While the goal for the Church in the City case element of Changing Lives Together was $4 million, $1,450,000 was raised. In December 2017, $1,446,558 was transferred from the Archdiocese of Detroit to the Catholic Foundation of Michigan and placed in a Church in the City Endowment. In June 2018, an additional $37,050 was transferred to the Foundation for a total of $1,483,608. More funds may be transferred as additional pledge payments are received.
The Catholic Foundation, through its Grant and Impact Committee, is equipped to solicit and evaluate grant applications according to the archdiocese’s granting guidelines for this endowment. Church in the City grants must:
- Serve communities in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck.
- Actively support groundbreaking faith formation and education.
- Infuse creativity into support for evangelization into the urban Catholic life.
- Build innovative evangelistic programs in line with Unleash the Gospel that boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus and lead souls to a personal encounter with Him.
In December 2018, the Foundation awarded $71,500 in grants from the Church in the City Fund to 17 Catholic parishes and organizations in the geographic scope of the fund including Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. Priority was given to evangelistic programs and those with matching grant opportunities. As will all endowments, the fund will grow over time. In June 2019, the balance of the fund was $1,436,000. Parishes, schools and other Catholic organizations in these cities may contact the Catholic Foundation of Michigan for a grant application.
For a list of the projects, organizational recipients, award amount and fields of interest, see attached image.