Refugees & Migrants
Convocation Refugee Grant Program (CRGP)
Background
In response to the refugee crisis occasioned by the war in Ukraine, the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe has received grant support from Episcopal Relief and Development—the humanitarian agency of the Episcopal Church—as well as contributions from a number of generous individuals, parishes, and dioceses in the broader church. These funds have been set aside in a separate account by the Convocation, with a view to providing both the means and the encouragement for strengthening the ability of all Anglican congregations in Europe to understand more deeply, and to respond more resourcefully, to the needs of all refugees in the communities they serve.
While most of our congregations exist in places where public agencies provide considerable support to refugee populations, there is always something the church is uniquely able to contribute as a companion to, and community for, refugees in our midst. The compassion to which we are called as followers of Christ can take many forms—whether it is providing resources for community-building and mutual assistance, offering educational resources such as language teaching or familiarization programs, or simply providing pastoral care to those who have been traumatized, who have lost homes and families, and who often are vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking.
The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt:
I am the LORD your God .– Leviticus 19:34
Grant Program Overview & Purpose
Grants are intended to support new initiatives for responding to the needs of refugees in the areas served by congregations, or to strengthen existing programs with clear possibilities for growth.
An expectation of the CRGP review committee is that the program in view will not only improve the lives of refugees but in some way change the lives of participating congregations, making them more aware, more responsive, and more engaged with the needs of the most vulnerable.
The grant program is geographically focused on Continental Europe and is open to all Anglican congregations in Europe. For more information on eligibility, please see below.
The 2024 and 2025 Convocation Refugee Grant Program (CRGP) will focus on migration and integration by fostering self-sufficiency, integration and well-being for refugees and asylum seekers.
Grant Terms & Conditions
🗓️ Application Period
Grant applications are accepted year-round.
💶 Funding Limits
- Each project may request up to €15,000.
- Congregations may apply for a maximum of two projects per calendar year, with a combined total of up to €30,000
- Please note: The figures are request maximums, not predetermined awards. The committee awards all grants at its discretion, and successful applications may be funded at less than the requested total.
📝 Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for funding, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- All application materials must be submitted in English.
- Congregations of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe must have submitted the previous year’s Parochial Report.
📊 Grantee Commitments
Recipients of CRGP funding agree to:
- Submit detailed interim and final reports on project performance, finances, and outcomes.
- Designate at least one representative to participate in occasional Community of Practice webinars, hosted by Episcopal Relief & Development and the Convocation.
- Understand that acceptance of a grant signifies commitment to both reporting and engagement in the Community of Practice program.
Full Terms & Conditions
Staffing and Professional Fees (30% Cap)
No more than 30% of the total amount requested from CRGP may be allocated to paid professional services. This includes:
- Project managers
- Teachers and instructors
- Legal advisors
- Therapists or counselors
The remaining 70% of the grant must support direct project expenses such as materials, participant needs, space rental, transport, and other non-salary costs.
Budget Flexibility (10% Rule)
- Projects may reallocate up to 10% of their approved budget across line items without prior approval.
- Any adjustments over 10% require written approval from the CRGP administrator.
Unused Funds and Project Continuation
If a project is nearing completion and unused funds remain, the recipient may carry over the funds into a new grant cycle, provided that:
- A new application is submitted and approved.
- The carryover is clearly noted in the application narrative or budget.
Example:
A project running from June 2025 to June 2026 may carry funds into a follow-up application submitted by April 2026, with a new start date of June 2026.
Submission Timing & Processing
We recommend submitting renewal or new applications at least one month before your current project ends.
Processing time: once all documents are submitted—including the application, budget, and bishop’s letter (if required)—the standard review period is 5 weeks.
Questions or Support Needed?
You are encouraged to read more about the grant application process in depth before you start. However should you have any questions, our administration team is ready to assist.
Eligibility
These Congregations or Dioceses are eligble for grant support of their programs. If your Congregation is not listed and you would like more information, please contact us.
