CMD Grants
Undertaking training outwith the Diocesan provision can entail costs: course fees, travel, resources, etc. Many institutions will be able to signpost potential sources of financial support tailored to the course. There is limited grant-funding available from the Diocese and the SEC.
Diocesan Grants: DMMC to provides grants to assist individuals with the cost of their CMD. This can be used to attend conferences, study days, longer courses, etc. It is expected that the balance of contributions for CMD would be: 1/3 from the individual, 1/3 from the vestry/congregation, and from 1/3 the diocesan grant. You are expected to produce a short report upon completion of the training.
Alastair Haggart Fund: This is awarded annually through the SEI. It aims to help finance sabbaticals, or other similar leaves of absence, by full-time ministers at a stage in the person’s life when such an experience will significantly enhance his or her development. The outcomes of the project should also be of benefit to the wider church. Applications are usually requested in the final quarter of the year, with the deadline for applications around Epiphany.
Other Grant-making Bodies
Women’s Continuing Ministerial Education Trust (WCMET): This trust administers grants to support the ministerial development of female clergy in the Church of England and the SEC. Grants are primarily for course fees.
St Boniface Trust: This grant-making trust seeks to support the education and training of clergy and lay people, including CMD courses and sabbaticals. The trustees meet four times a year.
Ecclesiastical Ministry Bursary Awards: These awards are for sabbatical leave for clergy ordained more than 10 years and who have not taken a sabbatical in the last seven years. An application window is open from April to September each year for funding the following year’s leave.
St George’s Trust: Grants of up to £500 are made on a first-come first-assessed basis, so applications are best made early in the calendar year. For stipendiary clergy, grants are for sabbaticals; for self-support clergy, they are available for recognised study. The grant customarily contributes towards travel and accommodation.