Our Benefaction Fund and Grant Committee reviews and awards grants to deserving organizations actively involved in spreading the Gospel, serving the marginalized or bringing relief to needy with over $1.5 million awarded so far.
In 1987, the Congregation of Pilgrim sold approximately five acres of land at our former location to the Marriott Corporation. The bulk of the proceeds from that sale funded a major remodeling and expansion project for the church, while about $1 million was set aside as an investment account from which a portion of each year’s earnings from that account would be awarded, through grants, to deserving organizations involved in spreading the Gospel, serving the poor, etc. This investment account is Pilgrim’s Benefaction Fund.
The Benefaction Investment Committee oversees the Benefaction Fund by hiring and monitoring an investment advisor to manage the investment of the fund. Each year, based on the year’s earnings, the Benefaction Investment Committee determines what proportion of the fund is to be made available for distribution. Total dollars awarded each year have ranged from $50,000 to $109,000.
The Benefaction Grant Committee reviews the grant applications (often two dozen or more are submitted each year). These applications come from local, national and international organizations from around the world. The Benefaction Grant Committee approves the most meritorious grants for that year’s allocated funding.
Since the founding of the Benefaction Fund in 1988, more than $1.5 million have been awarded to dozens of worthwhile organizations demonstrating needs to be filled in the service of Christ our Lord and Savior.
The Benefaction Grant request form can be downloaded by clicking here (PDF File) or clicking here (Word File). The deadline for grant requests is September 30th with approved grant funds being disbursed by the end of January. Â Grant requests should be submitted electronically at grants@pilgrimindy.org. Â If you do not receive a confirmation receipt email regarding your grant request, please contact the church office at 317-846-2221.
For more information or to find out how you can participate, please contact us.