At the Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation (CDMF), one of our funds that makes the most direct impact on the community is the Heart of Mercy Endowment (HOME).
This fund provides assistance to various ministries and programs in the diocese as directed by the bishop, with the purpose of fostering corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
In 2023, at the direction of Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison, nearly 50 local non-profits received grants from the HOME fund.
Beginning this year and moving forward, Bishop Hying is excited to announce a new, streamlined application process for HOME grants and a revised, more impactful approach to distributing the amounts available annually for these grants.
In the past, grants have been smaller in amount and greater in number.
Now, Bishop Hying would like to award grants of up to $5,000 to selected applicants.
A simple one-page application form to be submitted online is available at
www.cognitoforms.com/CDMF2/HOMEGrants20242025
Applications will be open from Thursday, Aug. 15, through Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Bishop Hying will give special consideration to applications that demonstrate innovative initiatives and/or those that align with the Diocese of Madison’s Into the Deep and Go Make Disciples initiatives.
The tenets and focus of the Into the Deep initiative are: 1) Following Jesus; 2) Reclaiming Sunday; 3) Evangelizing Others; 4) Engaging Youth; 5) Equipping Leaders; and 6) Serving Neighbors, both now and into the future.
The tenets and focus of the Go Make Disciples initiative are: 1) Forming Leadership; 2) Seeking Holiness; and 3) Witnessing to Christ.
Emails will be sent out to all prior HOME grant recipients (nonprofits, parishes, etc.), to let them know of the updated application process and revised, increased impact approach for selected applicants.
HOME has uplifted many local nonprofits and charitable organizations since its inception, from food pantries to women’s crisis centers, homeless shelters, and more.
Shawn Carney, executive director of Catholic Charities Madison, spoke about the impact that a HOME grant made for The Beacon, an organization that serves the homeless in downtown Madison.
“At Catholic Charities, we are called by Christ to serve the most vulnerable among us. We could not do this work without generous gifts, like those we receive from the Heart of Mercy Endowment. We are so grateful for these gifts, which allow us to provide meals, showers, and other basic needs to individuals experiencing homelessness.”
Impacts such as these are exactly what HOME, at the direction of Bishop Hying, seeks to provide.
This article also serves as a public update to the HOME grant application and distribution process.
If you know of a nonprofit organization that focuses on the Corporal or Spiritual Works of Mercy that you think should apply, please encourage them to submit an application via the link.
As a reminder, Corporal Works of Mercy, as defined by the Catholic Church, include feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and prisoners, burying the dead, and giving alms to the poor.
Spiritual Works of Mercy include counseling the doubtful, instructing the ignorant, admonishing the sinner, comforting the sorrowful, forgiving injuries, bearing wrongs patiently, and praying for the living and the dead.
If you are interested in donating to the Heart of Mercy Endowment or in starting an endowment fund of your own, visit diocesemadisonfoundation.org or call 608-821-3048.
Also, consider asking your parish priest if he has considered starting an endowment fund with the CDMF.
We would be happy to help in any way possible as we work together to serve Christ and his Church here in the Diocese of Madison.
Grant McGurn is the operations manager for the Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation (CDMF).