Funds for Communities to assist Their Discerners in need
A Father loves to provide for His children!
The DAD Fund (“Discretionary Anti-Discouragement Fund”) is a program available to assist your candidates with expenses at every stage of the discernment journey.
These funds are distributed in $5,000 or $10,000 increments directly to your community to be deployed at your discretion. The funds are for candidates’ expenses, not for expenses that your community typically covers.
The DAD Fund can be used to cover:
- Travel to Come and See Weekends or other visits to your community (domestic travel only)
- Psychiatric evaluations
- Pre-novitiate health insurance premiums
- Books, shoes, and other necessities for entry
- Other expenses (inquire with us for specific needs and we will discuss)
You will have the option to re-apply for additional funding in the future if these funds are exhausted. If you believe these funds would be helpful to discerners, we encourage you to apply today so that you will have the funds on hand when needs arise.
Eligibility
These funds may be used only to assist candidates who are unable to afford the costs of discernment and entry on their own.
Your community may apply for funds without knowing how you will spend the funds, provided they are spent on the expenses listed above or expenses pre-approved in conversation with the Fund for Vocations. Funds can be used to assist candidates who are citizens of the United States or Canada or who are discerning entry with a religious community located in the United States or Canada.
To receive funds, your community must submit an application using the form linked below.
We assist orders and institutes that are orthodox and faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. If your order is not a member of the IRL or CMSWR and we have never issued grants to your order, please contact us so our religious institute review board can determine your community’s eligibility.