Do We Qualify for the Philadelphia Regional Fund for Sacred Places?
A self-evaluation for helping to decide if your congregation
is a candidate for the Fund!
The Philadelphia Regional Fund for Sacred Places is a competitive grant program for community-serving, architecturally and historically significant sacred places in the southeastern Pennsylvania region. Given the large number of older religious properties in the region, Partners has developed this series of questions to assist potential applicants in determining if projects might qualify for funding from the Regional Fund.
The eligibility requirements at the beginning of the document are the basic, initial requirements for the grant program. More comprehensive Grant Program Guidelines are available on the Partners‘ web site. Please take the time to answer the following questions and return to Partners for Sacred Places. When we receive this completed document, we will contact you to discuss our grant program and your candidacy for the Fund!
When completed, please return this information and any attachments to:
Erin Coryell
Partners for Sacred Places
1700 Sansom Street. 10th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
ecoryell@sacredplaces.org
This is also available for download as a PDF here.
Eligibility Requirements
The property is located in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia Counties.
The property is, or at one time has been, a house of worship, or ancillary building, for a religious congregation.
The property is listed on or could be considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, is a contributing feature within a National Register district, or is a local landmark.
The property is open to the public and provides active community programming beyond the congregation.
The property has urgent repair needs that go above and beyond the congregation’s financial ability to pay for the repair project.
The congregation would be able to agree to a covenant on the exterior of their building.
The following types of projects and properties are NOT eligible for funding:
Work that is required or planned in order to make the property able to be sold to a third party.
A building project that is not urgently required, such as only regularly scheduled maintenance or construction of a new addition.
Buildings owned by congregations that discriminate towards those who might seek to utilize their outreach services.
Landscaping or streetscape improvements.
Please tell us the following:
Congregation Information
Congregation Name: _____________________________________________
Denomination/Conference (if applicable):______________________________
Founding Date: ______________ No. of members ______________________
Street Address: _________________________________________________
City: ______________________ State: _____________Zip: ___________
Mailing Address (if different): ______________________________________
City: _______________________ State: _____________Zip: ____________
County: ______________________
Office Phone: __________________ Email: ___________________________
Fax: _________________________ Web address: _____________________
Clergy (1): _____________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________ Email: ___________________________
Clergy (2): _____________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________ Email: _________________________
Administrator: _________________________________________________
Phone: ______________________ Email: _____________________________
Lay Leader: ____________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________ Email: ___________________________
Does Your Building Have Architectural, Historical and Cultural Significance?
One of the primary purposes of the Fund is to help save and protect and properties that contribute to the region’s architectural, cultural, historical, and religious heritage. At a minimum for consideration, the building must have been built as a house of worship originally and be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
To check to see if your building has been surveyed or is included in the National Register, please visit the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Bureau for Historic Preservation’s Inventory web site: http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bhp/Inventories/NR_Reports/overview.asp?secid=25.
If your building has been surveyed as ineligible, you will not qualify for a grant.
The property should possess a high degree of integrity, meaning it has not had recent alterations that have changed the original character of the building. Examples such as vinyl siding or new stucco, replacement windows made of vinyl or aluminum, or major additions will hamper your building’s eligibility. Alterations or additions completed over fifty years ago may be considered a contributing feature of the property.
Architectural, historical, and cultural significance will be based on:
(A) If the building:
- Represents the work of a regionally or nationally important architect or builder
- Is an outstanding example of type or period of architecture
- Is associated with the lives of persons significant to the region’s history or culture
- Shapes an understanding of a locally important way of life or culture.
(B) If the building contains stained glass, murals, mosaics, carvings and/or other artwork of exceptional quality and are designed and/or executed by important artists/artisans.
(C) If the property is associated with events that are identified with, or that represent, important themes of religious history and culture, including the growth or spread of a particular religion, religious denomination, or sect important to the region and the nation.
Describe the significance:
Does Your Building Benefit the Wider Community?
