Seminary students called to the ministry and lay individuals who want to work alongside official members of clergy may want to search for chaplain grants online. Chaplains provide spiritual care in specialized settings, such as hospitals, the military, prisons or schools. Private nonprofit organizations and seminary schools provide grants and scholarships to help pay for the costs of becoming a chaplain.
Health Care Chaplaincy Grant
Health Care Chaplaincy (healthcarechaplaincy.org) is the leader in research, education and practice of palliative care, whose goal is to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from chronic illness through whole person - mind, body and spirit - treatment. Health Care Chaplaincy provides professional services to 13 hospitals in metropolitan New York City. The organization provides grant awards to other community health organizations to support professional multifaith spiritual care and chaplaincy services. Grant award amounts vary.
Special Interests
The Race Track Chaplaincy of America (rtcanational.org) is a ministry that provides spiritual, emotional, and educational support to those involved in all aspects of the horse racing industry. The organization gives grants and scholarships to all kinds of ministry-related activities. Eligible activities include pursuing a ministry degree or certificate or attending the Chaplaincy School or Chaplain's Academy. Grant award amounts vary. The Wilbert Foundation (wilbertfoundation.org), meanwhile, provides grants to help children cope with the trauma of grief and death. Grants up to $10,000 are provided to hospitals and medical centers across the country to support children's chaplaincy programs.
Military Chaplain Grant Program
The Church, State and Industry Foundation (chaplain-csif.com) provides scholarships to seminary students who are pursuing a chaplaincy with one of the Armed Forces of America. Grants of as much as $5,000 per academic year are provided to students with a minimum 2.8 GPA who have been granted chaplain status in the Air Force, Army or Navy. The student must have completed at least one year of full-time studies to qualify for a scholarship. The grant is paid directly to the seminary school on behalf of the student.
School Scholarship Programs
Many seminary schools and colleges have their own grant and scholarship programs for chaplain training. Davidson College (davidson.edu) in North Carolina, for example, provides grants for a variety of ministry-related activities. The Office of Chaplain awards scholarships to help students attend faith-based conferences or to participate in a spiritual exploration domestic or abroad. The Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (gordonconwell.edu) has several campuses located along the east coast for students who want to pursue a life in ministry. Financial aid is available to help pay for tuition and other education related expenses.
References
Writer Bio
Davina Price has been writing since 2003, specializing in grant and technical writing for government and nonprofit organizations. She currently is a licensed real-estate agent in Southern California and specializes in working with first-time home buyers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from the University of Southern California.