Mission Statement

The Episcopal Community Services builds Episcopal identity, collaboration and community in nothern Ohio through strategic grant-making on behalf of the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio.

Through Episcopal Community Services (ECS) parishes apply for and receive financial support to create partnerships that strengthen communities, give in spiritual fidelity to God, and serve the world as the very body of Jesus.

Funding Criteria

• Encourage education and advocacy
• Strong Episcopal Church participation and support
• Volunteerism: Important to engage Episcopal volunteers from our congregations
• Our funds for grants will be limited, and therefore we will be giving priority to parish programs over community programs

The 2025 grant application is open until October 10, 2024. For grant questions, please contact the Rev. Rosalind Hughes.

Objectives

• To serve those in critical need through Episcopal parish programming, parishioners, and collaborative community services;
• To encourage liberation of those in need through education and through advocating for change in systems that create need;
• To adhere to our theological mandate to "do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God." Micah 6:8

How we live our mission

• Through the collection and organization of programmatic and financial resources for the journey, in particular conducting an annual campaign;
• Through grant distributions to Episcopal congregations and collaborative community initiatives that serve the needs of the community;
• Through support to Episcopal congregations and collaborative community initiatives that educate and advocate for systemic change, justice, and liberation;
• Through strategic grant making initiatives that increase Episcopal presence, expand Episcopal witness, and promote the reconciling love of God in the lives of the needy and oppressed in our community.

Development Council Members

Lay

Member Tasks

The current tasks of the members of the ECS Development Council are as follows:

Meet four times each year in person or via Zoom video conference. Members should make every attempt to attend the four regular meetings per year.

Review grants in subcommittees during scheduled phone conferences, and present the recommendations of each grant subcommittee to the ECS Development Council for approval at a regular meeting. Appendix 1 describes this process in further detail.

Grant the funds to agencies across the Diocese of Ohio in order to promote mission and outreach among parishes.

Make at least 1 site visit per year, and share a written report of each visit with the full committee. Appendix 2 describes this process in more detail.

Advocate for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal.

Contribute to ECS financially through the Bishop’s Annual Appeal as able.