Grants for Churches: Who Funds Congregations and How to Apply

Churches can get grants, and most of the money comes from private foundations, many of which choose their recipients themselves. GrantCue's analysis of IRS Form 990-PF returns found 26,434 private foundations that paid $2.37 billion to churches and other congregations in 78,010 grants in tax years 2022 to 2025, and about one in five of those foundations lists how to apply on its latest return.

Quick Answer: Can churches get grants?

Yes. Churches get grants mainly from private foundations, denominational programs and programs funded by Lilly Endowment, such as Clergy Renewal grants and the National Fund for Sacred Places (read November 2026). Government grants usually fund a church's community programs or security, not worship. Most foundation grants to churches are under $25,000.

What kind of grants do churches get?

Most grants to churches are modest, unrestricted gifts from private foundations; the larger ones usually pay for a building project, a pastor's sabbatical or a community program the church runs.

In a sample of 30 typical grants of $1,200 to $15,000 from the returns, 19 purpose lines say only general purpose, general operating, charitable or unrestricted. One that named a project was a $10,000 grant in tax year 2024 to St Mary Catholic Church in Fayetteville, Texas, to level the church building.

Denominational grants follow their own rules. The Reformed Church in America's Flourishing Churches Grant offers up to $50,000 for facility improvements to member congregations organized in the denomination for at least three years, alongside coaching and training; its 2026 round closed on July 30, 2026 (Reformed Church in America, Flourishing Churches Grant, read November 2026). Ask your denomination's regional office what it runs.

Source: GrantCue's analysis of IRS Form 990-PF returns, tax years 2022 to 2025, the latest return on file for each foundation (92% of these grants fall in tax years 2024 and 2025). The count includes some synagogues, whose names often begin with "Congregation".

Four in five grants were under $25,000, while the 313 grants of $1 million or more carried 35% of the dollars. Those large gifts include Lilly Endowment's program grants to universities and national groups and single gifts from family foundations to one church body, so they say little about what a new applicant can expect. Two thirds of all the grants were between $1,000 and $25,000.

Which foundations give grants to churches?

The foundations that pay the most churches are company employee giving programs, a few national foundations such as Lilly Endowment, whose church money mostly reaches congregations through programs run by universities and national groups, and regional foundations that pay small congregations in one or two states. Ranking by the number of churches paid, not dollars, shows who funds congregations like yours.

Four of the five foundations that paid the most church recipients are company foundations paying employee matching gifts and volunteer grants: Baird Foundation (548 recipients, median $1,450), JPMorgan Chase Foundation (504, median $1,534), Verizon Foundation (355, median $1,000) and Arthur J Gallagher Foundation (251, median $1,000). That money follows where employees give or volunteer, and all four say preselected only on their latest returns. A church cannot apply to them, but it can ask members who work there whether their employer matches gifts.

Leaving those out, and leaving out foundations that paid mainly synagogues or orders of Catholic sisters, these are the leaders among the 40 that paid the most church recipients:

Source: GrantCue's analysis of IRS Form 990-PF returns, tax years 2022 to 2025 (most foundations have one or two years on file). "Recipients" counts the different churches and church bodies paid; for Lilly Endowment and The Duke Endowment many of them are universities, denominations or national groups that run church programs, not congregations.

Much of Lilly Endowment's church money goes to the universities and national groups that run congregational programs: its three largest recipients here were Duke University ($50.4 million), the National Trust for Historic Preservation ($40 million) and the Church Benefits Association ($30.05 million), 29% of its total between them. A local church reaches that money through the programs described below.

The Duke Endowment works through a denomination: its largest church recipients were the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church ($7.2 million in 14 grants) and the North Carolina Conference ($3.75 million), and its Rural Church program works with United Methodist churches in rural North Carolina on early literacy and nutrition (The Duke Endowment, Rural Church, read November 2026).

The smaller rows are closer to what most churches will find. The Koch Foundation made 72 church grants with a median of $10,000 to 70 recipients in 26 states; its site says it supports evangelization of the Roman Catholic faith and looks for "sound but financially needy evangelization programs" (Koch Foundation, home page, read November 2026). The Foster Foundation's 425 gifts were small, and its largest recipients were Baptist churches in Virginia.

Three of the eleven say preselected only, and across all 26,434 foundations the share is 78% (20,543). That box means the foundation does not take unsolicited requests; the guide to foundations that do not accept unsolicited proposals explains what it means and what to do. Many are small family foundations with no website, and finding local family foundations without websites shows how to find them.

Grants for churches by state

New York has the most foundations paying churches, 3,116, while churches in Georgia and Texas received the most dollars, and the median grant in 10 of the top 15 states is $5,000.

Source: GrantCue's analysis of IRS Form 990-PF returns, tax years 2022 to 2025. A row counts the foundations that paid at least one church in that state, wherever the foundation is based, so a foundation paying churches in three states is counted in each. Each state links to GrantCue's free list of the foundations whose largest share of grants goes to that state.

