Please scroll to the bottom of this page to find Creation Care Season and other resources.

The Green Grants Initiative was launched in fall of 2010 to encourage, challenge and support all the congregations in the Diocese of Massachusetts in environmental stewardship. 

In its first year the initiative has been funded by $50,000 from the Diocesan Annual Fund, with up to $50,000 in additional funds available to match gifts given to the program. 

To make a gift, visit the donations page and use the drop-down menu to indicate “Green Initiatives,” here.

The Green Grants Initiative currently has two components:  Simple Acts of Stewardship and Green Improvement Grants.  Congregations may participate in one or both.

Simple Acts of Stewardship

• Simple Acts of Stewardship grows out of gratitude for the blessings of God’s creation, and every congregation in the diocese, big or small, can participate, whether its project requires funding or not. 
• Simple Acts supports locally based projects that build a positive connection with the natural world by celebrating creation, conserving natural resources and teaching environmentally responsible practices. 
• Examples include congregations coming together for bulk purchasing of earth-friendly office and hospitality supplies; a children’s gardening project that benefits a local food pantry; or some kind of public policy advocacy effort.
• Some Simple Acts may require financial support; others will cost nothing.  Some projects may save congregations operating expenses; still others might raise funds.  Congregations saving or raising money through their Simple Acts are encouraged to contribute some of their proceeds or savings to the program so that others might take up Simple Acts of their own.
• All Simple Acts involve sharing inspiration and ideas, and the program invites stories and photos that can be shared via the Web.  See “Contact Information” below.
• Simple Acts grants of up to $500 are available through an application process (see below). 

Green Improvement Grants

• Green Improvement Grants of up to $10,000 help congregations identify, fund and accomplish important energy efficiency improvements to their facilities, such as lighting and window upgrades, weatherization, on-demand hot water systems and replacement of old, inefficient boilers or furnaces.
• SHOW WORKSHOPS:  Green Improvement Grants provide an educational process that includes a property energy audit and Sustainable Houses of Worship (SHOW) workshops conducted by representatives from Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light.  The workshops cover common challenges to energy conservation faced by churches, propose various approaches to addressing these challenges, review project planning and funding practices and provide help in completing the Green Improvement Grants application.  
  
  SHOW workshops for 2012 have been scheduled on the following Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.:   Feb. 11 at Epiphany Parish in Walpole (click here to register).

The current granting cycle is now closed.  Applications for the next round were expected to be available in early October; due to the budget cycle and fundraising calendar, the application process and deadline are being pushed forward.  Dates will be made available when known. Get a head start by coming to one of the scheduled SHOW workshops. 

Questions, comments and ideas may be directed to the Rev. Karen Montagno, Director of Congregational Resources and Training, at kmontagno [at] diomass [dot] org or 617-482-4826, ext. 413.

Additional Resources:

Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light:  http://www.mipandl.org/

"God So Loved The World":  A slideshow intended to inspire Christians to connect their faith with the urgent need to tackle global warming.  It is available free of charge and lasts about 25 minutes.  “God So Loved The World” was co-produced by the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Dr. Robert A. Jonas and The Canary Project, an organization that produces art and media to deepen public understanding of human-induced climate change and to energize commitment to solutions.  The slideshow is available as a PowerPoint presentation or PDF, with a written script that should be read aloud as the slides are shown.  The slideshow and accompanying script is available at www.holyhunger.org (see Environment section).

Attachment
Creation Care Season 2011 Resources.pdf
Green Grants Bulletin Insert 2011.pdf