The Foundation for Evangelism is a Wesleyan-tradition grant-making organization located at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. Chartered in 1949 by Dr. Harry Denman, then the General Secretary of the Board of Evangelism of the Methodist Church, and a group of visionary laymen, it was designed to “diffuse the blessing of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Today, we carry out that vision by providing grants that can be a catalyst to equip disciples to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. We focus our grant-making in three specific areas: Raising Up Gospel Leaders, Engaging the Ministry of the Laity, and Equipping the Local Church.
The Foundation opens grant cycles each year based on the available funds. Find out more about current grant cycles at https://foundationforevangelism.org/grant-seekers.
Grants for $5,000 or $10,000 will be awarded to small and medium* church congregations, or clusters of churches working together, in a Wesleyan-tradition** denomination. The grant focus is to launch an experiment or initiative to share the Gospel, tell their faith stories, and invite others into a relationship with Jesus.
Any church or group of churches fitting the criteria may apply. Grants will be awarded in the summer of 2026. The Foundation for Evangelism Equipping the Local Church grant initiative seeks to empower pastors, laity, and smaller local congregations to dream, take risks, and partner with God in the transformation of lives and communities. These grants are made possible through the generosity of donors, friends, and partners with The Foundation for Evangelism.
*250 or fewer participants
**We define Wesleyan-tradition as based on the ministry movement begun in the 18th century by John and Charles Wesley. Responding to God’s pursuit of us, all are invited to the lifelong journey to love God and neighbor with their whole heart.
The Foundation for Evangelism's Thriving Congregations Local Church cohort program will provide comprehensive training and resources, culminating in an opportunity to apply for our grant cycle. Participants will be guided through the process of outlining a relevant evangelism experiment, leveraging the knowledge and skills acquired during the cohort training.
Congregations attending any Local Church Cohort will adhere to the below guidelines to be eligible for the cohort grant funding cycle:
1. Congregations of 0-100 in church size will assemble 4-6 laity and a pastor to participate in each cohort session.
2. Congregations of 100-250 in church size will assemble 5-7 laity and a pastor to participate in each cohort session.
3. All team members from each congregation will attend every cohort session held, whether separately, or on a single screen with the rest of the team members.
4. All team members will have their cameras on and will contribute to each cohort session.
The cohort training sessions will last for about 8 weeks and begin during the first quarter of 2026. Following completion of the training, each team will develop their program and write a grant during the fourth quarter.
Grant applications will be submitted by September of 2026 and grants of $2,500 will be awarded in November of 2026.