Pathways 2025 Assessment and Planning Grant Application Form

Application due:
Thursday, December 19, 2024: early consideration
or
Friday, January 31, 2025: final consideration

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Welcome to the online submission portal to apply for the Pathways for Tomorrow Coordination Program Assessment and Planning Grant.

With funding made available by Lilly Endowment Inc., the Pathways for Tomorrow Coordination Program is offering grants up to $50,000 to eligible ATS member schools for assessment and planning activities to help them prepare proposals for individual grants being offered through the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. ATS-accredited member schools that did not receive a Pathways Phase 2 grant during the initial (2021-2022) round of the initiative will be eligible to submit proposals in May 2025 for Individual School Implementation Grants of up to $1 million being offered through the second round of Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative.

Through this application, new Assessment and Planning Grants will be awarded on a non-competitive basis to individual ATS-accredited schools whose assessment and planning activities support the development of proposals focused on the goals of the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative—namely, to help theological schools strengthen and sustain their institutional capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian churches. These pastoral leaders include both ordained pastors and congregational lay ministers.

Assessment and Planning Grant funds may be used by schools to explore insights emerging from fellow ATS member schools that received grants in the first round of Pathways, host consultations with pastoral and congregational leaders, assess and design capacity-building projects to strengthen their financial operations and educational programs, and prepare proposals for Individual School Implementation Grants.

Eligible ATS-accredited member schools may apply for the Pathways for Tomorrow Coordination Program Assessment and Planning Grant by one of the following deadlines: Thursday, December 19, 2024 (early consideration) or Friday, January 31, 2025 (final consideration). The Coordination Program anticipates announcing awards approximately three weeks after each submission deadline.

The Coordination Program suggests reviewing the entire application and preparing responses in a word processor document or similar format before utilizing this portal. Click here to download a sample PDF copy of the application form. Fillable fields in the online form have word/character limits (noted in parenthesis), such that most responses when taken together should be equivalent to about 4 total printed pages, plus budget table and budget narrative.

In the portal, you will be able to click the "Save" button at the end, with or without an account (click "Skip Create an Account" when prompted), and continue later. Your application will not be considered complete until it has been formally submitted through this portal. Once submitted, you will receive an email confirming that your application has been received.

Email any questions or concerns to Christopher M. The (the@ats.edu), ATS Director of Student Research and Initiative Management.

Institution and Contact Information

ATS member school:*

Select your school from the eligibility list above

President or ATS-designated Chief Executive Officer:*

First NameMiddle Initial (if any)Last Name

President/CEO email:*

example: CEO@school.edu

President/CEO title:*

examples: Rector, Dean of the Seminary, etc.

Proposal submitter:

I am the President/CEO listed aboveI am not the President/CEO listed above

Note that copies of this submitted application will upon submission be emailed to the CEO, the proposal submitter, and the Pathways Coordination Program.

Proposal submitter (if not President/CEO)*

First NameMiddle Initial (if any)Last Name

Submitter email:*

example: submitter@school.edu

Submitter title:*

examples: Dean, Director, Professor, etc.

Your role: (select any that apply)*

I would serve as the Grant AdministratorI would serve as the Financial Officer for this grantNone of the above

Grant Administrator:*

First NameMiddle Initial (if any)Last Name

Grant Administrator email:*

example: administrator@school.edu

Grant Administrator title:*

examples: Dean, Director, Professor, etc.

Financial Officer for this grant:*

First NameMiddle Initial (if any)Last Name

Financial Officer email:*

example: finance@school.edu

Financial Officer title:*

examples: CFO, Controller, Accountant, etc.

Understanding Your Current Context

Mission:

What is the mission of your institution and how does it address the preparation and support of pastors and congregational lay ministers? (250 words max)*

0/250

Challenges and Opportunities:

In anticipation of a forthcoming Individual School Implementation Grant application in 2025, what are some of the key challenges, specific needs, or strategic problems you may want to address through an individual grant as you seek to strengthen and sustain your capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian churches? What are some of the promising opportunities you may want to address? (500 words max)*

0/500

Grant Details

Strategic Activities:

What activities do you anticipate undertaking to prioritize the opportunities and challenges you will seek to address in an Individual School Implementation Grant? (500 words max)*

0/500

What personnel and partners do you anticipate would lead and participate in this assessment and planning process? (250 words max)*

0/250

Letter of Authorization

Please upload a signed letter from your institution’s president / CEO granting authorization to apply for this grant.*

Budget Narrative

Budget

Please identify all anticipated budget costs rounded to the nearest $100, allocated to each of the following categories: (numbers only / no symbols or letters)*

	Personnel costs	Consultant costs	Major Activities costs	Additional Resources	Indirect (up to 10%)	BUDGET TOTAL
Amount (USD)

Briefly describe how this budget was calculated. (500 words max)*

0/500

Financial Awardee Information

Tax Exempt Status

Is your institution recognized as a charitable organization exempt from income tax under either the U.S. Internal Revenue Code or the Canadian Income Tax Act?*

YesNo

Please provide your institution’s Charity Registration Number (Canadian schools) or Employer Identification Number (U.S. schools). (20 characters max)*

0/20

Funding Information

Should your institution receive the grant, to whom would we make out the check? (70 characters max)*

You may wish to consult your Finance department

Should your institution receive the grant, please provide the mailing address where we would mail the check:*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Certification and Submission

(Optional:) Upload a backup copy of your full grant application

You may choose to upload your full application as one or more files (preferred formats: DOCX, XLSX). The uploaded backup will only be used if there are issues with the form submission. Note that longer submissions will not be reviewed.

An uploaded backup copy will be consulted only if issues arise with the fillable form submission. Please note that longer submissions will not be considered in the review process.*

I acknowledge the uploaded file(s) to be a backup only and that longer submissions will not be considered.

By submitting this proposal, you certify that the information provided is accurate to the best of your knowledge. We may request additional documentation to verify the details of your proposal.*

I hereby certify the accuracy of information as submitted.