St. Charles church accepting grant applications from Kane County organizations

Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Charles will be awarding grants of up to $5,000 to nonprofit organizations working to better their community before the end of this year.

Grant applications are open and nonprofit organizations from Kane County and around the Fox Valley area are invited to apply.

The grant part of Bethlehem Lutheran’s Expansive Church 2023 outreach initiative was designed to be a way to give back to the community. Applicants do not have to be religious organizations.

The deadline for submissions is Nov. 1. Recipients will be announced Dec. 20.

Bethlehem Lutheran officials previously said the opportunity is intended to be an incubator and accelerator for entrepreneurs and nonprofits with innovative ideas or business models that address social issues and community needs.

The grant is funded by donations from church members and is designed to be a recurring annual opportunity. Ten percent of all donations to Bethlehem Lutheran since January have been collected to be dispersed through the grants.

About $25,000 has been allocated for the grant and each grant recipient will be awarded between $2,500 and $5,000, based on the needs of their organization.

Grant applications will be reviewed by a board of church members and clergy who will choose the recipients and the amount they will receive. Applications from research projects and for-profit organizations will not be considered for the grant.

Applications can be submitted online or by printing the application form and submitting it by mail or in person to the church office at 1145 N. Fifth Ave. Applicants should put attention Deacon Heather Feltman on the submissions.

Expansive Church committee members and grant liaisons will be available for applicants who need assistance submitting the grant applications.

For more information about the grant opportunity, contact Lorri Linkimer at lori@starckre.com, Deacon Heather Feltman at heather@bethlehemluth.org, visit the church website or call the church office at 630-584-2199.