Pleasants Fund

GUIDELINES FOR PLEASANTS FUND GRANTS

We are currently requesting that all applications be sent in electronic format to the secretary for the Pleasants Fund, Mike Coffey at:  [email protected] 

If possible, please send documents in the .pdf format, if not then use MS Word and Excel formats. You can also contact Mike at 802 533-2660 for any other questions.

1 ) By vote of the corporation, amended by-laws of the Greensboro United Church of Christ (Article VI section 8 ) that the Pleasants Fund Committee shall “apply the proceeds of the Pleasants Fund to selected projects, causes, agencies, or organizations whose purposes lie within the legitimate concerns of this Church but outside its ordinary operating expense budget.”

2 ) It is the purpose of the Pleasants Fund, in projects outside the United Church of Christ, to assist in enabling new and innovative ideas to be tried, and preference will be given to such applications. Projects which are in effect regular operating expenses will not be funded except in instances where applications clearly demonstrate unusual worthiness of project and that efforts to obtain other funding have been unsuccessful, and only where Committee funds are adequate after satisfying preference projects noted above. Applicants are cautioned against dependence on recurring grants.

3 ) Grants shall be made only to non-profit, tax exempt organizations holding 501 C3 status with the Internal Revenue Service.

4 ) Requests by individuals for scholarship aid should be addressed to the Greensboro United Church of Christ Scholarship Committee.

5 ) No grants shall be considered for regular annual operating expenses of any organization, except as specified in Item 2.

6 ) All applications for grants shall be made in writing, with eight copies, and delivered to the Church office at least ten days prior to the date of the meeting in person by an authorized representative, not a member of the Pleasants Fund Committee, of the organization seeking the grant. Emergency relief requests from the Diaconate Board of the United Church of Christ are exempt from this requirement.

7 ) Grant applications shall include the following information:

• A) The name, address, date of founding and statement of purpose of the organization (unless previously supplied).
• B) Names and addresses of all current officers and board members or trustees.
• C) Copy of the organization’s most recent financial statement.
• D) A full description of the purpose for which the funds are requested, including as accurate costs as can be obtained.
• E) Statement of other funding obtained or being sought for the same project.

8 ) Only under the most unusual circumstances will grants in excess of $2,500 or below $100 be considered.

9 ) A follow-up report in writing will be appreciated by the Pleasants Fund Committee within one year of the issuance of the grant, stating how the funds were used.

Pleasants Fund Committee
United Church of Christ
P.O. Box 176
Greensboro, Vermont 05841