Last year, the Spiritan Office for Mission Advancement (SOMA) distributed $294,050 in grants to projects in 16 countries. The average grant was just under $6,500. 

Grants are sometimes offered in conjunction with other Spiritan Development Organizations. Spiritan Confreres can apply for grants for project works that the Congregation owns or has a contract to manage. These grants often offer enough money to get a project started or over the finish line. These projects support and grow ongoing missions in the communities where Spiritan Missionaries serve.

Our funding priorities include: 

• Priest Formation
• Evangelization
• Education
• Health and Wellness
• Economic Development
• Social Justice
• Emergencies
• Retired Priests

Grants are given out twice a year. Confreres can apply for the grants by filling out an application to SOMA. Applicants are expected to have acquired a minimum of 10% of the project cost.

See this example below from St. Mary School in Nigeria. We provided a grant of $12,000 to help them complete the 2nd floor of their school, which allowed them to enroll 200 more students. 



Here are some more impacts of SOMA grants last year: 

• 46 students in formation in Vietnam benefit from SOMA funded building projects.
• 1,500 priests, teachers, students, and staff members will benefit directly from these installations.
• 150 women will benefit from new farm equipment that will empower them economically in South Sudan. 
• 620 will benefit from new books and learning materials at Starla Maris School in Zambia.
• 100 orphans will receive support in Angola. 
• 150 youth in Brazil will learn livestock training and raising as a career.
• 200 parishioners will benefit from repairs to a church roof in Ethiopia.
• 50 prisoners will benefit from support of the Arba Minch prison art program in Ethiopia.
• 100 laity and catechists will receive training in Zambia.
• 200 parishioners will benefit from a renovation to their parish hall in Zambia. 

These are just a snapshot of how your Spiritan Day of Giving donation impacts lives around the world. To learn more or donate, visit spiritans.org/spiritan-day-of-giving/