EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). The $25,000 grants may appear to be straightforward financial assistance, but the larger issue is governance.
The Archdiocese is not simply giving parishes money. It is encouraging them to adopt a structured planned-giving and endowment model, supported by Archdiocesan workshops, policies, templates and financial guidance.
That does not prove an attempt to seize parish assets. But it does raise legitimate questions: Who ultimately controls the endowment? Who sets the investment and distribution rules? What oversight does the Archdiocese retain? And what happens to those funds if a parish closes, merges, or comes into conflict with Church authorities?
The real significance is not the initial $25,000. It is the financial structure that may remain in place for decades and eventually hold millions in parishioner bequests.
Parishes should demand full transparency before accepting the grant.
A grant is temporary. The control structure built around an endowment can last for generations.
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source – eeod.news (link here for the Greek original)
Archdiocese of America Accepting Applications for $25,000 Grants
August 10, 21:26
Author: News
Archdiocese of America Opens Applications for $25,000 Grants
The matching-funds program for planned gifts to parishes is launching with ten grants, with priority given during the first round in 2026.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has opened the application process for a matching-funds program supporting planned giving to parishes, fulfilling a commitment made by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America during his opening address at the 48th Clergy-Laity Congress.
According to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the first round will include ten grants of $25,000 each.
The grants are funded with support from the Leadership 100 Endowment Fund and represent the beginning of a broader series of financial assistance initiatives for parishes. The purpose of the initiative is to support communities that are planning for their financial future through a dedicated endowment for planned giving.
During the first round, priority will be given to parishes participating in one of the ten regional workshops scheduled for 2026 throughout various areas of the Archdiocese.
Interested parishes are being asked to explain how their program will be organized, describe how it will strengthen the parish’s long-term financial sustainability, and commit to providing an equal amount of funding from their own resources.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy to provide financial support to parishes. A survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) found that 62% of parish council presidents believe their parishes need greater financial support and better guidance concerning charitable giving and financial contributions from their members.
