United Methodist Committee on Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Ministries

Grants and Scholarships

DHM provides opportunities for empowering Deaf, late-deafened, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind people through grants for projects and scholarships. Grant amounts range from $3000 to $5000. Projects include seed money for new ministries, international mission outreach, curriculum development, internships, Deaf camps, DeafBlind camps, hiring a Deaf or hard of hearing ministry coordinator, providing communication access and scholarships.

Grant requests are typically approved for new ministries or for existing ministries that are adding a new program (such as an interpreting ministry expanding to include a hard of hearing ministry). While ministry and program grants often have an internal church focus, we expect requests to have an external or wider community focus as well. Thus, grants ought to have a community impact fitting for the church's context, such as teaching sign language at a community facility or offering Deaf awareness training.

Please note that grants and scholarships are only available to United Methodist entities or members.

Grants are awarded in a cycle that closes in January and July each year.
For further information, e-mail us.

• Funding Sources for Ministry Projects
• Grant Guidelines and Application (2020)
• Scholarship Guidelines and Application
• Grant Evaluation Tool (use as checklist when submitting request)

Other Sources of Grants and Scholarships

• When does a grant help?, Faith & Leadership, October 2019
• Ten Mistakes Churches Make When Applying For Grants, Alban Institute, January 2010.
• Grants as a source of funding, Alban Institute, January 2009

DHM Grants, 2019

DHM has awarded the following grants in the June 2019 cycle. Keep watching this page and our Facebook and Twitter feeds for reports about how these grants are used to further Deaf ministry in the world.

• Emmanuel UMC, Laurel MD: $5,000 for ministry and outreach to late-deafened
• DisAbility Ministries Committee: $6,000 for shared consultant support
• Myers Park UMC, Charlotte NC: $5,000 for a Deaf ministry including interpreting and outreach
• Grace UMC, Philadelphia PA: $3,000 for Deaf/HOH leadership ministry
• West Forest UMC, Millington MI: $4,760 for Hard of Hearing ministry with advocacy in community
• Orems UMC, Middle River MD: $5,000 for Hard of Hearing ministry with advocacy
• Magothy UMC of the Deaf, Pasadena MD: $3,000 for Hard of Hearing ministry with advocacy
• LaPlaza UMC, Los Angeles CA: $5,000 for Hard of Hearing ministry, advocacy, and outreach

DHM Grants at Work: Stories of Grant Recipients

• Deaf Autism Camp, 2018
• Magothy UMC of the Deaf, Deaf Seniors Program, 2017-2018
• First UMC, Clewiston FL, Hearing Loop, July 2017
• Timothy Barth, Scholarship recipient, June 2017
• Freedom from Silence, Cuba, April 2017
• Hearing loop at The Dalles UMC, July 2015
• Preparations and journey at Youth 2015 in Florida.
• Belize Mission with Karen Harrell and Sheila Finn, May 2014
• Chas Wirick at Servants in Faith and Technology, June 2012

Donations

With rising costs and increasing needs, the practice of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors” makes funding a vital issue. The United Methodist Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries (DHM) has two basic functions. The primary function is to make people aware of the needs of the Deaf and hard of hearing, so that all persons may be able to fully participate in the spiritual life of the United Methodist Church. A secondary function is to provide funding for programs and projects that further the primary function.

Both of these functions are supported by general funding from the United Methodist Church and by gifts received from members and friends of the United Methodist Church through the Advance Special Giving program.