In Trust Center > How We Help > Grant-funded Opportunities

Resource Grants

The In Trust Center offers Resource Grants to accredited In Trust Center members (click here to view the list of eligible schools). These matching grants, with a dollar-for-dollar contribution of up to $15,000, are intended to help address or fund a solution to a particular innovative challenge or opportunity within an institution. This initiative is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. Our hope is that through a Resource Grant, your school is enabled to engage an outside resource allowing you to further your school's mission. If you are an eligible member and interested in applying for a Resource Grant, our next grant cycle will begin on March 3, 2025, with applications being accepted through April 24, 2025.

What are the reporting requirements?

Grant recipients must complete both a mid-year progress report and a final report of their project. We do not routinely require a school to provide receipts of grant eligible expenses; however, the In Trust Center may request verification for all or a portion of the grant’s eligible expenses. The In Trust Center reserves the right to use content submitted for reporting purposes.

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RESOURCE GRANT APPLICATION QUESTIONS

HOW TO APPLY TO A GRANT APPLICATION

Eligibility

All member schools of the In Trust Center are eligible to apply for a Resource Grant with the exception of schools that were awarded in 2024. In Trust Center membership must remain current during the application process and grant period, which runs September 1–August 31.

Previously funded schools

What We Fund

Projects that

Strengthen a school's mission.
Address new thinking, ideas, and growth.
Are innovative for your institution.
Are adaptive versus technical projects.

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Resource Grant recipients share their stories.

Each year, the In Trust Center provides Resource Grants to support schools with matching funds for special projects. The following are just a few of the many stories prepared by award recipients, who provide insights, lessons learned, successes, and future expectations. Click on the school name to read the school's full story.

Azusa Pacific University:
LEGO^® Play Builds Creative Discovery

Catholic Theological Union:
Innovative Digital Courses

Concordia Theological Seminary:
Campus Upgrades to Forward MIssion

George W.Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University:
Program for the Future Church

Knox College, University of Toronto:
Toronto Counseling Center Provides Warm Welcome after Matching Campaign with In Trust Center Grant

Mission University:
A New Name for College Creates New Optimism and Energy

The Presbyterian College, Montreal, Quebec:
New French Language Theology Degree Receives Boost from In Trust Grant

Tikhons Orthodox Theological Seminary:
The Tikhonaire

United Theological Seminary:
Raising a Glass to Higher Education

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you share examples of the types of projects that you fund?

The Resource Grants program pays for related resources within a single, innovative project, such as:

Hosting a leadership gathering or educational workshop
New educational models
Institutional assessment
Marketing and recruitment efforts
Engaging a consultant
Innovative technological advancement
Other resources as determined by the In Trust Center

A grant may fund more than one resource, but those resources must be thematically related and support the same project.

What types of projects do you not fund?

Grant funds cannot be used for:

Salaries, stipends, or hourly wages for staff, students, or faculty
Hosting events targeted to the general public (unrelated to mission)
Preexisting or current projects
Annually recurring projects or expenses
Mission trips
Facilities purchase, sale, construction or repair
Indirect costs such as overhead
Equipment not tied to innovative work
Other resources as determined by the In Trust Center

How much can we request?

Resource Grants are dollar-for-dollar matching grants of up to $15,000.

How does the Resource Grant process work?

You submit an application In April 2025.

The Resource Grant committee will review your application and notify you about final funding decisions by mid-July 2025.

If your application is approved, you will receive a grant agreement for signing and funds will be released to your school in August 2025.

How can we fund our match?

A school's match must be in dollars and can be funded by operating funds, donors, or other grants. However, in-kind contributions, such as materials or volunteer labor, cannot count as part of the match.