• UMC Solar and Battery Pilot Program Application

    Keeping the Doors Open: A Resilience Initiative for Churches Serving Their Communities

  • Note: this program is limited to United Methodist churches in the United States.

    For more information about this program, visit umcmission.solar-battery-pilot. 

    To review the complete application questions and prepare your responses in advance, please download this document.

  • 1. Applicant Contact Information

  • Are you the lead pastor of the applying church?*
  • Format: (000) 000-0000.

  • 2. Church Information

  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • 2.6 Is the church mailing address the same as the physical address?
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  • 2.14 Has the church completed any weatherization or energy efficiency retrofits recently?*
  • 2.15 Does the church have any plans to re-roof or remodel any part of the campus?*
  • 2.17 Has the church looked into solar and/or battery storage in the last five years?*
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  • Responding to the next two questions requires looking up information on a geographic screening tool. If this task is difficult for you and you can't complete it in a reasonable amount of time, leave these questions blank and the program staff will complete it for you. 

     The FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) assesses natural hazard risks nationwide and provides location-based, standardized scores and ratings to help communities understand their relative vulnerability.

    The CDC Social Vulnerability Index assesses a specific community's resilience to external stresses, such as natural disasters or disease outbreaks. To determine your church's vulnerability to natural hazards and excess stresses, follow the instructions at this link. Churches with Relatively High or High Risk will be prioritized

     Please see instructions on how to obtain by clicking the link below 

    Instructions to access NRI

  • 3. Organization Information

    This grant is to make active United Methodist churches that community services more resilient. "Community services" refers to services that are open to community members without regard to religion, race, class, gender, sexuality or economic status. A church can also be eligible if it partners with another organization that offers community service on the church property.
  • Does the church offer community services on-site and/or work with one or more non-profit organizations that offer community services on site work with one or more non-profit organizations that offer community services on-site?*
  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • Does the organization have a primary address that is seperate from the church address?*

  • 4. Program Questions

  • 4.3 Community services provided at the church*
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  • 4.6 Do decision-makers in your church know that you are exploring solar and/or battery storage? If yes, are they supportive? Please explain.*
  • Are they supportive?
  • 4.8 Does the church have a disaster preparedness plan and/or a continuity of operations plan?*
  • 4.9 Does the church have community partnerships with other organizations that will actively support the community in the event of a disaster?*
  • 4.10 Has the church ever applied for a grant before?*
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  • 4.12 Are the people named available for weekly cohort meeting participation and work between meetings between January 11 and March 12, 2027?*

  • 5. References

    Please provide two references: 1.) The church's district superintendent or bishop. 2.) The leader of a local community organization with which the church partners. This organization should not be one that is located on church property. The person should be someone who can speak to the church's leadership and collaboration in providing community services.

  • Reference 1

  • Format: (000) 000-0000.

  • Reference 2

  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • Should be Empty: