Common Questions

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These are the questions regularly asked about the Faith Based and Community Initiatives program. If you don't find the answer to your question, just ask one of our liaisons in a HUD office near you.

Q: Is there a separate source of funds for faith based and community initiatives?

A: There is no separate pot of money for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative. The key to the initiative is to provide ACCESS for faith-based and community groups to apply for federal grants or grants from entitlement communities.

Q: If there is no new source of funds, how is a Faith based or Community group supposed to get in the game?

A: The thrust of the program is to "level the playing field" so that all non-profit groups, including faith-based groups, are treated equitably and fairly. HUD is currently recommending changes to regulations to accommodate this goal. It is important to understand that faith-based and community groups are "competing" for federal or local grants, and must have the know-how and the capacity to deliver the services or product for which the funding is intended.

Q. Do Faith-Based and Community groups get a preference when competing for grants?

A: No. The idea is to make federal grants "faith-friendly, but not go give a preference to faith-based groups.

Q: Which Federal agencies are participating in this initiative?

A: The participants in the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiative include the original five agencies: Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Education, Labor and Justice. In December 2002 President Bush added two more federal agencies: Agriculture and the Agency for International Development.

Q: Beside the HUD web site, where can I find information on what other federal agencies are doing?

A: You can find links to the participating agencies and all federal grants offered through them, as well as other federal resources and the latest news on the initiative at the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiative web page.

Q: Is there one place where I can find information on all Federal Grants?

A: You can find all federal grants in the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance. Faith-Based and Community groups are welcome to apply for any federal grants if they meet the prescribed guidelines.

Q: What is the Compassion Capital Fund?

A: The Compassion Capital Fund has been established to fund larger intermediary organizations across the country to assist emerging faith-based and community groups to expand their organizational capacity. The CCF will award funds to approximately 10 new collaborations and 50 smaller organizations for this purpose in federal fiscal year 2004. They offer training and mentoring. Some of these "intermediaries" sub-grant money to smaller participating groups.