United States
Overview
Applications are invited for initiatives that address the immigration realities in the United States. We are seeking projects that:
- Have a direct impact on our immigrant siblings;
- Build alliances with community entities that serve the immigrant community; and
- Integrate GCORR’s Vital Conversation on Immigration curriculum to educate congregation/organizational leadership, ensuring they are well-prepared to fulfill the objectives of this grant.
Who can apply?
This grant cycle is open to United Methodist and The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico[1]:
- Local Congregations
- Church Clusters
- Districts
- Campus Ministries – e.g. Wesley Foundations
- United Methodist Affiliated Colleges and Universities
GCORR is excited to provide grants that inspire supportive and healthy relationships with immigrant siblings and UMC ongoing engagement in the discourse of immigration with GCORR resources. We seek to support creative and impactful initiatives that:
- Demonstrate responsive approaches that address immigration realities of their community
- Engage and serve immigrant communities with forethought and direct engagement with community partnerships and alliances
- Create initiatives that have lasting change with the potential to be replicated in other local churches, districts, conferences, or UMC-affiliated entities
- Intentionally incorporate and build upon existing GCORR immigration resources and tools.
- [1] In 1992 United Methodist Church formed a Concordant relationship with Methodist Church of Puerto Rico. The 2020/2024 Book of Discipline Par. 705.4 f&g – Iglesia Metodista Autonoma Afiliada de Puerto Rico. This grant cycle focuses on immigration in the United States that impacts Puerto Rico as part of a Territory of the United States.
- Details
- Duration: Grants up to 12 months, beginning August 1, 2025 and ending July 31, 2026
- Funding: Grants up to $10,000 for projects lasting up to 12 months
- Application Deadline: Make sure to submit your complete applications with all required documents to the CORR Action Fund Committee at grants@gcorr.org by May 15, 2025.
- Further requirements and information are included in the application.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
CORR ACTION FUND
2025 Grant Application
Applications are invited for initiatives that address the immigration realities in the United States. We are seeking projects that:
- Have a direct impact on our immigrant siblings;
- Build alliances with community entities that serve the immigrant community; and
- Integrate GCORR’s Vital Conversation on Immigration curriculum to educate congregation/organizational leadership, ensuring they are well-prepared to fulfill the objectives of this grant.
Who can apply?
This grant cycle is open to United Methodist and The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico[1]:
- Local Congregations
- Church Clusters
- Districts
- Campus Ministries – e.g. Wesley Foundations
- United Methodist Affiliated Colleges and Universities
GCORR is excited to provide grants that inspire supportive and healthy relationships with immigrant siblings and UMC ongoing engagement in the discourse of immigration with GCORR resources. We seek to support creative and impactful initiatives that:
- Demonstrate responsive approaches that address immigration realities of their community
- Engage and serve immigrant communities with forethought and direct engagement with community partnerships and alliances
- Create initiatives that have lasting change with the potential to be replicated in other local churches, districts, conferences, or UMC-affiliated entities
- Intentionally incorporate and build upon existing GCORR immigration resources and tools.
About GCORR:
The General Commission on Religion and Race mission is to challenge, lead, and equip the people of The United Methodist Church to become interculturally competent, ensure institutional equity and facilitate vital conversations about religion, race, and culture. GCORR builds the capacity of The United Methodist Church to be contextually relevant and reach more people, more young people, and more diverse people. This is achieved by centering GCORR’s work around the Ministry Model’s three priorities: supporting and leading vital conversations, developing culturally competent leadership and ministries, and promoting institutional equity while upholding the agency’s historic commitment to racial justice within the Church.
Vital Conversations is about modeling holy conversations about race, cultural diversity, and institutional equity throughout the Church. We gather and share learnings from these conversations to help grow a movement that honors all of God’s creation.
Intercultural Competence is about understanding one’s own culture and those of others, and the ability to worship, work and live effectively and in harmony with diverse people are critical to those called to follow Christ.
Institutional Equity is about critically examining expressions of racial and cultural injustice in local and global contexts: setting goals for overcoming them, intentionally measuring progress, and resourcing culturally competent lay and clergy leaders to promote and sustain institutional equity within the world-wide United Methodist Connection.
Important Information:
Application Deadline: May 15, 2025
To be considered all attachments must be received by email to Grants@gcorr.org.
(An email confirming receipt will be sent by May 22nd. Call 202/495-2945 if this email is not received.)
Applicants may request up to $10,000 for up to 12 months
Beginning August 1, 2025 and ending July 31, 2026.
Applicants must be entities within the UMC that can provide a recent financial audit.* Those without an audit may apply through a UMC fiscal agent. Partnerships within the UMC are strongly encouraged, and partnerships with external organizations will be considered.
The application must be read and endorsed by the appropriate person.* If the application is from a church, the support of the District Superintendent is required. For a district or annual conference entity (Cabinet, Board of Ordained Ministry, Conference Commission on Religion and Race, etc.), the endorsement of the Director of Connectional Ministries or the Resident Bishop is required. For a seminary or other UM-affiliated college or university, a letter of support from the Chair of the board of directors or the dean of the college, university, or seminary is required.
The fiscal agent/entity’s 2024 audit* also must be provided. Granted funds must be used during the grant period for the specific purpose of the grant, and funds not used must be returned to the General Commission on Race and Religion.
Funds will not be granted for:
- initiatives without financial support from sources other than GCORR
- one-time events
- costs for staff, consultants, trainers, or community organizers that exceeds 20 percent of the total grant budget (excluding funds paid to partner organizations for these purposes)
- training or dialogue that does not result in quantifiable outcomes
- initiatives that impact a small number of people
- purchase of land or real property
- construction or improvement of facilities, or other large capital expenditures
Grant recipients will commit to engage in a GCORR vital conversation curriculum with their congregation and leadership during the grant period. They are also expected to share materials created and stories collected that exemplify the success of the initiative with GCORR.
Vital Conversations on Immigration: A Faithful Response
All grantees will need to incorporate this curriculum in their grant cycle to further the theological education around immigration. This Vital Conversations on Immigration series invites church members into a thoughtful and transformative exploration of immigration through a theological lens. Designed for congregations to explore deeply the biblical mandate to welcome the stranger, this six-session series provides theological grounding, challenges common misconceptions, and shares real-life stories to inspire empathy and action.
Each session addresses a crucial aspect of immigration, such as:
- Land and Migration – A biblical framework for hospitality and justice.
- Why Do People Migrate? – Dispelling myths and understanding root causes.
- Race, Culture, and Immigration – Exploring who belongs and how bias shapes perceptions.
- From Charity to Justice – The church’s role in advocacy and systemic change.
With dynamic speakers, personal testimonies, and guided discussions, this series equips churches to move from fear to faithful engagement in immigration justice.
The series will be made available in Summer 2025. To view a similar formatted series please visit: https://www.r2hub.org/vital-conversations-series-home
[1] In 1992 United Methodist Church formed a Concordant relationship with Methodist Church of Puerto Rico. The 2020/2024 Book of Discipline Par. 705.4 f&g – Iglesia Metodista Autonoma Afiliada de Puerto Rico. This grant cycle focuses on immigration in the United States that impacts Puerto Rico as part of a Territory of the United States.
