OCA Announces June 30 Deadline for Ganister Foundation Grants

Photo: fcfpartnership.org

SPRINGFIELD, VA — The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is encouraging eligible organizations and parishes to apply for grants through the Elsie Skvir Ganister Foundation Fund before the annual June 30 application deadline. Grant recipients are expected to be announced later this fall.

Founded in 2001 as a component fund of the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania, the foundation supports innovative initiatives aimed at advancing Orthodox Christian mission work in the United States. The fund is named after the village of Ganister, Pennsylvania, where immigrants established St. Mary’s Holy Assumption parish in 1916 while working in the local limestone quarry industry.

Preference is given to projects addressing significant needs within the OCA while demonstrating strong leadership, financial stability, and faithfulness to Church teaching. Grants, traditionally capped at $5,000, have supported projects ranging from prison ministry and pastoral education to outreach transportation, religious broadcasting, and assistance for domestic violence survivors and new mothers.

The application for the fund can be found here. 

Previously, the UOJ reported that St. Vladimir’s Seminary was awarded a $25K grant to advance the study of Oriental Orthodox chant.

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