How We Steward
A gardener prunes a healthy plant so it can bear more fruit (John 15:2). In recent years, we have made careful choices about where our support matters most. We focus our grants where they make a lasting difference. We review every partnership for its impact. We have made our partnership process clear, so every ministry can see how to join. These choices help us care well for what donors place in our hands.
Why Stewardship Matters
How We Choose Our Partners
Every grant we make is reviewed by our Allocations Committee. [This group of board members and diocesan leaders] reviews each application with care. They look at the need a ministry addresses, the strength of its leadership, and the difference our support can make. We work hard to vet our partners, because careful choices let every dollar go further.
Our partnerships grow over time. Every relationship begins with a Parish Partner Grant. Nonprofits become eligible for partnership once they are connected to a parish that has received our support for at least two years. This pathway gives each partnership a history of trust.
How We Steward Our Finances
Episcopal Charities maintains a long-standing investment fund begun many years ago through the faithfulness of Episcopalians in the Diocese of Chicago. Our Board of Trustees carefully oversees this fund to ensure long-term growth and sustainability. As the following financials and infographics show, Episcopal Charities receives annual income from two sources to cover program and operating expenses: donor gifts and funds drawn from the invested fund.
While our goal is to maintain our annual draw between 5 and 6%, dramatic market changes greatly affect that percentage. In 2021, our invested fund balance was approximately $16 million. Because the balance was high, our percent draw was approximately 3%. However, by the end of 2022, the balance of our fund dropped to 12.7 million dollars – a difference of around 3.3 million – reflecting a downturn in the larger global markets. This drastic reduction increased our percentage draw to approximately 9%. Again, fluctuations in our percentage draw aren’t caused by major changes in Episcopal Charities’ expenses; rather, they reflect market vicissitudes.