Funding Guidelines
Image courtesy of Latin America Mission (Canada) Inc.
Funding Guidelines
Image courtesy of Latin America Mission (Canada) Inc.
Our Funding Priorities
While we recognize that many people – including those in our own neighbourhoods — have not yet heard or embraced the Good News of Jesus, there are millions around the world who have never had a meaningful opportunity to hear this message at all. Reaching these communities often requires cross-cultural engagement and access to Scripture in their heart language – making this our priority.
We focus on supporting evangelism and church-planting among communities with the least access to the gospel, particularly unengaged and unreached people groups (UUPGs) and frontier people groups (FPGs).
We also support evangelism and church-planting among other unreached people groups (UPGs), ensuring that the good news of Jesus Christ reaches those who have not yet heard it.
Learn more about UUPGs, FPGs, and UPGs, and why they matter.
Our Approach
Across all of our priority areas, we seek to partner with initiatives that are ultimately led by people from within the communities and cultures being served. Local leadership is essential for lasting impact.
While evangelism remains our primary focus, we recognize that healthy, growing church communities are formed when evangelism is paired with intentional discipleship.
Our Core Focus
- Church planting
Starting new congregations and forming communities of faith. - Evangelism & outreach
Sharing the gospel through personal witness, events, and local or global initiatives. - Discipleship & follow-up
Walking with individuals after they express faith, integrating them into community, and mentoring believers toward maturity. - Scripture translation & Scripture engagement
Translating scripture into local languages, supporting language learning, literacy, and meaningful engagement with God’s Word. - Media ministry
Leveraging film, music, visual arts, radio, and digital platforms for evangelism and discipleship.
We also recognize that effective evangelistic work often happens “further back” from direct, person-to-person engagement. Projects such as missionary or church planter training, mobilization of near culture workers, and similar initiatives may be considered when they are clearly focused on unengaged, frontier, or unreached people groups (UUPGs, FPGs, or UPGs). In these cases, applications should clearly articulate both the need for the work and how it will lead directly to evangelistic impact. Activities in support of evangelism that may be eligible include:
- Content & resource production
- Technology design & development
- Research
- Integral & holistic ministry
- Business for mission / marketplace ministry
- Training, coaching & leadership development
- Theological education
- Network building
- Mobilization
Finally, we recognize that healthy ministry requires sound organizational infrastructure. Applicants are welcome to include reasonable, proportionate indirect costs within their project budgets when these expenses are clearly tied to the success of the proposed work.
Requests We Are Unable to Support
To help you determine whether your project is a fit, consider that these categories fall outside our funding priorities at this time:
- Construction and building projects
This includes new construction, renovations, and other facility-related initiatives.
- Automobile purchases
Funding for the purchase or leasing of vehicles is not currently supported.
- Travel costs for Western personnel
We are unable to cover travel or related expenses for Western nationals, including flights and relocation costs.
- WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Health) programs
Standalone initiatives focused primarily on water access, sanitation infrastructure, or hygiene programs fall outside our current focus areas.
- Ongoing or indefinite support for individual missionaries
We are unable to provide general or open-ended financial support (that is not connected to a defined project, timeframe, or outcomes).
- Unrestricted funding requests
Requests without clear designation, objectives, or accountability measures are not a fit.
Grant Size
As a guideline, our grants typically do not exceed 10% of an organization’s annual revenue. This approach helps ensure sustainability and shared investment in the organization. Grants generally begin at $50,000 – $75,000 per year, with higher amounts considered based on the strength of the proposal, organizational capacity, and the anticipated impact of the project. Organizations may submit only one inquiry per funding round. First-time applicants are limited to one inquiry within a 12-month period.
When an inquiry represents a portion of the total project budget, we value transparency around how the remaining funds will be secured. A full project budget is required as part of the application to clearly identify how funds from the Damascus Road would be used.
Grant Duration
Applicants are asked to outline clear implementation milestones and describe how progress and outcomes will be assessed – ideally on an annual basis. This helps ensure shared clarity, accountability, and learning throughout the partnership.
First-time applicants are expected to submit a one-year funding request. Based on demonstrated progress and timely reporting, the Foundation may consider funding for up to three years through subsequent applications, with annual reporting requirements.
If a multi-year grant is approved, future disbursements are contingent upon satisfactory annual reporting and demonstrated progress against the milestones and outcomes outlined in the original application.
For details on our granting cycles, view the full list of submission timelines.
Looking for guidance on applying? Browse our FAQs or contact us with any additional questions.