Grants for churches in Texas

Texas churches received $177.1 million from 2,127 foundations, and their median grant, $6,422, is the highest in the table. The Oldham Little Church Foundation in Houston pays small churches across the country (97 recipients in 26 states, median $14,000). The BNSF Railway Foundation in Fort Worth made 55 church grants with a median of $3,000 to 33 recipients in 12 states, and its latest return lists how to apply.

Oldham is the most direct option for a small Texas church, so read its rules first. Its Facility Completion Grants go to small Protestant churches, generally with 40 to 300 members and assets under $1 million, for building projects, not parsonages, property purchases, operations or debt (Oldham Little Church Foundation, grants, read November 2026). When GrantCue read its grants page in November 2026, applications were closed; check the page for the next opening.

Grants for churches in Florida

Florida churches received $107.4 million from 2,188 foundations, with a median grant of $5,000. The Koch Foundation in Gainesville funds Catholic evangelization programs with no geographic preference, according to its site, and its latest return lists how to apply. The Turner Family Charitable Foundation in Pensacola also lists how to apply, but $5.77 million of its $5.96 million in church grants went to First Baptist Church of Pensacola, so its median of $15,000 across 14 recipients is the better guide. The Pentecost Foundation in Bradenton says preselected only.

Grants for churches in Georgia

Georgia's $180.3 million is the largest state total, but two gifts explain most of it: the Haplotace Foundation, based in Alabama, paid $89.2 million to the Presbyterian Church in America Foundation in Georgia, and the Pentecost Foundation paid $15.25 million to Free Chapel Gainesville. Without those, Georgia churches received about $75.8 million from 934 foundations, with a median grant of $5,000. The Georgia-based funders among the leaders are family foundations giving to a few churches, such as the Richard and Barbara Gaby Foundation in Berkeley Lake (preselected only).

Open the Georgia, Texas or Florida list, look for foundations in your county, and read their grants to churches you recognize.

Lilly Endowment programs churches can apply to

Lilly Endowment paid the most for church programs in the returns, mostly through universities and national groups rather than to congregations directly, and a congregation reaches that money through three programs with deadlines this winter: Clergy Renewal grants for a pastor's sabbatical, the National Fund for Sacred Places for historic buildings, and the Serving Neighbors initiative through a partner charity (all read November 2026). GrantCue's guide to Lilly Endowment grants explains how the Endowment itself gives.

Clergy Renewal Programs

Run through Christian Theological Seminary (Clergy Renewal Programs, read November 2026), these award up to $60,000 to congregations in the United States and Puerto Rico to fund a renewal leave for their pastor. For leaves taken in 2028, the online portal opens January 4, 2027 and applications are due March 17, 2027. The pastor must be the congregation's pastoral leader (full time, part time or bi-vocational) and ordained or the equivalent.

National Fund for Sacred Places

A program of Partners for Sacred Places and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (National Fund for Sacred Places, read November 2026), it gives matching grants of $50,000 to $500,000 for capital projects at historic houses of worship that serve their communities. Applications open January 12, 2027 and are due March 3, 2027, with decisions in October 2027, and it typically selects 30 to 40 grantees. Lilly Endowment has funded it with $64 million, and it has awarded or pledged more than $42 million to 197 congregations since 2016.

Serving Neighbors Through Congregational Collaborations

Announced on September 28, 2026, this initiative expects to award up to $5 million each to up to 60 charitable organizations that work with Christian congregations on local needs. Concept papers are due January 19, 2027, and planning grants of up to $50,000 are expected in March 2027. The applicant is the charitable organization, not the congregation; the endowment's examples range from social service and youth-serving groups to denominational agencies, church networks and theological schools (Lilly Endowment, announcement, read November 2026). A church that wants in should call its denomination's regional office or a local agency it already works with before January.

Are there government grants for churches?

Yes for community programs and security, no for worship. Federal agencies fund faith-based organizations on the same terms as other applicants, but not religious activities, and churches at risk of attack can seek FEMA security grants through their state (read November 2026).

HUD's rule shows how this works: faith-based organizations are eligible "on the same basis as any other organization"; explicitly religious activities "must be offered separately, in time or location," with voluntary participation; and direct federal money may not pay to buy, build or rehabilitate a principal place of worship (eCFR, 24 CFR 5.109, read November 2026). A church can win public money for a food pantry or an after-school program it runs for the whole community, kept apart from worship.

Security money comes through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which pays for target hardening and physical security at nonprofits at high risk of terrorist attack. FEMA made $300 million available for fiscal year 2026 and announced those awards on September 28, 2026. A church does not apply to FEMA: Texas's guide says the state administrative agency is the only eligible applicant to FEMA, nonprofits apply through it, and houses of worship are eligible (Texas eGrants, Non-profit Security Grant Pre-Application Guide, read November 2026). Ask your state's agency when the next round opens.

