GILEAD Grants Close but their Impact Continues

by Traci Ruhland Petty

GILEAD grants have been supporting and equipping leaders, congregations, ministry initiatives, and worshipping communities to thrive into the future. Over the past six years, 88 grants have been awarded totaling $578,164.77. These grants helped fund some amazing and innovative ideas for serving each other, our congregations, and our communities. Last year was no exception – 21 grants were awarded to the projects you’ll see highlighted on the following pages. The grants awarded in 2025 used the remainder of funds available, so 2025 marked the last GILEAD grant cycle. Although the GILEAD grant initiative has come to a close, the ministry of this initiative continues to live on in the people and communities these funds supported. Thank you to everyone who was involved in this ministry: to those who envisioned this ministry by bringing it into existence through the GILEAD campaign; to those who saw the Spirit moving in their communities and decided to join in by applying for a grant; to those who invested in each other’s holy imaginings by giving to the campaign that made these grant funds available; to those who provided invaluable feedback and encouragement to the applicants and their projects by serving on the grant committee; to those who championed these projects by writing support letters, volunteering to implement the project, and serving on the vestries that endorsed your congregation’s grant proposal; and to all who participate in any way in this community we call the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, where we share in the impact and joy of this ministry, and all our ministries, together. Thank you all, so much, for being part of this.

GILEAD Grants 2020 - 2025

Congratulations to all previous grant recipients!

About GILEAD Grants:

Congregations, worshipping communities, chapters, or individual members of the Diocese of Iowa could apply for GILEAD funds. Partnerships with non-Episcopal entities were welcomed and encouraged, but an Episcopal entity had to serve as the reporting agent and the project leader had to be an Episcopalian who is a resident in the Diocese of Iowa.

Congregations could apply for more than one grant in each yearly grant cycle, as long as the projects were different. For posterity, a copy of the “Prepare Your Application” doc, will all questions that were on each type of grant application, is here. Space renewal grants could not be used for routine maintenance (i.e. paving a parking lot, roof repairs, tuckpointing). Grant funds could not be used to reimburse expenses incurred before the grant was awarded, even if they were related to the grant project.

GILEAD Grants were made possible by donations to the GILEAD Campaign. Click here to learn more about the Campaign.

For Currently Open Grant Projects - Forms You’ll Need:

QUESTIONS?

Contact Traci Ruhland Petty

tpetty@iowaepiscopal.org

515-850-5217