Our framework
The Three-Layer Map
Church funding comes from three different worlds with three different rulebooks. Once you can see which layer a program lives in, you know how to approach it — and which of our three quick tests to run.
- 1
Layer 1 — Public money (government)
Federal and state programs: FEMA's security grants (NSGP), USDA Community Facilities for rural buildings, and TEFAP food through your regional food bank. These fund what your church DOES for the community, never worship — and the sanctuary is off-limits except for security hardening.
- 2
Layer 2 — Church-adjacent private money
Funders that exist for congregations: Lilly/CTS Clergy Renewal, the Calvin Institute's worship grants, Thrivent Action Teams, the National Fund for Sacred Places. Because they're private, some fund ministry and worship itself — the public rules don't bind them.
- 3
Layer 3 — General private money
Corporate and community funders open to everyone: Walmart Spark Good, community foundations, the Awesome Foundation. They fund your community-serving programs and tell you where they draw the line in their exclusions list — read it first.
You don’t have to master fifty programs — you have to know which of three layers a program sits in, because each layer plays by different rules. The Three-Layer Map above is that lens. Three quick tools go with it:
The Green-Light Test — should we even apply?
Before you start, run three checks:
- Is the project community-serving (a pantry, security, a community program) rather than worship or missions?
- Does it clear the funder’s exclusions list? (Some fund religious work; some, like State Farm, refuse it.)
- Can we keep the funded budget separate from religious activities?
Three greens, go. A red on #1 or #2, stop.
The Grant-Ready Stack — do we have the paperwork?
The reusable kit: an EIN; your tax-status answer (automatic exemption, a determination letter, or a lettered ministry arm); SAM.gov / UEI for any federal program; a vulnerability assessment for NSGP; and budget separation between the funded program and religious activities.
The Live-or-Dead Check — is it still real?
Church-funding lists are notoriously stale. Confirm a program on the funder’s own current page before you invest time — and for federal programs, check the current-year NOFO on Grants.gov, not the agency landing page (even FEMA’s own page lags a year). We keep a running list of programs that no longer exist.
Next step
Get matched when we launch
Amivale is launching soon. Join the waitlist and we'll match your churches and ministries to funding the day it opens — no spam, one email.