Applications for LWF Member Church Projects

Long-term projects

Deadline for applications: 08 January 2026

Criteria for submitting project proposals

LWF-supported projects address strategic priorities of the member churches. We are calling for new projects that will start in 2027 and run for a maximum of three years. Any LWF member church, national committee, regional expression or related diaconal institution is eligible to apply.

Ongoing projects will not be automatically extended. Project holders aiming at continuing projects that will conclude in 2026 should apply for a second phase, which may last until 2029 at the latest.

Project applications need to demonstrate the continued relevance of the project, show in which way it will be sustainable and if possible, increase its own financial contribution. Please note that a project extension is only possible once and such extension is not automatic if no application is submitted.

To support project holders in writing the application, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will offer a series of five one-hour workshops explaining the principles of project design, from needs assessment to application submission. Each session builds on the previous one. Participants are encouraged to join all the workshop sessions. The workshop will take place in English with interpretation for French and Spanish.

There will also be two drop-in spaces for questions project holders may have about their application.

Participants in the “Stop Women’s Violence March” that emphasized gender equality, justice, and the right for women to live free from violence in Indonesia. Photo: BNKP — Participants in the “Stop Women’s Violence March” in Nias, Indonesia. This is part of an LWF-supported project by the Protestant Christian Church (Banua Niha Keriso Protestan) on gender equality, justice, and the right for women to live free from violence in the country. Photo: BNKP

Churches interested in participating are requested to send an e-mail to the Member Church Project Desk by 26 September 2025.

Workshops schedule for 2025

Dates	Title
1 Oct.	WORKSHOP 1: So, you think you have a problem – or how to imagine a better world From needs and problem statement to goal
6 Oct.	Drop-in Space (Bring your questions and ideas!)
15 Oct.	WORKSHOP 2: Making it happen From goal to objectives and activities
27 Oct.	WORKSHOP 3: The tricky question: how do we know it works? Measuring progress and success with the help of indicators
12 Nov.	WORKSHOP 4: Another tricky question: what will it cost? Aligning the budget with activities, overheads and own contribution
19 Nov.	WORKSHOP 5: Putting it all together Applying via the online portal
3 Dec.	Drop-in Space (Bring your questions and ideas!)

*All Sessions will take place at 2 P.M. Central European Time

For further details, please refer to the information below.

Eligibility to apply and criteria for approval

Eligibility of project holder ¶
Eligibility of project proposal ¶
Financial contribution and project duration ¶
Screening and approval criteria ¶
How to apply ¶

Any LWF member church, national committee, regional expression or related diaconal institution is eligible to apply;
Only one application per church (entity) may be submitted;
All applications must be endorsed by the church (head office). In the letter, the requesting church must demonstrate convincingly how a given application responds to strategic priorities of the church;
Priority is put on churches that don’t have an ongoing LWF-funded project.
Member Churches must have paid their LWF membership fee in at least one of the three years prior to the start of the project to be eligible for approval•

Project proposal must:

Be fully completed including budget and church endorsement;
Show a clear link between the identified needs and the proposed activities;
Demonstrate clearly the urgency of intervention in the case of rapid response projects;
Show convincingly the relevance of the project’s objectives and activities in relation to the expressed needs;
Give a realistic scope of the project’s objectives and activities in relation to the budget and the capacities of the applicant;
Outline a coherent approach and reflect meaningful stakeholders’ involvement, in particular of youth and women.

Ongoing projects are not automatically extended and must apply for a new cycle based on the following criteria:

Relevance: objectives build up on the achievements of the previous phase and/or activities are scaled up to new geographical areas and target groups;
Sustainability: the new phase strengthens the achievements of the previous phase to ensure that the positive change will last after the project has ended;
Increasing financial ownership: the budget must reflect a progressive reduction of LWF’s share and a consequent increase of the project’s own contribution and/or third-party contribution in order to set the basis for LWF funding withdrawal;
Projects can only be extended once.

Long-term projects

The LWF applies a policy of equitable sharing of financial resources. Most project grants are in the region of EUR 10,000 – EUR 25,000 annually. Exceptionally the LWF can grant up to a maximum of EUR 50,000 per year based on funding availability, project design, matching needs and proven implementation capacity.
Project holders must contribute at least 5% of the total budget, with in-kind contributions accepted if financial support is not feasible.

The following criteria apply:

Regional balance in allocation of grants is observed, depending on the most urgent needs and churches’ own available resources to respond;
The application process will be competitive, taking into account the identified needs and how the proposal clearly demonstrates compliance with the above criteria;
For fairness, member churches or related diaconal institutions should have only one long-term project at any given time.

Application must be submitted via our online portal: