Thriving Children Micro Grant

Grant Opportunity for Churches

The Thriving Children initiative is excited to offer a grant cycle for congregations opening September 15,2026 and closing October 31, 2026. The goal of these “micro” grants ($1,000-$2,500) is to enable congregations to implement new or enhance existing practices that focus on the major Thriving Children objectives:

safeguarding children,
equipping congregations to be more inclusive of families with children who are neurodivergent, and
creative worship and spiritual formation.

We anticipate awarding between 5 and 10 grants in the first cycle. Another grant cycle will be available in the Spring of 2027 with the application window to be announced late in 2026.

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FAQs

Are there any eligibility requirements to apply for a grant?

Yes. Churches applying for a grant must have adults who have completed the CBF child safeguarding training requirement. If you are unsure if your church meets this requirement, please email Jay Kieve (jkieve@cbf.net) or Kelly Adams (kadams@cbf.net) to confirm. Higher priority will be given to churches that have completed a Neurodivergence and the Church workshop in addition to safeguarding training.

What is the application window?

The application will be open from September 15 through October 31, 2026.

Will there be a chance to ask questions about the application?

Yes. The Thriving Children Steering Committee will offer Zoom sessions prior to the application open date that will be open to individuals who have questions about the application and process. Dates are listed below.

Who should complete the application?

The church’s grant application should be completed by a ministerial staff member if possible. Lay leaders may also apply but should communicate with their church staff and/or deacons that they are doing so, and have the authority to provide the assurances included on the application on behalf of the church.

What happens once the application is closed?

After the application closes on October 31, the grant committee will review all eligible applications. Applicants may be contacted if clarification is needed for something on their application. Applicants will be notified via email whether their application is approved. All funding decisions are final.

How will applications be evaluated?

Applications will be evaluated based mainly on how closely the proposed project aligns with the priorities of the Thriving Children program with some consideration given to need. Preference will be given to applications that propose the development of resources that can be broadly shared, seek to help congregations grow in their inclusion of children in worship and prayer practices, and/or equip caregivers for conversations about faith at home. Applications seeking funds for capital projects, salaries/personnel, debt reduction, or those that do not address a current priority of the grant program will not be considered.

How will funds be sent to churches?

All grant payments will be made via ACH. Each church receiving funds will need to have a completed W9 and a confidential bank information form (www.cbf.net/bankinfo) on file with CBF’s finance department. The person applying for the grant should work with the church’s financial administrator to make sure that all forms are completed within 2 weeks after the grant award notification. We recommend discussing this before submitting the application so that if awarded, the process of submitting any needed financial information is simplified.

What does the church have to do after receiving the grant?

The individual completing the application makes the following assurances regarding the calendar year after the grant is awarded:

Make available to CBF any resources developed with the grant funds, even if the grant doesn’t fund the project completely.
Provide project updates to CBF and assist with developing a blog post, article, or other communication that tells the project’s story.
Provide photos and/or videos of the project.
Include acknowledgement of CBF funding on project communications and products.
Provide a progress check at 6 months and project summary when the one-year grant cycle is complete. This will include a final report and full accounting of how grant funds were spent (using the budget that was submitted with the application).

The church will have the ability to name a primary point of contact for all post-award communications who will be responsible for submitting project resources, stories, photos and videos, and reports.

Open Office Hours will be available for questions about the grant process and any other Thriving Children questions you may have on the following days and times:

Thursday, August 20 at 1:30pm EST
Tuesday, September 8 at 11:30am EST
Wednesday, September 16 at 11:00am EST

What are the key dates to remember?

Thursday, August 20 at 1:30pm EST — Zoom Open Office Hour
Tuesday, September 8 at 11:30am EST — Zoom Open Office Hour
Tuesday, September 15, 9:00am EST— Application Opens
Wednesday, September 16 at 11:00am EST— Zoom Open Office Hour
Saturday, October 31, 5:00pm EST— Application Closes
November 2026 — Committee Review Takes Place
December 2026 — Award Notifications Made
January 2027 — Payments Disbursed
June-July 2027 — 6-Month Check In
December 2027-January 2028 — Project Wrap-Up and Final Reports

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Examples

Examples of grant projects that the committee would strongly consider awarding a grant for include but are not limited to:

Creating sensory carts and/or praygrounds for worship spaces
Upgrading spaces for safety and inclusion purposes (this would include furniture, safety features, and other small upgrades but not large “capital” projects).
Supplies and education opportunities (like a luncheon after church to train volunteers, etc.) for training staff and leaders on how to add creative and intergenerational elements to worship.
Materials needed to create resources for parents and caregivers that encourage creative worship and spiritual practices at home as a family.

Please keep in mind these are just examples. We hope you will consider a project that would be the next most faithful step for your congregation and fit your existing needs. Please note that applications seeking funds for capital projects, salaries/personnel, debt reduction, or those that do not address a current priority of the grant program will not be considered.

Safeguarding Training

All churches applying for the grants must have completed a safeguarding training with the Thriving Children initiative. If you have questions about whether your church meets that qualification, please email jkieve@cbf.net. Churches are also strongly encouraged to complete the Neurodivergence and the Church training. You can find dates and registration information for future trainings here.

Application

The application for the micro-grant can be found HERE, and will be open on September 15, 2026 at 9:00am EST. You’ll need the following information to successfully complete the application:

Primary Contact Name (who is authorized by the church to agree to covenants of the grant), email, role/title, church name, church address, and average weekly worship attendance
Agree to CBF having permission to use this grant request to share the work of my church and network within the Fellowship
A summary statement of what grant funds will be used for and the requested amount of the grant (between $1,000 and $2,500)
Other sources of funding, if any
A project proposal not to exceed 750 words
Explanation of how this project addresses at least one of the grant pillars: child safeguarding, inclusion and belonging of families with children on the spectrum of neurodivergence, and creative worship and spiritual formation
more detailed description of activities of the grant and programs on which funds might be spent
2-5 measurable goals for the project
A budget ready to be uploaded in PDF format to the application. A budget template is included with the FAQ.
Agree to the following grant covenants:
- Make available to CBF any resources developed with funds from this grant, even if the grant doesn’t fund the project completely.
- Work with CBF to provide updates on the progress of the project and to develop a blog post, article, or other communication about the project.
- Provide photos/videos of the project for the CBF’s use.
- Include acknowledgement of CBF funding on communications and products. (example: “This project is made possible through grant funds awarded from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Thriving Children grant.”
- Spend the micro-grant funds within a year from the date of receipt.
- Provide a progress check at 6 months and a summary report/evaluation with data when the one-year grant cycle is complete. I understand that CBF will provide a template for the final report.

Open Office Hours