Select Page

The Diocesan Fund for Critical Clergy Needs

Upcoming Grant Application Deadlines

Please Note: Completed applications and supporting materials must be submitted digitally using the online form.

The Diocesan Fund for Critical Clergy Needs Committee allocates grants in three areas to canonically resident priests, deacons or congregations of the Diocese of New York, as follows:

  1. To assist priests or deacons who have expenses related to severe illnesses or other household crises, lapsed medical insurance premiums, financial emergencies caused by unemployment and unusual medical or dental expenses.
  2. Educational grants: a.) to the children of priests or deacons with special needs or living in critical mission areas where public schooling is clearly inadequate; and b.) to aid undergraduate college tuition for children of priests or deacons. Undergraduate education grants have in recent years been in the amount of $2,000 for each student.
  3. Grants to congregations which are unable to keep pension payments current.  At present, no congregation is able to make application for these funds more than once every ten (10) years.

In cases where there is a need that cannot be met under these criteria, please contact the Canon for Pastoral Care. Other funds are available that might be able to address the situation.

Eligibility and How Grants Are Determined

Eligibility

Bishops, priests and deacons, active or retired, who are canonically resident in the Episcopal Diocese of New York are eligible to apply for CCN grants.

Grants are typically available only to clergy. Surviving spouses and family members of clergy are not generally eligible to apply.

How Grants Are Determined

Grant requests are reviewed by the CCN Committee, a body of ordained and lay leaders appointed by the Bishop of New York; grant decisions are in accordance with CCN Fund guidelines.

Typically grant requests are for healthcare needs or tuition scholarships. Requests are submitted by completing the pdf form and submitting it and all supporting documentation electronically using the upload form at 2020.dioceseny.org.

All applications must be filled out completely and include documentation in support of the grant request.

The CCN Committee generally meets four times a year. Applicants are informed soon after each quarterly meeting about the grant decisions.

Application Deadlines are the last Friday of February, May, August, and November.

In urgent situations requiring immediate consideration, please contact the Canon for Pastoral Care to inquire about initiating a grant request.

Further information about the application process can be found below, by type of grant.

Healthcare Grants

The most common type of critical need grant provides financial assistance in times of medical crisis or for extraordinary healthcare costs not covered by insurance.

Click on the link in the right sidebar to download the Healthcare Grant Application.

Critical healthcare can include, but is not limited to:

  • medical care provided in time of severe illness or other family medical crisis;
  • extraordinary dental, vision or auditory care, or hearing aids;
  • acute mental healthcare in time of crisis;
  • acute medical or rehab care in situations involving addiction.

Grant requests for financial assistance with healthcare-related costs will be considered only for reasonable and necessary expenses not covered by medical or dental insurance. It is the responsibility of the applicant to understand the parameters of her or his insurance plans, and to work within their health plans’ requirements.

Before Applying:

Prior to submitting a CCN Healthcare Grant Application, an applicant must verify that costs associated with the healthcare critical need are not covered by insurance or cannot be funded through other sources, such as social service agencies. All healthcare bills must first be submitted to an insurance provider before the CCN Committee will consider approving a grant.

Healthcare bills for “Out of Network” services will not be considered, if a cleric opted out of available “In Network” service providers.

Regular costs of health insurance, such as co-pays and deductibles, and premiums for a Medicare Supplemental Insurance Policies, are not considered a critical need.

CCN grants are not to be considered an ongoing funding source.

Any subsequent application for a CCN grant that relates to an ongoing health crisis will be reviewed in the context of previously awarded grants.

When Clergy Travel or Live Abroad:

CCN grants will not be made to assist with healthcare costs incurred outside of the United States.

Clergy need to be aware that many health insurance plans, including Medicare, do not cover such healthcare expenses. Clergy planning to travel abroad are urged to obtain traveler’s insurance. Clergy who reside abroad for an extended period are encouraged to investigate appropriate healthcare options, including for emergency situations.

Other Critical Financial Needs

Other financial hardship situations may be eligible for consideration.

Any financial need of a critical nature not related to healthcare expenditures, may be brought to the attention of the Canon for Pastoral Care, for review and recommendation to the CCN Committee.

The CCN Committee reserves the right to determine whether a situation is of a critical nature.

Tuition Assistance Grants for Children of Clergy

The CCN FUND offers Tuition Assistance Grants to the children of clergy of three kinds: for college; for certified adult vocational training; and for primary or secondary school education under special circumstances.

Click in the right sidebar to download the Tuition Assistance Grant Application.

For College

The maximum amount of a grant is $4,000 per student per academic year. Grant amounts may vary from year to year, depending on the availability of funds and the number of grant applications.

Annual grants for each child will be awarded for no more than four years.

Applications will be received from January through May for the next academic year. The CCN Committee will consider applications at the early June meeting. Grants for applications received after the published due date, if awarded, may be subject to a 10% penalty reduction. Applications must be submitted electronically via the upload form at https://2020.dioceseny.org/critical-clergy-needs-grant-application/ and accompanied by tuition invoicing documentation from the college or university at which the student is enrolled.

Applications must be supported by tuition invoicing documentation from the
college or university at which the student is enrolled.

The CCN Fund does not provide grants for graduate-level study.

For Certified Adult Vocational Training

Clergy may apply for a Tuition Assistance Grant for their children’s participation in a certified adult vocational training program. Applications may be submitted at any time.

The maximum amount of a grant is $4,000 per student per year. Annual grants for each child will be awarded for no more than four years, whether for college, vocational training or both.

Applications must be supported by tuition invoicing documentation from the certified training program in which the student is enrolled.

For Primary or Secondary School

Clergy may apply for Tuition Assistance Grants for their children’s primary or secondary education, under the following circumstances:

When a child has special needs requiring a particular educational setting or pedagogy;

When a cleric lives and works in a critical mission area of the diocese, where public schooling is clearly inadequate. In this case, the cleric may apply for a Tuition Assistance Grant for their child’s private school education.

Applications may be submitted at any time, but only one grant per child, per academic year, will be awarded.

Financial aid applications must be supported with invoicing documentation from the school at which the student is enrolled.

Critical Clergy Needs Manager

Ms. Zoraida Marte
Payroll Manager

Office: 212-316-7478
Fax: 212-932-7328
zmarte@dioceseny.org

Icon
Critical Clergy Needs Fund Guidelines (rev. Sept 2021)
Download 190.73 KB
Icon
Grant Request To Individuals
& for Medical or
Dental Expense
Download 184.90 KB
Icon
Grant Request For
School Tuition
Download 162.31 KB