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St. George’s Episicopal Church

St. George’s Episicopal Church

Social Enterprise Funding

About 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.”

Click here to read more about our current and previous SGEM partners.

If you have questions about St. George’s Enterprise Ministry or if you are interested in applying for future funding, please contact Calvin Lewis, SGEM Committee Chair, at calvin_lewis@comcast.net 

 

Grant Information

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.

Application

Download the application for 2021 funding. The application for 2022 funding will posted here when available.

Our Partnership with Funded Enterprises

SGEM will invest funds in these social enterprises and support the leaders through the skills and talents of our parishioners. The enterprise partners will receive the following:

  • Financial support
  • Mentoring for organizational and leadership development
  • Access to a broad base of networking connections

The recipients of the entrepreneurs’ offerings will be able to live in deeper faith, with greater hope, and as full partners in effecting change within their own neighborhoods.

The parishioners of St. George’s will share in the spreading of the Gospel locally

  • With more in-depth relationships growing out of the Enterprise Ministry partnerships
  • Via increased opportunities for hands-on volunteer work; and
  • Through greater understanding of the economic challenges present in Nashville

Outcomes of support for enterprises

SGEM will invest funds in these selected social enterprises and support the leaders through the skills and talents of our parishioners. Enterprise partners will receive the following:

  • Financial support
  • Mentoring for organizational and leadership development
  • Access to a broad base of networking connections
  • The recipients of the entrepreneurs’ offerings will be able to live in deeper faith, with greater hope, and as full partners in effecting change within their own neighborhoods
  • The parishioners of St. George’s will share in the spreading of the gospel locally
  • With more in-depth relationships growing out of the Enterprise Ministry partnerships
  • Via increased opportunities for hands-on volunteer work
  • Through greater understanding of the economic challenges present in Nashville