Membership in PCP

Membership Criteria

Membership in PCP is offered to individuals, not whole foundations or organizations, regardless of whether there is someone at a nominee’s organization who is already a PCP member.

To qualify for membership, nominees must meet the following three criteria:

  1. Members must have personal faith in Christ.
  2. In their work, members must do some grant making to Christian faith‐inspired nonprofit organizations and causes.
  3. Members must have a direct, evaluative role in the grant-making decision process.

Legacy membership consideration is offered for prior members of PCP on a case-by-case basis.

Nomination Process

Any current member of PCP may nominate someone for membership. Self-nominations are also welcome.

  1. Nominations should be sent PCP's Program Director, Kate Sedgwick, or to the member of PCP's board who oversees membership (currently Terese Stevenson)
  2. In a written recommendation, the nominator should make the case that the nominee satisfies all three of the membership criteria.
  3. Self nominees should also fill out this brief membership application.
  4. When satisfied that the criteria are met, the nominee’s candidacy will be presented to the full board for consideration and approval.

What is "a direct, evaluative role in grant-making"?

As a network of peers:

  1. PCP distinguishes between those hired or entrusted to do the work of making grants, who are eligible, and those in governance who are on boards and/or are principals acting upon grant recommendations, who are ineligible.
  2. Foundation principals and family members (through lineage or marriage) of foundation principals are eligible if serving in staff roles.
  3. Included are those who are hired to work directly for individual donors; PCP is not limited to foundation staff.
  4. Our community is not designed for those who serve as consultants for foundations or donors, advise or encourage the philanthropy of others through financial arrangements separate from direct grant‐making (such as Donor Advised Funds), or engage in grant‐making
    on behalf of denominational and/or church‐based entities.
  5. PCP members typically serve foundations as executive directors and program officers, rather than as grant managers and others in administrative support roles. While this is the case, it is the nominee’s function and role, not their title, that is the key qualifier. A direct role in the day‐to‐day grant‐making decision process could include:
    • Front line direct relationships with grant prospects and grantees (versus providing back‐office support)
    • Identifying and qualifying grant prospects
    • Direct communications with grant prospects centered on the proposal and granting process
    • Assessing the strengths of a prospective grantee organization
    • Evaluating the merits of a proposal
    • Making a recommendation with respect to funding to the foundation staff and/or board
    • Ongoing relationships with a grantee through the grant period
    • Evaluating the success of a grant