Established by the will of the late Lucy Lovett, the Lovett Fund has as its express purpose the maintenance of assisted congregations and building of mission churches. An “Assisted Congregation” under Diocesan Canon 23 shall be considered a “mission church” for purposes of grants from the Lovett Fund.
The principal of the Fund is managed and invested by the Trustees of Diocesan Funds and grants are made from the accumulated income of the Fund at the discretion of the Bishop and the Diocesan Council.
GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES
1. Grants are to be used solely for the maintenance and improvement of assisted congregations and mission churches. Improvements are to be made on the church building structure and not on vicarage or parish house if they are separate buildings.
2. The maximum grant to any one mission church will be $7,500.
3. Only one grant will be made to any one mission church within a twelve-month period; that date beginning on the date of approval by Diocesan Council.
4. A grant for unforeseen circumstances may be considered if it is applied for within the twelve-month period of a previously approved grant, however the total of the grants will not exceed the maximum of $7,500.
5. The assisted congregation or mission church will be required to raise, on its own, an amount of money equal to one third of the money requested from the Lovett Fund; this applies to both planned and unforeseen projects.
6. Work undertaken or completed prior to the grant application will not be eligible for consideration. An exception may apply in the case of an emergency.
7. Procedure:
a. The application is first sent to the Chair of the Finance Committee and the Canon to the Ordinary to be reviewed and found in order, then it is posted to the Diocesan Council Basecamp within two weeks.
b. Within a two-week period from posting, Diocesan Council members will post any questions and discussion.
c. By the end of the two-week period, Council members vote on the proposed Lovett Fund project via electronic voting procedure.
d. The requesting assisted congregation or mission church is notified of the result by the Canon to the Ordinary and/or the Finance Committee Chair.
8. Upon completion of the project the assisted congregation or mission church will forward copies of bills and all paid expenditures related to the project, to the Canon to the Ordinary for review before additional applications are considered.
9. The Diocesan Council must ensure that a minimum balance is maintained in the Fund to respond to emergency grant requests.
Application for Lovett Fund grants should be made on the forms below which you must download to your own device (Guidelines & Application Form – Word) and submitted via email to the Diocesan Finance Committee Chair and Canon to the Ordinary or mailed to Attn: Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Maine, PO Box 4036, Portland, ME 04101-4036.
Lovett Fund Guidelines & Application – Word
Lovett Fund Guidlines & Application – PDF