The United Methodist Foundation of West Ohio makes grants to advance the strategic goals of the West Ohio Conference through a competitive application process.  The grant program focuses on providing financial support for established programs and program expansion of local churches, ministries and organizations across West Ohio; and for scholarships. Please contact Program Manager, Maddy DeWitt at mdewitt@wocumc.org for more information.

Spring 2026 Grant Focus: Children, Youth & Young Adults

VBS Mini-Grants

Opens Feb. 1, 2026

Closes March 15, 2026

Applications for VBS mini-grants will open on February 1st, thanks to the generosity of a major donor who invested her resources into honoring her family’s legacy through an endowment with the United Methodist Foundation of West Ohio. Grants of $250-$1000 will be available for curriculum materials, supplies, staff costs, or other expenses related to the production of Vacation Bible School programs in West Ohio churches.

Established in 2017 by Ketha Robbins to honor her grandmother and great-grandfather’s deep-rooted faith and love of vacation bible school, the Clara’s Kiddies Jesse’s Vine endowment fund exists to support the work of VBS programs across West Ohio for years to come.

Applications are due by March 15th, with the opportunity to attend a special Zoom seminar on Tuesday, February 24th at 2:00PM, to discuss how to submit a competitive VBS grant application. Additional consideration will be given to those serving rural and underserved communities. Contact Maddy DeWitt at 380-223-9229 or mdewitt@wocumc.org for more information. Please see below for the link to the application and for the grant seminar.

VBS Grant Seminar Zoom Link - Feb. 24th at 2:00PM: https://wocumc.zoom.us/j/88132162425

VBS Mini-Grant Application Link - Opens Feb. 1st: https://www.westohioumc.org/form/umfwo-vacation-bible-school-2026

View our grant program guidelines below for more details. You can open the guidelines in a new tab by hovering over the box with an arrow in the top right corner and clicking "Pop out." You can also learn more about our 2026 grant program by clicking here: https://www.westohioumc.org/2026-united-methodist-foundation-west-ohio-grants.