GrantCue keeps a page of open grants for faith-based organizations that a church or its community ministry can search.

Does a church need 501(c)(3) status to get a grant?

No IRS letter is needed for a church to be tax exempt, but funders often ask for proof of status, so a church without a determination letter should be ready to show it another way.

The IRS says churches that meet the section 501(c)(3) requirements "are automatically considered tax exempt and are not required to apply for and obtain recognition of exempt status," and that many seek recognition anyway because it gives leaders, members and donors reliance on that status (IRS, Churches, integrated auxiliaries and conventions or associations of churches, read November 2026). Some public programs accept other evidence: HUD generally does not require 501(c)(3) status, and Texas's security grant guide says faith-based organizations may be exempted from proving it.

Private foundations set their own rules, and the Serving Neighbors resources include an exempt status information form and a sample IRS determination letter. A church that keeps losing out on paperwork can ask the IRS for a determination letter or partner with a registered nonprofit; the guide to finding grants without 501(c)(3) status covers other routes.

How to apply for a church grant

Start with the foundations that already pay churches in your county, confirm each one's current rules, and ask for a specific amount for a defined project. The general guide to finding grants for nonprofits covers every channel; for a church, this order works:

1. Open your state's free foundation list and the profiles of the foundations near you. A profile shows a foundation's largest grants; a free account opens its full grant list, which you can filter by purpose to find its grants to churches.
2. Read each one's latest 990-PF: the grant list shows who it paid and how much, and the application section shows whether it takes requests. The guide to reading a 990-PF grant list walks through both parts.
3. Sort the names into returns that list how to apply and returns that say preselected only.
4. Check each funder's own website before writing, because a return can be two years old.
5. Write a short request naming the project, its cost, the amount asked and who outside the congregation it serves. A sample grant proposal for a faith-based organization shows one structure, and the annotated sample grant proposal for a nonprofit explains what each section is for.
6. Put the winter deadlines on the calendar now.

A free GrantCue account can hold this list, suggest grants that fit the church's profile, and track each deadline and task.

FAQ

Are there free grants for churches?

Grants do not have to be repaid, but none comes without conditions. Private foundations paid churches $2.37 billion in tax years 2022 to 2025, mostly in gifts under $25,000, according to GrantCue's analysis of IRS Form 990-PF returns. Each funder sets its own rules on who may ask, what the money may pay for and how to report on it. A grant offer that asks for a fee before paying is a warning sign.

Can a church get a grant to buy a building?

Rarely. Under HUD's rule, direct federal money cannot pay to buy, build or rehabilitate a principal place of worship, and the Oldham Little Church Foundation, which funds small church buildings, excludes property purchases and debt. Grants more often pay to finish, repair or improve a building the church already owns, as the National Fund for Sacred Places does for historic buildings. For a purchase, plan on member gifts or financing.

What are the Lilly Endowment grants for pastors?

Lilly Endowment funds Clergy Renewal Programs at Christian Theological Seminary, which give congregations up to $60,000 to fund a renewal leave, or sabbatical, for their pastor. The congregation applies. For leaves in 2028, the portal opens January 4, 2027 and applications are due March 17, 2027. Christian congregations in the 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico are eligible, and the pastor must be ordained or the equivalent.

How hard is it for a church to get a grant?

It is hard mainly because 78% of the foundations that paid churches say on their latest return that they choose recipients themselves. The odds improve when a church asks a foundation that already funds churches nearby, requests an amount close to that foundation's usual grant, often $1,000 to $25,000, and proposes a project that serves people beyond its members. Programs with published rules, such as denominational and Lilly-funded rounds, are the most predictable routes.

Are there grants for churches near me?

Start with the foundations in your own state and county. GrantCue's free state lists show the private foundations whose largest share of grants goes to each state, and each profile shows a foundation's largest grants; a free account opens the full grant list. Look for foundations that paid churches like yours, then check whether their latest return lists how to apply and what their website says now. Your denomination's regional office and your community foundation are also worth a call.

Can a church get a grant for security?

Yes. The FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program pays for physical security improvements at nonprofits at high risk of terrorist attack, and houses of worship are eligible. FEMA made $300 million available for fiscal year 2026. Churches apply through their state administrative agency, not to FEMA; Texas's guide says faith-based organizations may be exempted from proving 501(c)(3) status.

Find the foundations that fund churches near you

The next step is a short list of the foundations that already pay churches in your state, sorted by whether their latest return lists how to apply. Start from the foundations that give in Texas, Florida, Georgia or any other state on GrantCue's free state lists, then create a free GrantCue account to open each one's full grant list, save the ones that have paid churches, track the winter deadlines above and get alerts when new grants open.