Purpose/Scope

Grant Initiatives for Today’s Students (GIFTS) is a Catholic school grant program of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee founded in 2019. Funds raised at the annual Archbishop’s Catholic Schools Dinner support the GIFTS program.

The Office for Schools plans to award grants at the $5,000 and $10,000 levels in Spring/ Summer 2025 for use in the 2025-2026 School Year.  GIFT awards will be determined by archdiocesan representatives and retired educators. 177 grants have been awarded over $1,300,000 to date.

Focus Areas

A school/system seeking a grant from the GIFTS grant program should align their project with one of the following four focus areas:

• Catholic Identity

Grants will be awarded to support mission and faith formation and the creation of a visible Catholic identity. Examples include but are not limited to faculty faith formation, liturgical needs, environmental enhancements/artifacts, resource materials, etc.

• Development/Marketing

Grants will be awarded to support development and marketing initiatives. Examples include but are not limited to annual fund development, software needs, website development, brand development, recruitment initiatives, etc.

• Educational Innovation

Grants will be awarded to encourage and facilitate innovative and creative instructional programs and ideas in education. Examples include but are not limited to new programs to enhance student learning, supplemental resources to advance existing programs, etc.

• Project Initiation:  Seed Money

Grants will be awarded to provide kick-start funding for new long-term projects. Examples include but are not limited to: new programs, resources, positions, etc.

In awarding grants, the committee will value:

• Alignment with the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS)
   
• Innovation
   
• Impact of program/project
   
• Application of best practices in the focus area

Timeline

3/5/25 - GIFTS grant application opens online.

4/11/25 - Applications due

5/1 – 5/30/25 - Review of applications

6/9/25 - Grant awards announced.

7/1/25 - Grant implementation begins, checks mailed to schools after July 1, 2025

4/3/26 - Final GIFTS grant award report due
 

Eligible Organizations

Eligible schools must be recognized as Catholic by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and be fully accredited.

Program Specifications

The GIFTS program will award grants for projects and programs in the focus areas identified. Each school may only apply for one grant per application cycle. The program does not fund multi-year grants, scholarship grants, endowment grants, emergency funds, and capital campaigns. Grants will be provided for $5,000 or $10,000. Once awarded, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will require a follow-up report to verify how the funding was used and to measure grant effectiveness.

Grant Guidelines in PDF Form

GIFTS Steps to Success FAQ
 

If you have questions, contact Laura Kacala, Office for Schools, at kacalal@archmil.org or Jenny Mendenhall, Development, at mendenhallj@archmil.org.