- The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe
- The Diocese in Europe of the Church of England
- The Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church (IERE)
- The Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church
- Congregations of the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht
- Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands (OKKN)
- Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany
- Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
- Old Catholic Church of Austria
- Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic
- Polish Catholic Church in Poland
- Old Catholic Church of Croatia
- Mission Vieille Catholique Francophone
- Old Catholic Delegation of the Utrecht Union in Slovakia
Application Documents
The different application documents with explanations are found in the following modules.
To download of all documents at once, please click below.
Please note: while the below documents are meant to support (and some are required) your application, we require your final application to be filed via the application portal. Please make sure to submit final applications and all supporting documents through this portal.
Application Form (required)
The link below will take you to the official application form. We recommend completing the Draft Application Form before submitting through the official portal. This will allow you to save your work and return later should you require more time to fill out all sections.
After all application processes of the online form have been successfully completed, a notice of confirmation “Your form has been submitted” appears on the screen, along with the responses submitted. It is recommended to save the post-submission webpage as a PDF, for the applicant’s records.
Budget Documentation (required)
The template required for the budget document submission is found here:
BUDGET TEMPLATE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Tailor this budget as needed (i.e. add or remove budget lines and sections as needed).
- The currency indicated in the budget must be listed in Euros.
- All text marked between asterisks – *text* – indicates what should be input in this space. All asterisks must be removed before submission.
- Please make sure that your budget aligns with the funding period as indicated in the project application.
BUDGET FORMATTING AND SUBMISSION
- Delete empty budget lines and sections before submission.
- Format cells to remove unnecessary spacing.
- Make sure all formulas are correct! If you delete or add lines/sections, be sure that the formulas are including these.
- Delete the “GENERAL/ FORMATTING AND SUBMISSION” table before converting to PDF.
- Delete all asterisks
- SAVE AS PDF — make sure no text is cut off and that the file is only one page wide.
- Name your PDF “Congregation_ProjectTitle_Budget“, whereby “Congregation” is the name of your congregation, “ProjectTitle” is the name of your Project/Initiative referring to your project Proposal.
- Upload the PDF in your Application Form.
Asset Mapping (optional)
The template for submitting the optional Asset Mapping Worksheet is found here:
Bishop's Letter of Support (required for some)
The template suggested for submitting the Bishop’s Letter of Support, which is required for congregations which are not members of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, is found below:
Your congregation’s Bishop should return this signed document directly to the applicant for submission. Please add your diocesan letterhead or Bishop’s seal to the finished letter. Please note that the file must be uploaded to the portal at the same time and in the same online form as your application.
Letters of Support from Project Partners (optional)
You are invited to submit letters of support from those who will be involved with your project. These should be uploaded as PDFs during your official application.
Ready to Apply?
Please click below to access the application form.
Selection, Review, Announcement
Current membership of the CRGP Review Committee
Voting Members
The Rt. Rev. Mark Edington
Bishop-in-Charge of the Convocation (Paris, France)
Ward Greenberg
COA President, Member of Christ the King (Frankfurt, Germany)
Giulia Bonoldi
CECE Chief Welcoming Officer for Refugees and Migrants (Rome, Italy)
Max Niedzwiecki
Member of Holy Trinity Cathedral (Paris, France)
Stéphanie Burette
(Durham)
Advising Members
Canon Sophie Plé
Financial Administrator of the Convocation (Paris, France)
Denis Le Moullac
Treasurer of the Convocation (Strasbourg, France)
Rabab Khedair
Member of Christ Church (Clermont-Ferrand, France)
Selection
When received, applications will be examined and evaluated by the CRGP Review Committee, whose members are listed to the left.
Review
The CRGP review committee may make requests for clarification or amendments to the proposal within five weeks of the date the application is submitted. All communication with the applicant will occur via email.
Announcement
The CRGP review committee will provide a determination to all applicants by email within five weeks of the receipt of an initial proposal.
