US government grants are meant to help churches as well Essay Example

US government grants are meant to help churches as well Essay Example US government grants are meant to help churches as well Essay US government grants are meant to help churches as well Essay Amongst the many forms of assistance meted out by the US government, grants happen to be one of the most essential constituents. However, the unfortunate bit remains the fact that most aren’t aware of the actual concept of government grants in the first place and only tend to think of it when they’re in a financial fix and need to opt for  debt settlement  to save the day. Essentially a government grant happens to be a financial award given by the federal, state or perhaps local government to the eligible grantee. Generally government grants aren’t expected to be repaid by the recipient and neither do they include any technical assistance or other forms of financial assistance like say a loan guarantee or interest rate subsidy and likewise. The free government grants for churches Now, there’s a prevalent impression that government grants are only for individuals and businesses. However, that’s not the case really for many others can benefit from US government grants and that includes churches as well. In fact, there are very few churches which actually consider the idea of free government grants when it comes to funding their ministry. There are certain churches which consider it a problem to accept money from the government as they wish to have a free reign without any strings attached. However, it’s still a very good idea and churches should consider it. The application bit: Churches when applying for free government grants should start on it as soon as possible. This is essentially because the application process involved is rather lengthy and tedious. In fact, there are certain churches which might require as long as 6 weeks only to gather all necessary documentations and fill out the necessary paperwork. Now once a church receives a government grant, then renewing it shouldn’t entail as much paperwork as before. The purpose behind it: Now, the free government grants available for churches can’t really be used for everyday church operations. This means the churches wouldn’t really be able to use it for paying their electricity bill or even their mortgage. Actually free grants are available to churches only when they’ve got a specific need for it. The faith based grants: The faith based grants were initiated by none other than former President George Bush during his tenure in office. He had come up with the proposal of offering federal grants to the religious and charitable social service groups. This was done through the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives. The controversies around: Now, it’s also a fact that free government grants for churches have raised some controversies amongst people, especially those who don’t agree to federal dollars going into religious organizations. Basically this thought stems from the knowledge that churches operate tax free and hence they shouldn’t get any further assistance. Actually free government grants for churches can be a real blessing when handled correctly. The unfortunate bit remains that church workers and volunteers might just be feeling a sense of entitlement when it comes to working with an empty bank account and that too for so long. This is where comes in the risk of wanting to take advantage of free money. Hence, when applying for grants be absolutely sure of the fact that your church has a system of accountability in place so that the grant money is spent right and not misused.