St. George’s Enterprise Ministry
The St. George’s Enterprise Ministry (“SGEM”) was formed as an expression of St. George’s successful Living Waters Campaign which was completed in 2013 and raised more than $6 million. One-tenth of the funds raised were designated “to invest in a new mission initiative that would bless the Nashville community and serve as a catalyst for future St. George’s ministry opportunities and relationships outside the parish.”
At this time, SGEM has approximately $630,000 available to “invest” in the Nashville community.
Questions? Contact Calvin Lewis, SGEM Committee Chair, at calvin_lewis@comcast.net.
Grant Information
Grant Application
Download the SGEM application for 2019 funding here.
Grant Guidelines & Timeline
God calls us as a church to embody and bear witness to his kingdom in the world around us. One of the fundamental ways we do this is through the giving of our time and resources for the benefit of our neighbors as an expression of God’s love for all people. Because of our belief that deep and ongoing personal relationships are integral to this witness, this ministry seeks opportunities that are located within the Nashville Metro area only.
The SGEM Committee will seek to identify, evaluate, and support social enterprises that:
- Focus on development, not betterment
- Promote interdependency, not dependency
- Empower recipients with personal and social transformation
- Leverage St. George’s strengths in business, leadership, entrepreneurship, and mentoring
To ensure the broadest impact, SGEM intends to limit the total amount of financial support committed on an annual basis to all supported partner enterprises to no more than $100,000 and the total cumulative support to any one enterprise to no more than $100,000.
SGEM anticipates selecting one new enterprise for support annually, though more than one enterprise may be recommended for support at the discretion of the SGEM Committee. SGEM does not intend to be the sole or even majority financial supporter of any enterprise beyond the first year of support. To ensure the sustainability of SGEM-supported enterprises, the following target funding guidelines have been established to encourage SGEM-supported enterprises to develop a broad base of support for their work, both financial and non-financial:
- No enterprise will receive more than $50,000 from SGEM within any 12 month period
- SGEM’s financial support of an enterprise will represent less than 50% of an enterprise’s total annual operating budget within 24 months of SGEM support
Funding Criteria
In addition to considering the faith-based nature of prospective enterprises and the more detailed criteria outlined below, in its selection process the SGEM Committee will prioritize funding enterprises that possess most if not all of the following characteristics:
- Target an underserved community within Metro Nashville
- Led by a committed, visionary leader
- Developmental in nature, with an orientation toward job creation or jobs training
- Start up or early stage in development
- “Sponsored” by one or more St. George’s parishioners
- Provide ongoing, consistent opportunities for parishioner involvement
Timeline
Application review will take place June-August, with finalists being chosen at the end of the review period. Finalists will be asked to present to the SGEM committee in the fall, and once those presentations are complete, the SGEM committee will make funding recommendations to the Church leadership in late fall.
Current Partners
Humphreys Street Coffee
Born out of a desire to create jobs in their neighborhood,
provide mentoring opportunities that empower youth, and train teenagers in job skills such as customer service, marketing, and craftsmanship, Humphreys Street Coffee was created. They are a social enterprise within their parent non-profit, Harvest Hands Community Development, and employ 16 teens per year. One hundred percent of their profits are reinvested into programs and scholarships that support their students.
To learn more about Humphreys Street Coffee, please visit humphreysstreet.com.
BRANDED Collective
BRANDED Collective exists to empower survivors of human trafficking through meaningful employment producing jewelry and economic independence. Their hope is that each employee will be inspired to rediscover the dreams she has lost and be motivated to go forth and pursue them. They also seek to unite a collective of survivors and patrons who work together to advance the abolition of human trafficking.
To learn more about BRANDED Collective, please visit brandedcollective.com.
Poverty & the Arts
Poverty & the Arts is a social enterprise nonprofit that provides opportunities for artists overcoming homelessness to engage in creative outlets, learn income through selling artwork and merchandise, develop entrepreneurial and professional skills, and build community relationships. In their Artist Collective program, artists utilize the provided art supplies and studio space to create artwork in partnership with mentors from the local art community.
To learn more about Poverty & the Arts, please visit povertyandthearts.org.