Diocesan Poverty Relief Grant
The Diocesan Poverty Relief Grant was established by Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt in December 2009 to allow for better support of local organizations with a 501(c)(3) status in the Diocese of Greensburg that completely accept and promote the mission of the Catholic Church in their care for the poor and needy. Since its inception in 2009, the Poverty Relief Grant has distributed a total of $558,231 in grants to organizations.
Requesting and Receiving Funds
Grant proposals will be reviewed once each year in January.
Requests for funding are accepted throughout the year, and must be received or postmarked by the close of business (5:00 p.m.) November 2. Applications received after the deadline will be considered for funding during the next cycle.
When submitting a request:
- Be specific with the nature of the request and the amount requested.
- The amount being requested should be at least $750, and not exceed $5,000.
- Each grant proposal should address only one project.
- Please note: The committee does not approve multiple year funding or general operating grants. Also, the committee will not review a list of projects and select one that is appealing.
Qualified grant applications will be reviewed and award decisions made according to the date of the application.
If a grant is awarded to an organization, the proceeds of that grant will not be distributed to, or be used to benefit, any other program or organization other than the applicant.
The Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg reserves the right to adjust grant request award amount based on funds collected/available for disbursement. Catholic Charities also reserves the right to request return of monies not utilized within the grant usage period, or if close-out report is not received by March 31 of the following year. Additionally, after a review of the close-out report(s), Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg reserves the right to request the return of a portion, or all, of the money, if the use of the grant money is not determined to be in accordance with the exactly stated parameters of the grant request award letter.
Learn more, review the criteria, and view/print the application.
Grant Recipients
Listed below are the agencies which received grants for the March 1, 2025 cycle.
| Organization | $ Amount | Provisions Go Toward |
| Alternatives, YES | $5,000.00 | Bridge to Motherhood Program |
| Christian Layman Corps. | $1,000.00 | A Bed for Every Child |
| Mother of Sorrows Parish | $5,000.00 | Mother of Sorrows Outreach Program |
| Mount Saint Peter Outreach Ministry | $5,000.00 | Mount Saint Peter Outreach Project |
| St. Gertrude Conference of St. Vincent de Paul | $5,000.00 | Poverty Relief Project |
| St. Vincent de Paul Society | $5,000.00 | St. Paul Parish, Utility Super Fund |
| Westmoreland County Food Bank | $5,000.00 | Food Distribution Program |
Grant Timeline
Updated 4/1/2026
| Grant Timeline | Grant Details |
| November 2, 2026 | Proposals must be postmarked no later than November 2, 2026 (NO EXTENSIONS) |
| January 2027 Catholic Charities Board Meeting | Applications Reviewed and Finalized |
| Following the January 2027 Catholic Charities Board Meeting | Bishop’s Approval |
| March 2027 | Funding Notification to Applicants |
| March 1, 2027 to March 31, 2027 | Grant Period |
| March 31, 2027 | Grant Report Due |
Submissions
Submit proposals to:
The Diocesan Poverty Relief Grant Committee
c/o Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg
711 E. Pittsburgh Street
Greensburg, PA 15601-2636
