Assembly
Offering
"Singing a New Song:
Empowering Women"
Funds received from United Methodist Women's 2002 Assembly Offering
will be used to provide grants to programs and projects that assist women to
move from dependence to independence.
The following criteria apply:
- Preference will be given to organizations and projects which:
- are operated by women at the grassroots level,
- employ strategies which empower women to move from dependence to
independence,
- demonstrate the ability to raise additional funds from other
sources,
- promote respect for and appreciation of racial/ethnic diversity and
cultivate spiritual life and values.
- No capital grants will be given
- Proposed projects will include one or more of the following strategies:
- develop or strengthen women's ability to work and problem-solve
collectively; foster and affirm mutual support; advocate for economic
justice
- empower women to identify social and economic inequalities and then
attempt to change the existing power relationships;
- promote a holistic vision of justice and sustainability and include
such dimensions as gender justice, environmental integrity and justice,
understanding of global citizenship;
- open new horizons and help women to break down old barriers of
race, ethnicity, class, age, nationality, disability/access, etc., to
address a particular economic development problem or strategy;
- improve access to resources to enable self-sufficiency, such as
education, health care, job training, credit, work and family needs such
as child care and elder care;
- improve the economic stability of women and their families through
such means as economic literacy, vocational skills, apprenticeship
programs, business management training and the formation of businesses,
cooperatives, and/or loan funds, credit banks.
General Instructions for Applying for Assembly Offering Funds
Grants will not exceed $10,000 and will be one-time grants to either new
or existing projects. Available funds are limited.
Applications MUST:
- address the criteria directly and clearly,
- include all requested information,
- be of a quality to produce clearly legible copies.
Applications must be returned by October 15, 2002 to:
Office of Mission Opportunities
Women's Division
475 Riverside Drive, Room 1503
New York, NY 10115
Approval of grant recipients will be voted by Women's Division directors
in April 2003. Organizations will be notified of acceptance or rejection
in May 2003. Disbursements will begin as soon as possible.