Do you have an idea to improve the Luther community but lack the funds to implement it? Are you curious how a grant opportunity for our own campus might spur creativity here and beyond?
This semester, our Money and Mission of the Church course is participating in an Endowment Laboratory. Students taking the course make decisions about how to invest a real, live, actual, in existence approximately $125,000 endowment, the bulk of which was provided by a gift from Thrivent Financial. The students also will make decisions about where to make fund disbursements. InFaith Community Foundation Education manages the Lab Fund on our behalf. As part of the lab, Chris Anderson, President and Executive Director of InFaith, has visited class several times to teach students about managing endowments and leading congregations with endowments.
Grants may range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Students will decide how many, and what amount of grants to fund. To guide in this process, this year’s class has crafted the following statement to help focus the grant decision-making process.
MISSION: Inspired by the teachings of Christ, the Luther Seminary Endowment Lab supports leadership, innovation, and empowerment through strategies that encourage new communities and transform existing communities as they seek to bring hope, stability and long-term impact to all of their members.
The whole Luther community—students, staff, faculty, family, everyone—is encouraged to apply. The application deadline is Friday, November 30. Decisions will be made by in early December and awards will be disbursed soon thereafter. Submit the completed grant application to Adam Copeland (electronic copy preferred).
The Grant Application Form may be downloaded at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XxgHcPjYjadpYtl2VgeTSCHyVousyOdRjZ5eSIkajUs/edit?usp=sharing
Questions? Contact: Adam Copeland, Director of the Center for Stewardship Leaders, acopeland001@luthersem.edu and/or a student in the Money and Mission of the Church course.