National Initiative to Strengthen Chaplaincies at Colleges and Universities
National Initiative to Strengthen Chaplaincies at Colleges and Universities supports campus chaplaincies and religious life offices with programs to nurture students’ religious lives and sustain ministries.
Funder: Lilly Endowment
Due Dates: October 29, 2026 (Information session 1) | November 16, 2026 (Information session 2) | January 11, 2027 (Stage 1 concept papers) | June 1, 2027 (Stage 2 proposals)
Funding Amounts: Up to $2.5 million per implementation grant for up to five years; up to $150 million total
Summary: Supports college and university chaplaincies and offices of religious life in strengthening their capacity to nurture students’ religious lives.
Key Information: Applicants must be accredited, four-year U.S. colleges or universities with 501(c)(3) public charity status and a chaplaincy or office of religious life.
Description
Lilly Endowment’s Chaplaincy Initiative is a national, competitive effort to strengthen collegiate ministries and their capacity to nurture college students’ religious lives, both now and into the future. It supports programs that respond to students’ emerging spiritual interests, clarify the role of campus religious leadership, and build sustainable ministries.
The initiative’s five objectives address understanding students’ spiritual questions, engaging senior leaders in clarifying chaplaincy roles, enhancing students’ religious experiences, developing student religious leaders, and strengthening ministries’ organizational and financial capacities. Supported approaches may include worship and devotional activities, engagement with sacred texts, community-building through service, mentoring and internships, staffing, technology, and fundraising. The Endowment is especially interested in helping students test calls to Christian leadership while providing hospitality and support to students from a broad spectrum of religious traditions.
