Apply for a Grant
THE 2026 GIVING CIRCLE GRANT APPLICATION OPENS JULY 1, 2025, AND CLOSES NOVEMBER 30, 2025.
The Catholic Community Foundation Giving Circle Grant Program awards grants to twenty qualifying organizations and nonprofits that meet the application criteria. These organizations and nonprofits will receive the opportunity to “pitch” their granting needs directly to the Catholic Community Foundation Giving Circle Members. After grant pitching, Giving Circle donor members will vote and decide which organizations will receive funding and how much will be granted.
Download the Giving Circle Toolkit to learn more about the application process, requirements, and deadlines.
The Giving Circle Grants Offer Awards In Three Categories:
Community Forever
The Community Forever Fund grant category supports organizations that want to make capital improvements to their infrastructure or programs that enrich educational opportunities, promote leadership, foster Christian virtue, and enhance academic outcomes. Past awards have included playground equipment, security fencing, electrical upgrades and repairs, and new equipment to support the mission.
MUSIC GRANT OPPORTUNITY: Granting opportunities are also available through the Community Forever Fund for organizations looking to improve their music ministry. The Music subcategory is specific to music-related improvements or programs only.
Life Forever
The Life Forever Fund grant category supports ministries and nonprofit organizations dedicated to protecting human life from conception to natural death. Past grants have funded increased capacity to serve addiction programs, purchases of much-needed medical equipment and supplies, and more!
Funding through the Life Forever Fund is available to organizations that help with mental health and overcoming addiction so individuals can live the quality of life God wants.
Care Forever
The Care Forever Fund supports organizations focusing on the Corporal Works of Mercy. These include solutions to the issues of poverty, feeding, clothing, housing, and lack of basic medical care, as well as outreach and direct care for the poor. Past grants have included the installation of showers for the unhoused, funding for materials and programs that provide educational resources to escape poverty, providing life-saving medications, and more!
The Care Forever Fund also has opportunities to award to organizations serving vulnerable populations and addressing the following needs: food insecurity and/or access to healthy foods, preventative health and wellness, health education, access to health resources, and recreation and physical activity.
Eligibility
All applicants must meet the following criteria:
- The applicant organization must be a 501(c)(3) public charity registered with the Federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
- The applicant organization must serve primarily within the geographic region of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, which includes Maricopa, Mohave, Yavapai, and Coconino counties (excluding the territorial boundaries of the Navajo Indian Reservation), as well as the Gila River Indian Reservation in Pinal County.
- The applicant organization’s values must align with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
- Grant recipients of the Giving Circle must take a one-year hiatus before reapplying to the Giving Circle for a new grant request.
- The project should be fully funded within one year of the grant award.
- Grant monies must be used for the purpose for which funds were applied for and approved.
- Applicant organizations are limited to one grant proposal for consideration during a single grant cycle.
- Grantmaking cannot focus on any of the following areas: debt reduction, fundraising initiatives, galas or events, scholarships or tuition assistance, and operating costs (i.e., administrative fees/costs and salary).
- Grant recipient organizations must complete and return a Grant Agreement before funds are released from the Catholic Community Foundation.
- Grant recipient organizations must complete and submit an Impact Report for active grants before applying for a new grant.
Funding Priorities
Priority is given to grant applicants who can show:
- The request has a well-planned approach to addressing an identified need with clearly stated goals, objectives, and means of measuring outcomes.
- The request helps fulfill the primary mission of the organization.
- The request is likely to continue and expand after the grant period and become self-sustaining.
- The request provides innovative and creative solutions and demonstrates efficiency in its use of funds.
- The request must support the mission of the Church and its ministries.
Grant Application Phases
Phase I - Application
Organizations must submit an online application to the Foundation, summarizing their grant request.
Phase 2 - Review
Lifetime Giving Circle Members will review and score applications. Twenty applicants closely aligned with the Giving Circle’s funding priorities will be invited to attend Pitch Day. After pitching, voting results will be reviewed and selected organizations will be granted funds.
The rubric will be based on the following questions:
- Is the organization located in the Diocese of Phoenix?
- How much federal funding is provided to the organization?
- How dependent is the organization on receiving a grant?
- Has the organization received a grant in the past?
- Has the organization pitched in the past?
- Do the organization’s values align with the Catholic Faith?
- How long has the organization been serving?
- Is the project an urgent need within our community, relative to the other applications received?