Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Presbyterian Foundation is a Fund of the Presbyterian Church, providing for annual distribution to parishes and presbyteries/UDCs which have made application. The focus of the Fund is to facilitate innovative and creative mission projects at a regional and local level. Full details are provided in the separate Guidelines for Applicants. The process will begin in June each year, when the Fund is advertised through Bush Telegraph. This will be repeated in the July and August editions of Bush Telegraph.

• The closing date for applications will be 15 September i.e. applications must be received by the Foundation by this date. Late applications will not be accepted.
• Reference must be made to the Guidelines for Applicants.

• Role of Presbytery/UCC/UDC
• Endorsing Applications
• Evaluation of projects
• Checklist Notes

Role of Presbytery/UCC/UDC

Presbyteries/UCCs/UDCs are an integral part of the application process.

1. Parishes must send their applications to you. Each presbytery should publicise its own prior closing date for applications to be sent to it. This date should allow sufficient time for the appropriate committee to assess applications, and for the presbytery / UCC / UDC to formally endorse these before the applications are forwarded to the Foundation.
2. You must formally endorse parish applications and forward them to the Foundation. In doing this:

• You must be satisfied that each project meets the strategic directions of the local presbytery/UDC/UCC. You should also be satisfied that the applicant has the capability to complete the project.
• You must agree to act as the applicant guarantor, to ensure unspent funds are returned to the Foundation. Distribution of the Foundation’s trust funds requires accountability, as grants may be spent only for the intended purposes.

If a presbytery/UDC is making an application itself, the endorsement section must still be completed.

Endorsing Applications

• Presbyteries/UCCs/UDCs are encouraged to set up a committee comprising people with mission resourcing and finance expertise to evaluate the proposed projects.
• A presbytery closing date for applications should be notified to parishes soon after applications open.
• Presbyteries/UCCs/UDCs must complete the last page of each application form, either endorsing the application, or stating why it is not fully endorsed.
• The Presbytery/UCC/UDC must then post all applications to Martin Baker, Assembly Office, PO Box 9049, Wellington 6141 to reach it by 15 September.

Evaluation of projects

• It is now the responsibility of the funding recipients to complete the Foundation’s Evaluation Form.
• The Evaluation Form may be downloaded and completed at any time, but it must be submitted to The Presbyterian Foundation by 15 September of the year following receipt of the grant.
• Parish funding recipients must send a copy to their Presbytery/UCC/UDC.
• Presbyteries/UCCs/UDCs, in their role as guarantor, should check at intervals as to how each project in their area is proceeding.

Checklist Notes

• The project is in keeping with our presbytery/UDC/UCC’s strategic directions.

Your presbytery/UDC/UCC will have a description of such goals and priorities although you may use different language. Your committee will be able to make its assessment accordingly.

• We are satisfied the applicant has the capability to complete the project, and that the project objectives/outcomes are achievable.

Applicants may be unnecessarily optimistic, or too general, when describing their objectives. Your committee should do a 'reality check', to ensure that the objectives/outcomes specified are clearly in keeping with the main features of the project itself. The capability/capacity of the applicant to complete the project is a matter that can reasonably be assessed only at regional and local level. You should check as to whether or not the resources [people and money] behind the project match the boldness and assurances of the application. Look for a capacity to follow-through past the initial set up phases. The Grants Committee will rely on your judgement on this matter.

• If the project does not proceed, we will ensure that the grant will be returned to The Presbyterian Foundation.

Grants from The Presbyterian Foundation are trust funds, and may be used only for specified purposes. Grants recipients are accountable to the Foundation through their presbytery/UCC/UDC for spending the funds for the purpose intended. If the project does not proceed, or go to completion, it is the responsibility of the presbytery/UCC/UDC to ensure the unspent money is returned to the Foundation. Please note that a presbytery’s authority over a parish does not extend to any charitable trusts which the parish may have set up. Such trusts are independent legal entities, so are not directly accountable to the presbytery. Requests for funding assistance thus need to come from a parish itself, and not directly from an associated trust. For the same accountability reasons, a parish may not apply on behalf of a community group, nor may a non-Presbyterian group apply. It is possible for a parish to combine with another group in a community project – but it is the parish alone which can apply for funding, and the parish alone which is accountable for a Foundation grant being appropriately spent.

Please make sure that a budget for the project, a copy of the most recent annual accounts, and a bank deposit slip are attached to each application form. Do not forward any other material.

For enquiries about the application process, contact:

Assembly Executive Secretary the Rev Martin Baker

martin@presbyterian.org.nz

Ph 04 801 6000 or 04 381 8281

or write to Martin Baker, Assembly Office, PO Box 9049, Wellington 6141.