AFC awards $1 million in grants in 2021
The Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) awarded a total of $1 million in grants to more than 150 applicants in 2021.
“There have been past years when AFC’s combined disbursements of grants and loans have hit the million-dollar mark,” says Scott Brubacher, AFC’s executive director, “but this is the first time in the Foundation’s 65-year history that we have reached that threshold on the strength of the grant program alone.”
“This critical milestone could not have come at a more important time in the life of our Church,” says Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and Chair of the AFC Board. “The global pandemic has taken a toll on churches and the people and communities they serve. Now, more than ever, we need our Foundation to strengthen and champion mission and ministry at the local level.”
Both Archbishop Nicholls and Brubacher congratulated the people and parishes who helped AFC reach the $1 million milestone. “Without people and parishes who have a vision for ministry during these challenging times — and the creative and compassionate ways they can strengthen their communities — AFC would not have any projects to fund.”
AFC, together with the diocesan representatives, identified the social isolation young people were facing during the pandemic as an important issue to try and mitigate. In response, AFC launched the Say Yes! to Kids Request for Proposals (RFP), which received an “astonishing response.”
“It was like nothing we’ve ever seen,” says Brubacher. “We knew there was a need, and there were some youth ministry leaders who felt ready to kickstart stalled programs or start new ones.” There are five programs being funded through the Say Yes! to Kids Request for Proposals in the Diocese of Islands and Inlets (BC), including Comox Valley Youth, Christ Church Cathedral’s Intercultural Day Camp, the pilgrimage program at the University of Victoria’s Multifaith Centre, and the Emmaus Community’s spiritual directions for kids.
AFC opens 2022 spring grant cycle
Brubacher is hopeful that the 2022 granting cycles will be just as impactful as 2021’s. “The Anglican church has a strong heart for community ministry. Many of our churches want to help reconnect friends and neighbours, and support those who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. They will need abundant resources to set the stage for pandemic recovery in communities from coast to coast to coast. AFC’s job is to be there to support that.”
“I want to encourage all Canadian Anglicans to take a closer look at AFC,” says Brubacher, “and the April 1, 2022, grant application deadline presents the perfect opportunity for them to do that.”
AFC remains best known for supporting church infrastructure projects. However, in recent years, AFC has also become a major partner in innovative ministry and spiritual formation projects, funding visionary programming that reflect an increasingly missional church. Sixty per cent of AFC’s funding during the past decade supported the following areas: leadership and education, community ministries, Indigenous ministries, and sacred music and liturgical arts.
Brubacher is inspired by all the churches who are doing great work in uncertain times. “There are a lot of people finding courageous and creative ways to do good ministry, and for those who want to branch out, AFC is both a dependable and a hopeful partner. We believe in the vital importance of the Anglican church in our Canadian context, and we’re here to invest in that!”
The deadline to apply for AFC’s spring grant cycle is April 1, 2022. Visit www.anglicanfoundation.org/apply for more information or email [email protected].
Read about some of the programs in the Diocese of Islands and Inlets that were funded by AFC grants in 2021: Projects across the diocese receive AFC funding.