Reporting Requirements
The reporting process is designed inform the Convocation on the general progress of the project and to enable the Convocation to learn more about the grantees’ context and strategy and for grantees to reflect on their work more in-depth. These efforts are divided into two types of reports:
- Interim/Quarterly
- Final
Quarterly and final reports will consist of a narrative and financial statement and, where possible, they should be accompanied by photographic material illustrating the project. A template has been provided to support in the report creation.
Any photographs containing people should also include consent forms. It is essential that you also include a signed consent form for each individual featured in the photographs. Ensure that these forms are properly completed and attached to confirm that all individuals have authorized the use of their images. This is necessary to comply with privacy and legal requirements.
Reporting Schedule
Applicants are encouraged to begin by selecting project start and end dates which correspond to the best delivery of aid in the local community.
Grantees are asked to submit quarterly reports during the funding period. We will be working with a so-called grace period. The grace period to complete the progress and/or final reports is of about two weeks after the deadline for reporting. This means that your report is due on the deadline, but should be submitted within the last day of the grace period. We encourage you to find the right time for your project report before the end of the grace period, but to submit the report as soon you are ready.
No matter when the start of the project is, the reporting periods are as follows:
First Quarter
Deadline for submission:
March 15th
Grace period open until:
March 31st
Second Quarter
Deadline for submission:
June 15th
Grace period open until:
June 30th
Third Quarter
Deadline for submission:
September 15th
Grace period open until:
September 30th
Fourth Quarter
Deadline for submission:
December 15th
Grace period open until:
December 31st
If activities begin less than 30 days before any of the deadlines specified here, the grantee can skip to the next scheduled date for sending in an interim or the final report.
Submission of reports are to be sent to welcomegrant@episcopaleurope.org
Grant Application Assistance
You are encouraged to read more about the grant application process in depth before you start. However should you have any questions, our administration team is ready to assist.
Ready to Apply?
Please click below to access the application form.
Safeguarding Training
Please click the link below to access valuable training resources. We have compiled a series of PowerPoint slides that provide crucial information and guidance for volunteers and staff working with vulnerable groups. While many churches have robust safeguarding training programs, these materials can serve to supplement existing protocols or inspire the development of new, tailored training programs specifically for projects under the “Welcoming and Walking with Refugees” program.
Observations from the “Hope Makers” conference in Berlin, Germany
Socorro Heepe was the Convocation’s Racial Justice Ministry representative to the conference – “Hope Makers: From Hostility to Hospitality – which brought together representatives from the Church of England (Diocese in Europe and the Racial Justice Unit), the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), the World Council of Churches (WCC), United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), academic institutions, interfaith organizations, and civil society partners.
Encouraging Mindful Donations
Mindful donations center on guarding the dignity of the guests in a church’s refugee and migrant program while communicating thoughtfully with your community and donors, according to Desiree Townley, who recently gave a Community of Practice sessions for coordinators who are heading projects funded by the Convocation Refugee Grant Program (CRGP) across Europe.
Fragrance in Freiburg
“Fragrance is always inviting. Fragrance reaches out, it can reach out to people who are not expecting fragrance to come,” said Fr. Vinod Victor. And being a fragrant presence in the southern German city of Freiburg is the aim of an extensive refugee outreach program developed by the Anglican Church Freiburg using a grant from the Convocation Refugee Grant Program (CRGP).
Interview with Kunstpause, Wiesbaden, Germany
Art Class Project (Kunstpause) started with two small classes at St. Augustine’s of Canterbury (Wiesbaden) in 2024 and has grown to seven different classes that host over 60 people each week in just a year and a half. “We are excited that we can provide a space for...
Best Practices for Grant Writing
Migrants and immigrants have always been an integral part of the Convocation. However, the sustained upward trend in immigration to Europe means that our parishes must find new ways to identify and provide services to respond to the growing needs. In 2023, the...
APL Workshop Focuses on Care for Refugees
The Academy of Parish Leadership (APL) met at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Geneva on 19-20 September for a training weekend focused on the refugee crisis. Eighteen participants shared insights from existing projects while working to establish a framework to identify...