance costs, for activities that are expressions of temporary community that foster hospitality, refreshment, wonder, a connection with nature, exploration of faith, and capacity for leadership.

• Community Services and Emergency Relief Grants

Grants may be available for congregations and UCA affiliated agencies to fund key community services and emergency relief activities.

For further information, go to Mission grants. 

Financial assistance may be available to supplement, rather than replace, local investment in property assets. These funding programs are overseen by the Property Application review Team (PART). Funding may be applied for alongside normal property project application forms and processes.
Property funding programs include the below:

• Capital Works

Grants may be available to assist with mission-focused building projects.

• Emergency Capital Works

Limited grants may be available from the Capital Works Fund, to assist congregations with urgent capital repairs they are unable to cover themselves.

• Heritage Works

Grants may be available to assist with mission-focused building projects that specifically address heritage listed buildings/features.

• Disability Upgrade Works

Grants are available from the Disability Access Fund, to assist a congregation with up to 50 per cent of the cost of disability access works, such as accessible toilets and ramps, up to a maximum amount of $50,000.
Essential Safety Measures (ESM) Support

Other funding opportunities may be available to congregations, including:

• Access to proceeds from a property sale to assist with capital projects and, if eligible, some missional or operational projects
• Access to proceeds from a property sale to invest in an interest-only Mission Fund (IOMF) where the interest earned may be used for a mission project, or in the Money for Mission Fund (MFMF) where interest earned may be used as determined by the UCA responsible body.

For further information, go to Property Services

Congregations may apply to the Associate General Secretary for up to $10,000 from the Sustentation Fund, to assist with the cost of stipend for a minister in placement for a short period of time, which the congregation is unable to cover themselves.

This funding is to allow time for a presbytery consultation of Life and Witness of the congregation to determine its future and also ensure the minister is paid during this period. The application requires the congregation to provide information regarding its financial position and a cash flow for the period the grant is to cover. Successful grants will be paid in monthly instalments for a nominated period up to 12 months.

For further information and application process, refer to the “Synod Financial Assistance for Ministry Stipend Protocol” available on this page.