Partners’ national research shows that the over 91% of congregations with historic buildings house programs that serve the wider public. A Fund applicant must offer its building space and/or staff/volunteer resources to social services, arts and other programming that serve people in the wider community. These services should not be primarily religious in nature and should have the following characteristics:
- They primarily benefit non-members, especially children, seniors and families
- They are effective, innovative and sustained
- They contribute to community stabilization, especially in economically stressed areas
- They do not discriminate against beneficiaries on the basis of age, nationality, gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
You may use an additional piece of paper to include more programs.
Program Name:________________________________________________
Description: __________________________________________________
How long in existence: ___________________________________________
When it occurs and how many people it serves: _________________________
Who administers and runs the program: ______________________________
Program Name:________________________________________________
Description: __________________________________________________
How long in existence: __________________________________________
When it occurs and how many people it serves: _________________________
Who administers and runs the program: ______________________________
Program Name:________________________________________________
Description: __________________________________________________
How long in existence: ___________________________________________
When it occurs and how many people it serves: _________________________
Who administers and runs the program: ______________________________
Program Name:________________________________________________
Description: __________________________________________________
How long in existence: ___________________________________________
When it occurs and how many people it serves: _________________________
Who administers and runs the program: ______________________________
Who are the community development organizations or groups that the congregation partners with to support the programs?
Do You Have Urgent Repair Issues?
The building must have urgent repair needs. The following items are eligible for funding:
- Repairs for critical building elements (structural components, roofs, walls, parts of the building envelope)
- Site work that stabilizes the building or provides permanent remediation of drainage
- Interior repairs to save mosaics, murals, carvings or other artwork integral to the building
- Repairs to mechanical systems (e.g., electrical) or to ensure life-safety and correct fire hazards
Describe areas of the building experiencing problems and repairs required:
Has an architect or engineer looked at the building in the past few years: yes no
If so, name and date: ______________________________________________
Is there a comprehensive building report (historic structures report, conditions assessment, engineering study, etc.) yes (if so, please enclose) no
What is the timeline for performing repairs:
Does Your Congregation Require Funding From Outside?
The congregation/organization applying to the Fund must demonstrate that its financial resources are inadequate to conduct the immediate repairs.
Yes or No Could you congregation potentially match a grant in range of $25,000 to $100,000 range over two years if given training?
To meet this gap in funding, the final grant review process will take in account several measures of funding capacity:
- Funds generated by a standard 3-year “every member” pledged capital campaign
- Funds available from endowment income and other special gifts or bequests that might be available.
- Funds raised from outside sources such as local or state government, foundations, and community organizations.
- Financial information about the congregation, such as budget, recent capital campaigns, endowments, and assistance from denominational body.
Can Your Congregation Institute Sound Capital Project Planning?
Without sound planning, cost-efficient building repairs and renovations will be difficult to carry out. Therefore, the congregation must demonstrate a high level of advance planning for a capital funding and repair campaign. Elements of this planning should include:
- Participation in Partners for Sacred Places’ New Dollars/New Partners training (a pre-requisite for being able to apply to the Fund)
- Building repair plan by experienced architect, engineer, etc.
- Realistic timetable and budget
- Realistic fundraising plan to meet project budget and goals
- Project plans that compare and contrast current building usage with future, post-construction usage
Yes or No Does your congregation have the ability to oversee a long-term rehabilitation project and report all the financial records to an outside party?
Does Your Congregation Have the Ability to Implement Plans?
To be realized, good plans require a stable organization with capable leadership. The application to the Fund will assess the following indicators:
Strong leadership:
- Stable clergy and lay leadership in agreement re: project goals and plans
- Stable or growing membership
Financial stability:
- Good financial accountability and record keeping; financial solvency
- Scale of project is reasonable vis-à-vis annual budget
- Successful management of previous capital repair projects
Thank you and we look forward to speaking with you soon! |
